It's Okay to Have A Junk Drawer!

There are mixed opinions about junk drawers. Most people are shocked when I actually recommend having one. Sometimes things don't fit so perfectly! Organizing is not a perfect science. Don't let those magazine pictures fool you!


I do think junk drawers are useful and actually quite necessary. I prefer to call them miscellaneous drawers and recommend that people limit them to a few per household. Limiting the number of miscellaneous drawers is the key to making them work well for you. Having a miscellaneous drawer gives you permission to be a little disorganized. This is similar to being on a diet and allowing a cheat day. Giving in to temptation periodically helps prevent a sense of deprivation or the sense that everything has to be in perfect order.

One good place for a miscellaneous drawer is in the kitchen. In fact, I have one myself. This drawer holds bag clips, wine openers, pastry bags, and other assorted odds and ends that are typically hard to organize. Another place where a junk drawer makes sense is in the office: for assorted office supplies. Ziploc bags are great for containing small items within a miscellaneous drawer. I like these because they fit just about anywhere. If you want to get fancy, you can purchase special drawer dividers that can accommodate different shapes and sizes. Spacesavers.com offers expandable drawer organizers which are great for customizing drawers.

Warning! Be careful not to use the miscellaneous drawer as a quick fix. If you find that you have a large amount of one type of item, this is a cue that storage needs to be created elsewhere.

Happy Organizing!