Storage You Can See

One of my best tips for neurodivergent people is to store things where you can see them. The rule: Use only household storage products and furniture you can see inside.

Products like open shelving, translucent bins, and hanging clothes racks (in place of drawers) can help bring your current possessions into the light, so you’re more likely to use what you have instead of buying more.

You remember what you own, how much of it, and where. You’re not surrounded by drawers of stuff, a.k.a. mystery abysses that might contain anything from unpaid bills and priceless heirlooms, to broken rubber bands and eyedrops from 1995.

Your things are easy to find, remove, appreciate, and use. Because things are visible, you’re less inclined to hoard them or let junk pile up, and you have an incentive to organize your items in a beautiful way that makes sense to you.

(I generally suggest putting your whole inventory of each item type together in one place. If you don’t do that, add a note in each location reminding you where to find more.)

Ikea makes great open storage shelves, such as the iconic Kallax, and IRIS USA makes surprisingly beautiful translucent bins. If you keep things nicely arranged, and own only what you love and need, it should be possible to use open storage everywhere without making your home look cluttered. Try it, and enjoy the liberation of letting your stuff see the light.