5 Pro Organizers on Their Favorite Places to Shop

An organized entryway — The Spruce / Photo Illustration by Amelia Manley / Kate Marker Interiors

In the blink of an eye, professional organizers seem to effortlessly turn cluttered countertops and corners into tidy, well-kept spaces. Their expertise is the magic behind these transformations, but they also rely on helpful organizational products to maintain rooms' sparkling appearances. They seem to always have the best baskets, trays, shelving systems, and containers, but where do the professionals actually shop for these items?

Five professional organizers shared the stores that they always look to for the best organizational pieces to make their clients' homes—and even their own homes—look impeccably clean and beautifully organized.

The Container Store

The Container Store wins the number one spot for being the most frequently mentioned and raved about store by these professional organizers. Expert Joanna Wirick of Joanna Organize says The Container Store is her top pick for four main reasons: the quality of the products, the range of price points, great product availability, and how helpful and friendly the employees and specialists are.

"I've tried a wide variety of products over the years and various brands, and I can confidently say that TCS has the best products in terms of quality," she explains. "They're durable and there are several different style options to fit the exact aesthetic you're looking for." Not only that, but she says the products fit a wide range of budgets, "which is extremely important when you want to complete an organizing project."

Liz Jenkins, owner of A Fresh Space is another fan of The Container store and has a helpful list of products that her team constantly goes back for. "We are big fans of the iDesign divided lazy susan and the amazingly boringly named white plastic bins with handles, which are one of our main go-to items for laundry room, playroom, and pantry organization due to their function and price point," she says.

The Container Store White Plastic Storage Bins

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The Container Store (Again)

Pro organizers' love for The Container Store can't really be contained—at least not in a few paragraphs. Holly Blakey of Breathing Room Organization + Styling says the brand is a constant in her work because she's grown familiar with how to implement a wide range of the products into rooms. "I love buying Tosca bins (by Yamazaki) for pantries and laundry rooms, as well as the Marie Kondo line which I use a lot in kitchens and fridges (made out of wood, ceramic, metal, etc.)," she says. "I've also been buying a lot of the iDesign wood collection there."

Jenkins has several other favorite products from The Container Store that she and her team love using for clients. "Some of our favorite products are the OXO Pop Canisters for decanting dry goods, bamboo tension dividers and bamboo organizers for drawers, and velvet hangers for closets."

There are also compartmentalized trays and jewelry organizers made from acrylic she enjoys using as well as stackable fridge drawers that go beyond the kitchen (think: playrooms, pantries, and craft rooms, she says).

Yamazaki Home Tosca Dual-Handled Storage Basket

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HomeGoods & T.J. Maxx

Chinamelum Menakaya, founder of Lavender Organizes, loves scoping out a few larger retailers for acrylic organizers and baskets. Though there is a vast array of options to sort through, they're not difficult to maneuver once you get past the initial sensory overload—in fact the organizational sections can be fairly small.

"At HomeGoods and T.J. Maxx there is more variety of colors, styles, and different brands to choose from," she says. "Also, the stores are not too big, so it's easy to find the aisle, find what I need, and leave!"

Clear plastic stackable storage containers

HomeGoods

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Wayfair

Menakaya also relies on Wayfair for finding extra storage pieces, especially in the kitchen. Standalone pantries, shelving units, countertop organizers, and stacking bins are all available through the retailer. "The quality and style goes from modern to contemporary or traditional, so it's easy to search for the kind of style my client needs in their home," she says.

Wayfair

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Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel is another popular store for home goods and there's no shortage of organizational picks either. Jenkins likes the Sedona line from the brand in particular. "These work really well in pantries as the size usually fits perfectly and they aren’t so tall that you can’t see what is in them," she says. "The bins are sturdy and really look great in most spaces."

Crate & Barrel

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West Elm

West Elm may be a hotspot for mid-century modern-inspired furniture, but it's a fabulous place for finding organizational items, too. Menakaya sends the clients that aren't in love with wicker and wire baskets here. "[It's] my favorite place for finding natural woven baskets," she explains. "West Elm's baskets are made of seagrass; the quality is amazing."

