Greetings, friends! And welcome to Caroline Finds It: my weekly newsletter where I reply to submissions from YOU for objects and products you need recommendations for.
With the publication of a gift guide I wrote on tiny gifts for The Strategist, I’ve been thinking a lot this week about how to store tiny things. I’m the kind of person who has lots of hobbies, knick knacks and things to keep organized and am militant about my systems of boxes, trays and carefully displayed supplies. You kind of have to be if you’re a busy person who’s also a stuff person, and in my opinion, storing your things thoughtfully is another way to care for them and to ensure that you’ll get the most out of them for the longest amount of time possible.
All of this brought to mind a submission I’ve been hanging onto for a while from Fernanda in Santiago, Chile:
“My work and hobbies require me to use too many cables every day connected to my computer. Phone charger, microphone cable, many USBs, watch charger, speaker charger, and so on. Even though I try to keep my desk tidy, it has become an impossible task. I'm looking for a nice-looking, modern, minimalist (lol) box to store my cables, that allows me to open it back and forth without too much effort, since I will be probably using it every day, all day. Please help me to have a nice looking desk!”
Dear Fernanda,
Have you tried using a tool box? Yes, the kind that you’d keep a mess of hardware in. Several years ago I was shopping at Top Hat on Broome Street and impulse bought an Italian-made Metalplus toolbox which completely changed the way I store my small things at home. I love them because they looks great — industrial but clean, colorful and smooth, but are also highly functional. I have one for household tools, one for my knitting things and have gifted several to hobbyist friends.
Fernanda, I think that an important piece of advice for you is that the box must have a hinged lid and not a removable lid. In my experience, having to use two hands to open a box that is frequently used becomes a nuisance over time, and I don’t want you to get in the habit of just ditching the lid entirely. That defeats the purpose of all of this! Alternately, you could use something that has drawers. The point is: you need to be able to access the thing that you need with one hand.
In this particular instance, a traditional tool box might be too bulky to sit atop your desk, but these simple flat boxes from Metalplus ($130 for the pair) would look slick and are easy to open. An added bonus of their flatness is that you can arrange your cords in a single layer so you can see them all at once:
Edit: I found these Metalplus boxes cheaper and in more colors here.
Even more compact, these boxes from Toyo ($29/each) are stackable! Get your labelmaker out and designate a few for different categories of cord. In general, these are the best small metal boxes out there and are useful for any type of small thing storage:
In addition to Toyo and Metalplus, you might also search Trusco for more styles of flat powder-coated steel toolbox.
As far as small organization drawers go, Muji makes really popular acrylic ones, which I’ve used and loved. However, they are difficult to keep clean, so I’ve found what I believe to be a better solution:
If you search “small parts drawer” on Google you get lots of tiny drawer storage situations that are typically steel (sometimes with plastic drawers) and designed for workshops or for outfitting trucks. I really love these, and though they look industrial and are typically made in really drab shades of grey, you could easily dress it up by painting the drawers, or adding colorful labels. This one from Durham Steel ($105) would do the trick!
While we’re on the topic, I’m going to go a little off script and share some general favorites in this category. From Choosing Keeping in London, the HOLY GRAIL of fancy storage solution: a set of tiny drawers, meticulously covered in fancy Italian paper for a whopping $428:
My cats would surely munch the corners on this masterpiece, otherwise I’d have it at the top of my Christmas wish list. On a cousin’s Christmas list this year was things for her “big girl desk”, so I got her the iconic Rexite Desk Organizer ($48):
My Neiman Marcus Fantasy Gift pick for this category is the Nelson Miniature Drawer Set, which I nearly cry over every time I pop into the Herman Miller store ($3,395):
It’s not a “minimalist” choice, but vintage library card catalogs can often be found in desktop-friendly sizes on eBay and Etsy. Trust me — it’s a rabbit hole worth falling down for an hour or two.
FAVORITE PRODUCT OF THE WEEK
My life right now requires that I’m out all day, several days a week. In the summer I was contending with a sweaty, filthy face and a need for extra hydration (Remember, individually wrapped Dickinson’s Witch Hazel Wipes and Nuun Tablets?) but as it gets colder, in addition to dressing like I’m climbing a mountain each day, I am always in need of good hand cream. I’ve blown through tubes of Malin & Goetz b5 Hand Treatment, but the almond version is sold out until next year and I was desperate, so earlier this week I filled a Muji tube with Gloves in a Bottle, which I have in a giant pump bottle from my shop days. I’d originally purchased it after seeing it on the Instagram of a ceramicist because I thought it’d be useful as a Covid-era solution to dry hands due to frequent hand-washing as it essentially coats your hands in a protective shield that outlasts several washings. What I didn’t consider is that it’d also provide a shield from cold, dry air. I no longer need to keep a tube of cream in my most handy pocket as I only need it once or twice a day. I’m not sure how it works, but I do know that it’s a miracle for hard-working, winter-weathered hands.
Is there a product you’re looking for? Submit your request here. See you next week for fresh recommendations! xo Caroline
I got the metal plus boxes in green. I love them for paint and office supplies.
I love the look of the Metalplus boxes! Are they available to buy in the UK? A quick search was surprisingly unsuccessful..