6 Clever Cube Storage Ideas to Organise Your Workspace

Cube storage is versatile, functional and sophisticated, and is a great option for your home or office – or any space that requires sleek, stackable storage. 

We spoke to decluttering and organising expert Amy Revell, host of the podcast The Art of Decluttering and author of Simply Organised: An Expert's Guide to Decluttering Your Life and Home, to uncover her tips for how to make cube storage look good. Here, she shares her best ideas and tips for a practical and effective home office.

1. Have a Pre-Organising Tidy and Clear Out 

The first step in any organising journey is to take stock of the stuff you have and decide what’s worth keeping and what can be rehomed, recycled or thrown away. “I like to take everything out and group like-items together,” says Amy. That way, you can see you’ve got a huge pile of paper clips or an overwhelming collection of tangled chargers and computer cables that don’t need to take up space in your storage cubes. 

“Go through it all, and get rid of what you don’t need. Then you can decide on inserts and storage options to use inside of the cubes,” she says. “Having a home for everything is important, so try to keep to one category per cube. That way you can keep things organised and find what you need when you need it.”

2. Make Cube Storage Look Good with a Colour Theme

Create visual harmony by sticking to a simple colour palette. ”In my house we have all-white cube storage and then we’ve added some colour and texture with how we style it,” says Amy. Choose one or two hues, then hunt for storage bins, containers, binders and trays in the same shade. 

“Or, you can stick to a completely neutral palette and use ornaments and accessories to bring in a pop of colour,” she says. When choosing colours for your cube storage, aim to match or complement the rest of your home office decor. Remember: colours can change the vibe of your space and the work that you do. Blue is said to be calming, yellow is meant to uplift and energise, while green boosts creativity.

SEE ALSO: 4 Home Office Designs to Suit Every Type of Work

3. Hide Clutter With Stackable Storage

Stackable storage cubes can be ideal for displaying special knick-knacks and treasured trinkets, but not every item in your office is worthy of the spotlight. Instead, look for storage cube options that hide the more functional stuff – the everyday tools, stationery and accessories that you need to keep close by. 

“If you have lots of smaller items that you need to store, use cube storage inserts to hide the clutter. Drawers are great if you’re storing stationery or work supplies. And matching magazine holders or binders are perfect for paperwork,” says Amy. Full-sized boxes and baskets will hide the big unsightly stuff, like tech equipment or receipt and invoice books. 

Hot Tip: Group similar items together, then use a label maker to document the contents of each box to make finding things easier in future. 

4. Strive for Balance

When you’re styling your cube storage, aim for balance and symmetry. Try to achieve a mixture of open and closed storage and vertical and horizontal arrangements. Don’t cram things into every corner of every cube – this looks messy and overwhelming. 

Instead, try this tip from Amy’s bag of style tricks: “I recommend putting heavier and bulkier items in the bottom four cubes. This is not only safer but it looks visually balanced, too. The top cubes are best when they’re not too heavy or full.” 

Look for decorative items to display up top, such as a vase or a framed photo on a short stack of magazines. Or, add a lamp to give your space a glow.

‍SEE ALSO: Workspace Refresh Ideas to Try Before End of Financial Year

5. Introduce Some Indoor Plants

Plants are always a good idea. They make workspaces more vibrant and inviting, plus studies show indoor plants can actually decrease your stress while increasing your productivity. “Plants can soften the look of cube storage and bring a little life to it,” says Amy. Opt for resilient plant species suited to life indoors, such as rubber and spider plants, or artificial varieties.  

6. Think Outside the Cube

The great thing about cube shelves? You can customise it to suit your style and space. Amy suggests arranging shelving in interesting ways to update your office space. “If you don’t want your cube storage to dominate your office, try to lie it on its side so it’s low against a wall,” she says. This also frees up the top of the shelf for more storage – a safe place for your printer or coffee machine to rest. Another idea? Use storage cubes in the middle of the room to break up an office into two distinct spaces, ideal if a space is multi-use or for two people working from home. 

What To Try:

• Horsen 8 Cube Bookcase White
• Otto Rattan Magazine File
• Otto Palm Magazine File
• Otto Rattan Small Basket
• Otto Palm A4 Storage Box
• Otto Palm Document Tray
• Otto Brights Terrazzo A4 Deep Document Box
• J.Burrows Insert Binder A4 2 D-Ring 50mm White
• J.Burrows Lever Arch File A4 2 Ring Black
• Otto Palm Vases 3 Pack
• Otto Mini Plant Shrub
• Otto Mini Plant Leaf
• Otto Terrazzo Pot with Succulent Plant
• Otto Palm Carafe and Tumbler Green
• Otto Palm Candle with Wooden Lid Lemongrass
• Otto Rattan Lamp
• Otto Glass Vase with Natives
• Brother P-touch Label Maker Black PT-H110
• Otto Stacking Tub 9.1 L Black with White Lid
• Otto Stacking Tub 17.5 L Black with White Lid

SEE ALSO: How to Get Organised at Work in 2023