Use Collapsible Storage Cubes for Quick Anti-Clutter

Got kids? Got hobbies? Got a less-than-tidy spouse? In any case, you probably fight clutter constantly if you have a normal, busy household. (When our kids were teens, our son would set something down -- anything! -- and it immediately ceased to exist in his world until we made him remember or "find" it.) Collapsible storage cubes can help your anti-clutter campaign, perhaps even soothe some family relationships.

For about $10 each, or less if bought in pairs, Whitmor makes some really fun, special collapsible storage cubes you can find at Amazon.com or other online retailers. In business making all sorts of storage and organization equipment since 1946, Whitmor's modules will fit nicely in a kid's room or any room of the house. They offer cloth and cardboard cubes in solid colors, colored patterns -- even with fairy tales characters printed on them.

Collapsible Storage Cube 'Work Horse' for Big Moves

If cardboard and cloth seem too light weight for your needs, here's a plastic storage cube that's a real homeowner's dream -- even sturdy enough for industrial storage and hauling needs. It's called the Qube Cart-XL. Made by a company called Etonomy Trading, LLC, and sold at Amazon.com and other online retailers, the Qube Cart-XL sells for around $40, with some sites offering free shipping.

This is a truly useful storage and "tote" cube, made of a hardened plastic with wheels and a collapsible handle attached. It weighs around 8-10 pounds empty and will handle an 80-pound load. The whole unit collapses down, the lid folds over the front and fastens securely, making it similar in size and shape to a large briefcase or hard-sided suitcase.

Even Pets Get in on the Storage Cube Act!

While looking at collapsible cubes on Amazon.com, I ran onto an interesting customer review of a Collapsible Cube -- Pet Storage Box. The name caught my interest, and, no, it is NOT a pen or carrier for your pets. It's a cute collapsible storage cube designed to hold your pets' toys. In one particular review, by someone in Florida who bought and enjoys that particular product, said this:

"This is the perfect size for a dog in the 75-lb range to put his toys in and take them out by himself. It took very little time for him to understand what the box was for. Good quality, sturdy."

If you've got dogs you've also got dog toys. Why not look into a toy box you can train them to use themselves? Sounds like fun!

Collapsible storage cubes offer versatility and convenience, especially for smaller, lighter items when you're looking at fabric storage cubes. Although they cannot hold the weight or generally cannot hold up to the knocking around of a sturdy wood storage cube, and they may not work as well as plastic storage cubes for setting up configurations of stackable storage cubes, they fill a useful purpose in kids' rooms -- and for training your pets to pick up and put away their toys! Look for them online and in local retail stores of all sorts to add to your arsenal of storage cubes furniture options.

Colorful, Artistic Storage Cube Fun!

Fabric storage cubes routinely offer bright colors, ranging from green to red to purple to a bright pink. In addition to bright colors and color patterns, fabric cubes often come painted with scenes from fairy tales and nursery rhymes for use in kids' rooms and nurseries. Some come with suggestions you can use to decorate them. With a bit of "crafty-ness" on your part, you can decorate your own fabric cubes with colors and fabrics of your choice.

very often in nurseries and kids' bedrooms, fabric storage cubes come decorated with cute patterns for babies, camouflage coverings to appeal to youngsters -- and even in imitation silks and furs to decorate adult bedrooms. Fabric storage cubes, too, are often collapsible. That offers something of the ultimate in storage convenience -- storage cubes that can be stored in other storage media when not in use! From designer fabric to circus animals and clowns, fabric storage cubes may add just what you need to your home decor.

A company called Closetmaid offers some really cute "fabric drawers" which are actually fabric storage cubes that look like a smiling monkey, smiling hippo, and smiling lion. They're called "Circo" and you can find them at Amazon.com and other online retailers for around $10-$15. They would be a treat for any kid's room or nursery. (They're more than a little fun for adults, too, with a hobby room or sewing area that needs bright, decorative storage solutions!) These cubes are easily cleaned with a damp cloth -- although the plastic frame and fabric side combination makes them flexible and less sturdy than wood storage cubes or plastic storage cubes. They might be stackable, but be cautious. (They also have a 10 pound weight limit for storage.)

Fabric Cubes Work as Portable Storage

Looking for storage you can carry over the shoulder when you take off for the gym or on a short weekend trip? You could use a duffel bag, gym bag, even carry-on luggage -- or you could take a look at some of the really nice fabric cubes with soft sides, padding, and shoulder straps. A company named Mountainsmith offers a wide range of such cubes, starting with their Mountainsmith Basic Cube up through their very snazzy Mountainsmith Bike Cube. The Basic Cube ranges in size from lunch pails to gym bags. They sell for $15 and up on Amazon.com or other online stores. The Mountainsmith Bike Cube comes in a wide variety of colors, from basic black to tiger striped and colorful red swirls. These beauties are big enough to hold your, well, bike gear -- shoes, water bottle, helmet, biking apparel, etc. -- and come with various useful compartments and interior padding. The Mountainsmith Bike Cube is priced from $35-$70 at Amazon.com and other online stores.