West Elm

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Etsy and Independent Shops

Small businesses and independent shops are other fantastic places to peruse for organizational pieces. Laura Cattano of Laura Cattano Organizational Design personally likes The Primary Essentials and ceramic works from artists who are experts in their field. "A lidded ceramic holder from Nancy Kwon sits on my bathroom shelf to hold hair ties," she says. "Next to it is a small decorative bowl to hold my jewelry when I shower."

Blakey also adds that "you can find a lot of great baskets and labels on Etsy, which I've started using a lot more recently—and I love that they're smaller vendors with names and stories."

Etsy

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Amazon

When you've spent a few too many hours endlessly scrolling through websites or scouring the floors and shelves of a store, Amazon can come in handy. "Amazon is also a favorite place I like to shop when I can't find what I need in actual stores, such as a large amount of similar clear or fabric baskets or organizers," explains Menakaya. "They have all the selections I can choose from and they deliver very fast."

Amazon also has several virtual "storefronts" and editorialized pages that can help you narrow down products depending on the style of home you have or the particular room you're shopping for—useful when you're swimming in a sea of products.

Amazon

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Muji

The concept of minimalism is a large part of design and organization for many people. For products that fit into homes that prefer a clean aesthetic and simple design, Muji is perfect.

"This Japanese lifestyle brand sells beautifully simple things like stacking bins, stacking drawers, zippered canvas boxes, and baskets that can be used all throughout the home," says Cattano. "The design is minimal enough to work in any interior. I have their stacking drawers under my bathroom sink for extra toiletries, socks, bras, and underwear as well as my glasses and sunglasses, credit cards, etc." She also adds that she keeps this stackable set in lower kitchen cabinets to contain other essentials, like office supplies.

Muji

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MoMA Design Store

Any organizational buy hailing from a design store is—undoubtedly—going to be chic. If you're looking to stray from basics, or at least spice up the shapes or colors normally seen in storage solutions, the Museum of Modern Art's store is an easy shop to fall in love with. "They carry storage furniture and accessories from greats like Kartell, HAY, and their own line of exclusive pieces," says Cattano.

MoMA Design Store

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Target

The joke goes that wandering into Target for one thing always leads to leaving with a shopping cart full of finds—and that's not too far from the truth. Seeing that the brand has also amped up its home section in the last few years, it's even easier to find plenty of items for organizing, whether you're looking for a tub for storing blankets or a new hamper.

"I love Target's Brightroom collection for their metal and wood containers and baskets which are so simple and well made, as well as any woven basket, which are great for closets and kids spaces," describes Blakey.

Target

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Pehr

With little ones comes a lot of fun toys and knick-knacks, but a pressing need for more storage solutions. Blakey turns to Pehr, and there's one specific product that serves as a stylish multipurpose solution. "Pehr's fabric pom bins are a staple for nurseries, kids rooms, and play rooms," she says. "There's nothing better than a big open bin to toss toys or laundry into. It's incredibly simple, yet so beautiful to have in your space."

These brightly-colored bins are so fun that even homes without kids could easily find a way to incorporate their saturated tones into a room.

Pehr

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IKEA

For larger furniture items that serve as foundational and organizational pieces, Jenkins looks to IKEA's KALLAX units. The line comes in multiple configurations and is a staple in the playrooms and craft rooms she and her team organize.

"There are many configurations we can create with the variety of sizes and we always attach to the walls for safety," she notes. The simple shape of them is beneficial, too, for anyone who's DIY savvy. There are plenty of long lists dedicated to all the ways in which KALLAX can be customized.

IKEA

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Your Own Home

Sometimes the best pieces are hiding in plan sight—and require no spending whatsoever. "I love reusing existing things in a client's home in a new way," explains Cattano. "A basket that was once used for scarves is now in the kitchen holding bread. Candle glass is now cleaned and used in the medicine cabinet to hold makeup brushes or lip gloss."

There are numerous ways of upcycling and repurposing the things around you, which will not only refresh your home, but it'll be gentle on your budget and the planet, too.