We all read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up last year and started walking around the house picking up objects and wondering if they brought us joy. Well, yes, most of the objects I have do bring me joy, because my house is not overrun with them. If your house is, you might want to try Marie Kondo’s kooky method of clearing clutter by basically clearing everything. Don’t get me wrong. I briefly considered it. But as much as I aspire to minimalism, I happen to like stuff. I like clothes. I like books. I like ceramics. I do pare down to make room for the new, but I don’t believe in that “if you haven’t worn it for a year” randomness. If you haven’t worn it for a year and the tags are still on it, yes, give it away. Or it’s “fast fashion”, you spent little money on it, and its day came and went (that pink bomber jacket), but if it’s high-end designer and/or classic, why not hang on to it? I’ve yanked old dresses out of my closet for events, and old suits for funerals that I was oh-so-happy I didn’t toss. I call this shopping my closet, and it’s far cheaper and more satisfying than an online binge.

One thing the Japanese seem to have down is clever organizing goods. Two companies in particular offer some well-designed products. Yamazaki Home makes all kinds of accessories to help you down your organizing path, as does Muji. My favorite thing (for years!) are these acrylic drawers. You can buy smart little velvet inserts to fit your earrings or rings and your messy jewelry drawer problem is solved…forever. Here are a bunch of useful items.

Muji Velour Inner Accessories Tray $12.50

Muji Acrylic Case With 2 Drawers  $20

Yamazaki Home

1. Accessory Stand  $39.24

2. Tower Shoe Rack $50

3. Tool Box $30

4. Leaning Tower Ladder Hanger $50

5. Tower Bath Rack $33.99

6. Dish Drainer $75.99

*This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase from one of the links, I’ll receive a very small amount of money. That said, all opinions are my own.