5 Remember color. The color of your storage bins may be important in a couple of scenarios. If the bins are highly visible in the home, you may want the containers to blend well with your décor. If you are organizing by color -- say, each family member has a different storage bin on a particular shelf -- you may want to buy the same-size bin in different colors.
6 Make it apparent. You want it to be immediately obvious what you have stored inside any container. Transparent containers make this easy. Use opaque containers for stuff that can be damaged by light. In that case, have a good way to label your containers on top and sides.
7 Consider the future. Kids grow up, you move, your interests change -- all of these inevitable things mean that your storage needs will shift as the months and years pass. When you buy a storage container, ask yourself whether it can be put to other uses once your current need has passed.
8 Think about heft. How sturdy do your containers need to be? If you need to store bulky or sharp objects (leftover bathroom tile, for instance), heavy-duty tubs are the way to go.
Image courtesy of Pottery Barn.
Excerpted from How to Cheat at Organizing by Jeff Bredenberg Copyright © 2007 by Jeff Bredenberg. Excerpted by permission of Taunton, and Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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