5 Organizing Trends on Their Way Out

Just like fashion, organizing trends have their own ebb and flow. As shocked as I was to learn that skinny jeans are OUT, you might be similarly surprised to discover that color coordinated acrylic bins are NO LONGER à la mode. Yes yes, these observations are part reality part wish (pretty please can we stop decanting blueberries already). Here are five trends on the way out (and my predictions for their replacements):

1. Plastic and Acrylic Storage. Plastic is SO not chic. Yes, in small quantities it’s acceptable and even necessary, but to trick out one’s home entirely in plastic and acrylic binnage is a major faux pas. Clear plastic is convenient because it allows you to see exactly what’s inside your bin; however, it’s not a sustainable long-term solution for environmental reasons. For starters, the perfect solution to the cant-see-what’s-inside conundrum is this bamboo open front bin. Bamboo drawer organizers are also superior to acrylic/plastic organizers because they’re much more durable and sustainable.

2. Open Shelving. In small quantities, open shelving can give your space character, dimension, and texture. But in large quantities, it can be visually overwhelming, especially when said open shelves are crammed with plates and bowls and mugs and every cooking appliance in between. These days, I believe we’re yearning for a space that feels as calm and serene as possible, which means a return to hidden storage, especially in the kitchen. In this spirit, pull-out trash cans will be more popular; the knife block will become the knife drawer, and the utensil crock the utensil drawer. Even the prized appliances like the Kitchen Aid will retreat behind a cabinet/appliance lift.

3. The Maximalist Organizing Aesthetic. Owning two hundred pairs of shoes is fine, but owning twenty beloved pairs that are worn regularly is TRÈS CHIC, TRES PARISIENNE. I believe there will be a renewed push towards quality over quantity in the new year. This slimming down of items reduces an obvious need for so many organizing solutions. When you have fewer possessions, you need fewer organizing products to keep everything in check. Sometimes it’s easier to just reach for a product than grab it out of a water hyacinth basket, amirite?

4. Organizing Products that Scream, “I’m an Organizing Product.” Organizing solutions can be chic too! I think we’re all discovering that organization can blend seamlessly into your space, and even function as a design element in itself. We’re approaching a lovely Golden Age of Organization, if you will, where we no longer have one option to organize our clothes (AKA a sad grey Rubbermaid bin the size of a dog house), but instead have myriad textures and sizes to choose from. Enter my new woven bin obsession, which looks so good you don’t even need little tchotchkes to dress up your place anymore. Just these bins.

5. Labeling Everything That Ever Existed in Your Home. There’s an absolute time and place for labeling (your taxes, children’s report cards, and birth certificates come to mind), but labeling everything down to each individual blueberry in your fridge is on the way out. When you over-label everything in your home, your space ends up feeling stifling and restrictive. While I understand the benefits of labeling your space, especially for people who truly benefit from labels in terms of putting things back where they belong, I think we can take a vacation from our Brother P-Touch Labeler. After all, unlabeled boxes of things can sometimes be very chic, very mystérieuse.