If you know me, you know I often lament there are no fantastic stores in Canada dedicated to organizing products.  

We have large retailers that carry bits and pieces of storage and organizing solutions: Bed Bath & Beyond, Canadian Tire, Home Depot etc.  And we do have a smaller shop with a selection of products dedicated to organizing, like Room in Order.  However, they don’t have the real estate to carry a large selection of items and their anchor store on Davie Street is closing down, leaving only their two outlying small stores.

Yes, we can order from US retailers like The Container Store.  But buying online, or far from home, doesn’t give you the opportunity to try out or easily return items.  

During my recent trip to Australia (and in between exploring the stunning east side), I toured some great organizing stores. One chain, in particular, Howard’s Storage World, was a tourist’s delight. Well, it certainly was if you’re a Professional Organizer! 

I loved how they had big displays of their container options. The big pantry shelves and see-through kitchen cupboards are a fantastic idea for shoppers.  You can see how efficient clear/opaque bins are for finding things quickly.  There is no wasted space when handles are not in the way and the bins are squared – they nestle perfectly side by side.

With these layouts, you didn’t have to use your imagination to figure out what each piece could do or hold.  When I talk about vertical organizing, you can see it on display.  You just think, “Wow. This could be my clutter-free kitchen.” (BTW check out the “American” mustard and Vegemite in these drawers!)

   They had many unique organizing products too.  Here are some clear totes (I bought just one), Velcro brand travel pouches and perfectly proportioned (i.e. waste no space!) plastic bins I wish were available here.

Fair Dinkum, I was impressed.  When are you coming to Canada?

Out of Chaos is here to help you organize your space or even teach you new strategies to stay organized.  Just contact us today.