Take That Junk Corner

I have found that over time our little junk areas have been confined to smaller and smaller areas in our house.  About a year ago we did a full redesign of our second bedroom and tackled most of our clutter and unwanted items during the process.  As part of the redesign we were stuck with one corner full of items that we just couldn't seem to get rid of.  While moving from a whole junk room in our loft to one corner was an improvement that corner has been bothering me a while.  The main issue that we have a lot of paperwork that we were storing in a really bulky ugly filing cabinet and we didn't know how to get rid of the cabinet so we built the junk corner around that filing cabinet.  We still have a little ways to go with the paperwork problem but we have a plan and hope to finish that task this weekend. 

Back to the troublesome corner – it had become a stack of toiletry making supplies, paperwork, unused home decor items, and overflow photo/CD storage.  I found this great little bookshelf on sale on the IKEA website for $25 and decided it would be the hero in our corner saving adventure.  I was bummed that the shipping was almost as much as the bookshelf but either way the bookshelf made it to us for less than $50 which I think is still a pretty good deal.  I knew storage containers would be key to achieving order and balance between the eclectic groups of items that this bookshelf would house.  I purchased one item from the antique store down the street.  It is a tiered votive holder which I knew would be perfect for separating craft scissors, markers, and jewelry making supplies.  I was thrilled when after some additional purging in other areas of the house I was able to complete the rest of the project using storage and decor items we already owned. 

I was unable to make the large containers of toiletry items look prettier so I put them at the bottom and used a frame to conceal most of the items.  The next shelf cleverly disguises the miscellaneous supplies in two black file folder holders and I organized my fragrance, flavor, and essential oils in a long rectangular basket.  The middle shelf has all sorts of stationary hidden in the floral storage box and the antique candle holder I purchased is housing my craft supplies in a way that makes them easy to access and easier on the eye.  I also decided to put Kyle’s new Star Wars Vinylmation characters on display in front of the craft supplies since I liked how colorful they are and they are keeping guard over my craft supplies.  The shelf that is the second from the top is my favorite.  I was a little less practical with this shelf and let it be the “pretty” shelf if you will.  I put the flower pens from our wedding in a small class like a bouquet, showcased the D initial I received for Christmas from Anthropologie (I love that store so much), and showcased one the other framed Any Given Moment CD.  The top shelf still feels like a work in progress to me, right now we have a handmade Jones sign that Anna made for us and a botanical arrangement but I think it is still missing something.  Overall I’m thrilled with the outcome and can’t wait to move on to tackling other cluttered areas of our house.  I’m coming for you junk – one nook of our house at a time!