Western Living Magazine
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The WL team is getting a jump on spring clean-up-your-act season with these top picks for organizational home furniture and accessories.
In 2013, for reasons that are too dull to explain here, I moved three times, and the boxes of books I was lugging from house to house quickly went from being beloved to a burden. So I did a serious cull, and now I do most of my reading on an e-reader (practically weightless!), but there is still a pile of treasured novels that I just couldn’t let go. And lately, I’ve been wishing I had a better way to show off these faves (after all, if your guests can’t see a copy of Middlesex prominently displayed, did you ever really read it?). The problem with most bookshelves is that they’re always so…bookshelfy. A rectangle, some horizontal shelves—a very linear look that also happens to be boring me silly. But this DwellStudio Affleck bookcase ($2,194.28) breaks the mould just enough to catch my attention, with a walnut finish, asymmetrical dividers and mid-century-inspired angled legs. It’s worthy showcase for those stories that will be with me for many more moves to come. —Stacey McLachlan, Senior Editor
Have I developed an unhealthy obsession with baskets? Perhaps. But keeping things neat and organized on the home front is a constant battle, and baskets are a godsend when you’re—as my grandma would put it—“allergic” to putting things away. I spied these white powder-coated iron baskets ($399) from Bend the last time I was at Provide, and it was very much love at first sight. They’re simple, but still interesting, thanks to the line work in a fresh white; they’re the perfect chic clutter-catcher for everyday life. —Julia Dilworth, Staff Writer
My favourite organization tool is the simplest—and it’s right by my front door. Umbra’s Magnetter Key and Letter holder ($19.99) means I always know where my keys are—magnets on the front mean no fussing with hooks, so I literally drop them there as soon as I land. And its unfussy design is the perfect, oh-so-minimalist addition to the entrance hall. (So long as I keep it free of junk mail. Who leaves that there?) —Anicka Quin, Editor-in-Chief
Despite how hard I try to be environmentally friendly, often I can’t see my dining room table underneath the stacks of paper I so desperately need to hold on to (I simply can’t throw away that recipe for coconut-avocado mousse, I swear I’ll get around to making it soon). When your dining room becomes a fire hazard, it’s time to call in the big guns. This Tambour secretary desk ($1,499) from EQ3 is everything I need in my life; with room for four drawers, a fold-down writing desk, and, best of all, a shutter screen to cover the whole thing up just in case you’ve accidentally filled the bottom bookcase with too many knickknacks. —Jenni Elliott, Contributing Editor
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