Editors’ Picks: Let’s Get Organized

The WL team is getting a jump on spring clean-up-your-act season with these top picks for organizational home furniture and accessories. 

The Not-Boring Bookshelf

In 2013, for reasons that are too dull to explain here, I moved three times, and the boxes of books I was lugging from house to house quickly went from being beloved to a burden. So I did a serious cull, and now I do most of my reading on an e-reader (practically weightless!), but there is still a pile of treasured novels that I just couldn’t let go. And lately, I’ve been wishing I had a better way to show off these faves (after all, if your guests can’t see a copy of Middlesex prominently displayed, did you ever really read it?). The problem with most bookshelves is that they’re always so…bookshelfy. A rectangle, some horizontal shelves—a very linear look that also happens to be boring me silly. But this DwellStudio Affleck bookcase ($2,194.28) breaks the mould just enough to catch my attention, with a walnut finish, asymmetrical dividers and mid-century-inspired angled legs. It’s worthy showcase for those stories that will be with me for many more moves to come. —Stacey McLachlan, Senior Editor

A Chic Modern Basket

Have I developed an unhealthy obsession with baskets? Perhaps. But keeping things neat and organized on the home front is a constant battle, and baskets are a godsend when you’re—as my grandma would put it—“allergic” to putting things away. I spied these white powder-coated iron baskets ($399) from Bend the last time I was at Provide, and it was very much love at first sight. They’re simple, but still interesting, thanks to the line work in a fresh white; they’re the perfect chic clutter-catcher for everyday life.  —Julia Dilworth, Staff Writer

The Perfect Key Rack

My favourite organization tool is the simplest—and it’s right by my front door. Umbra’s Magnetter Key and Letter holder ($19.99) means I always know where my keys are—magnets on the front mean no fussing with hooks, so I literally drop them there as soon as I land. And its unfussy design is the perfect, oh-so-minimalist addition to the entrance hall. (So long as I keep it free of junk mail. Who leaves that there?) —Anicka Quin, Editor-in-Chief

A Desk to Hide Your Mess

Despite how hard I try to be environmentally friendly, often I can’t see my dining room table underneath the stacks of paper I so desperately need to hold on to (I simply can’t throw away that recipe for coconut-avocado mousse, I swear I’ll get around to making it soon). When your dining room becomes a fire hazard, it’s time to call in the big guns. This Tambour secretary desk ($1,499) from EQ3 is everything I need in my life; with room for four drawers, a fold-down writing desk, and, best of all, a shutter screen to cover the whole thing up just in case you’ve accidentally filled the bottom bookcase with too many knickknacks. —Jenni Elliott, Contributing Editor