Fabric Storage Cubes Are Collapsible for Storing

Think about this as the ultimate in storage cubes furniture: If you aren't using your fabric cube -- whether it's a portable, shoulder strap bag like the basic cube or bike cube or a closet drawer -- you can collapse it (some of them even fold conveniently) and store it away in a closet or on a shelf. And, much like stacking dolls within dolls, fabric storage cubes are flexible enough that, if you've bought several and sized them properly, you can store one inside the other and squash the whole lot of them down to shove under a spare bed!

Don't be fooled into thinking "fabric" means "flimsy." Depending on the weight of the material and quality of the material used to make them, fabric cubes will give you years of durable, collapsible service in a variety of uses, from shoulder bags to kids' toy storage or laundry bags. Shop around and enjoy the fun of fabric storage cubes!

Plastic Offers Versatility, Lower Prices

Besides versatility, plastic generally offers lower priced options for those who are putting together their storage cubes furniture portfolio on a budget. From initial pricing to shipping costs, plastic cubes almost always beat the price of wood storage cubes or the various combinations of wood and synthetic "soft" materials such as canvas and cloth. And because of the ease with which plastic can be colored or just left transparent, such storage cubes easily fit with or even disappear into any decor. Plastic storage cubes come either pre-assembled or are very easy to snap together yourself. This versatility in color and shipping make them practically invisible extra storage for any room -- or brightly colored to fit children's rooms and nurseries.

Popular Uses for Plastic Cubes

Plastic storage cubes work well for everything from modular bookcases to room dividers. Many of them are shipped disassembled as snap together plastic squares and rectangles that fit into a series of plastic or even thin metal or wood frame sections. Such no-tools-required assembly is a welcome benefit for many consumers, making your furniture assembly tasks much easier than having to use a screwdriver and/or pliers for the job.

A thick, sturdy plastic such as an acrylic, may be used as the basis for storage and toy boxes in kids' rooms. Although good, solid wood storage cubes may be a bit sturdier and less likely to sag or tip, quality plastic will work also. You should always take care that any storage cube assembly in a child's room is sturdy enough to handle the child's weight and roughing up in play time. Always be careful that the cubes are solidly assembled with no chance of coming apart or cracking into sharp edges. Kids at play may also scuff and scratch plastic storage cubes, so look for something like the Honey Can Do 3-Pack Modular Storage Cube unit, which comes in a translucent blue plastic -- very forgiving about showing scratches, and sturdy enough for storage in a child's room. (They sell for around $20-$25 at Amazon.com and other online sites, sometimes available with free shipping.)

One very unique use for plastic storage cubes is the line of small square and rectangular cubes made by Rawlings and other sports gear companies especially for displaying autographed baseballs and other sports memorabilia. These cubes cost about $3-$5 each online at Amazon and other dealers. They are a real must-have for sports fans who collect small memorabilia -- and they are very handy for a variety of small storage items in home sewing centers and hobbyist's lairs!

Pick That Cube Up and Tote It!

There are a wide variety of industrial, warehouse, and business uses for plastic storage cubes, which might be just the thing you're looking for to combine storage and transportability for your needs. From kids' toy chests to warehouse tote trays and stackable storage bins, plastic cubes form a foundational base for tote bins and trays used for storing and moving small parts and pieces around your house, your office, and your business.

Solid Wood or Wooden Framework?

It's possible to find sturdy, solid wood storage cubes in a variety of beautiful wood grains and finishes. They certainly offer more stability and solid furniture value to your home decor. They also are going to be quite heavy and limit the portability and configurability that's at the center of the whole concept of storage cubes furniture. Simply put, solid wood cubes are going to be a lot more work if you want to do a quick reconfiguration of a room partition, bookcase, storage cabinet, or whatever that you've created from the cubes.

On the other hand, wood storage cubes made of a hollow core wood, or made from solid wood framework covered with veneer or even plastic, are a handier option. These cubes generally offer sturdy construction and the luxurious look of wood -- while giving you lighter weight and more maneuverability than solid wood cubes. It stands to reason that these would be a better option over solid wood for the average apartment dweller or homeowner.

Individual Cubes or Preconfigured Unit?

As will all makes and models of storage cubes, you need to make a fundamental decision about your furniture and decor when you shop for wood storage cubes. Are you looking for complete storage flexibility, or do you have a single, specialized piece of furniture in mind? Do you want building blocks or do you want a ready-made bookcase? The options are yours. Individual wood storage cubes, bought with a selection of wood colors and finishes, can be combined and recombined and set up in any room of your home. If you need a specific wood finish, say, mahogany or cherry, to create a quick room divider that might serve as a bookcase or to display figurines and other knickknacks, you can find such preconfigured units in many furniture stores both offline and online.

