We could hardly contain our excitement last year when we heard that The Container Store, the nation’s leading retailer of storage and organization products, was coming to the Memphis area, and it has now opened in Germantown! This beautiful, new store is the second Container Store in Tennessee, and features a modern design incorporating elements from the flagship Dallas Next Generation Store.
The Container Store features thousands of multi-functional and innovative storage and organization products designed to help customers maximize space and make the most of their home. Katie Savage and Brooke Levy have been fans of The Container Store as they have been using Container Store products for their Memphis-based home improvement / custom organizing business Blue Pencil Home. Blue Pencil Home is officially part of the company’s Contained Home program, which means they will provide a wide variety of in-home services ranging from designing comprehensive organization perfectly suited for their client’s homes.
Previously, Katie and Brooke either ordered Container Store products online or had to drive to Little Rock or Nashville to stock up on items, so they are very excited to have a local Container Store. We enjoyed a morning shopping with Katie and Brooke, as they shared the “ins and outs” of their favorite Container Store products and how to use them.

CLOSETS:

Closets are a breeze to organize thanks to the custom, built-in closets that are cut and made specifically for the customer. A highlight of the store is The Container Store Custom Closets, encompassing Elfa Classic®, the retailer’s best-selling product and premier shelving and drawer system, Elfa Decor®, their newest line Avera®, and Laren®, an upscale line of luxurious custom-built closets. “We are so excited to be working with The Container Store to create custom closets. It’s been a great need for our clients, and we are happy to have a solution to fit a wide range of needs. These closets are not only completely customizable, but they are the highest quality products you will find on the market,” Katie and Brooke said. Katie and Brooke also recommend the jewelry stackers from the Container Store as a must have for closet organization.

STORAGE BINS:

Katie and Brooke recommend the Yamazaki Tosca Basket with wooden handles for the pantry to store and organize in a stylish way. Katie and Brooke say they love them because along with being stylish, they’re sturdy and easily allow you to see what is in the baskets (which is great for kids reaching for snacks), and they have felt on the bottom so they don’t scratch any surfaces.
See-through storage bins are great for putting crafts since you can easily see what is in them.
Add a bin clip, which is sold at Container Store as well, and label it with chalk or a sharpie pen to put on the outside of any basket to complete your pantry / playroom organization.

MAKEUP AND BEAUTY PRODUCTS:

Brooke and Katie say they get a lot of questions about how to organize makeup and beauty products, and one of their favorite ways to store makeup is by using the Luxe acrylic 7-section divided palette insert - which fits well in most deep drawers and easily displays each item, and the InterDesign Clarity Cosmetics & Vanity Organizer - which takes advantage of vertical space on a counter, vanity or shelf.

GARAGES:

Katie and Brooke say that garages can be a tricky area to keep organized, mainly because of the amounts of items we tend to toss items such as sports gear tools and gardening supplies not knowing how or where to store them. They say it’s important to take advantage of all the vertical space you can with the Elfa Utility Track. You can install the track to the garage wall and customize it to your specific needs, and use different Elfa add-ons ranging from tool holders and bike racks to utility boxes and shelving.
Follow Blue Pencil Home on Instagram @bluepencilhome, or visit their website at www.bluepencilhome.com.