Wood Stain, Wood Veneers, or Natural Wood Colors?

What color or wood grains are you interested in when planning your wood storage cubes as part of your furniture and decor? If you want a variety of colors, ranging from maple to espresso, wood stain will give you what you're looking for. You can take a plain, pine or white pine cube, and make the color as dark and rich as you'd like to fit in with your decor. (One person's dark brown "espresso" color might be another's "dark cherry" or "dark mahogany, so be very careful to select stain colors visually to make sure they really do fit the decor you're trying to match!) A quality wood stain not only gives you pine colored like mahogany, if that's what you're seeking, but it will protect the wood and keep it looking good for years.

Wood veneers are simply very thin "slices" of wood -- sometimes compacted, but usually shaped literally by slicing wood -- that are given a finish to highlight the wood grain and color. These thin, inexpensive slices of wood are then glued to fiberboard or cheaper species of wood. A walnut veneer, therefore, will generally be cheaper than a solid walnut wood storage cube. Besides budgetary concerns, cubes made of hollow cores or cheaper, lighter woods, often are acceptable as fine furniture because of the beauty of a good veneer.

And, of course, if money is no consideration and you find the right manufacturer or supplier, you can buy wood cubes made entirely of whatever sort of wood fits your furniture and decor demands. You can find or have crafted (or even do-it-yourself) storage cubes and storage units made from pine, spruce, walnut, mahogany, walnut, cherry, or just about any wood you can imagine -- and that you can afford.

These useful furniture modules come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and materials to help you design exactly what you want and need in practical, fun storage and living space.

Basic Modular Storage Cubes

The most basic, fundamental storage cubes you use around your home are the modular, stackable storage cubes usually made of some form of wooden or wire frame covered with a plastic or plastic laminate, shaped and dressed up to look boxy. The engineering and appearance are simple, but the flexibility for home furnishings and decor is amazing.

Remember the "old-fashioned" and trendy home decor of milk carton stackables from your student dorm days of the 1970s and '80s? Those were the ancestors of today's stackable cubes like today's Foremost Modular Open Cube Storage System (individual cubes sell for about $25 at a good online merchant like Amazon.com), a typical basic modular storage cube system.

Or -- you can find a wide number of really campy, attractive looking stackable milk crates, even some "real-life" milk crates, apple crates, and other small plastic or wooden stackables. They'll add authentic charm to your home and may well be what you're looking for as a foundation for your storage cubes furniture and decor needs!

Wire Stackable Storage Cubes

For a minimal approach, and some excellent prices, many wire stackable storage cubes are available to build room dividers, closet organizers, just about anything you need to fit your home decor and stacking storage needs. An excellent example of a quality wire stackable storage cube system is made by Neu Home, manufacturers and distributors of hundreds of home storage and organization products, featuring four storage cubes and connectors, and sells for around $40-$50.

Wire stackable cubes are sturdy and reliable. The basic wire structure is usually coated with a smooth epoxy or plastic surface. Consumers enjoy the portability and durability (offering as much as 10-15 years of quality use) of the wire cubes. Most are sturdy enough to be used as small tables, even bookcases. If you have cats or other small pets, they'll even double as animal perches or aquarium stands.

Plastic Stackable Storage Cubes

There are a wide variety of shapes and materials of plastic stackable storage cubes, ranging from interconnected shelves and bookcase configurations to simple cubes and even triangular shaped cubes made to snuggle into the corner of a room. Most plastic cubes are either plastic laminate shaped around a hollow frame, or solid sheets of plastic that either are fused together to form a cube, or sometimes fit into slotted frameworks.

A company called "Honey-Can-Do" sells a beautiful little 3-cube stackable plastic storage unit useful for placing in a child's bedroom or play area to help organize toys, clothes, and books. It sells for around $20-$25 on Amazon.com. It may not be as sturdy as some other choices for really heavy books or smaller children who might try to stand or sit on it, so caution is needed -- as with anything you use to create storage and decor in a nursery or in a kid's room.

Fiberboard Stackable Storage Cubes

A very popular brand of stackable storage cubes comes in three sizes and is made of "furniture quality fiberboard," i.e., pressed wood that's sturdy enough to support the weight of an adult and tough enough to last for years in any storage cube usage. The most popular type of fiberboard stackable storage cubes is by an innovative California company, Mobile Edge. Their "Sumo Lifestyle Collection" features eco-friendly personal carrying cases, laptops bags and backpacks -- and a very useful set of folding fiberboard storage cubes with the brand name "Sumo by Mobile Edge." These cubes come in four sizes -- 18-inch and 14-inch for storage, plus 6-inch and 4-inch mini-cubes for desktop decor. They are a bit pricey, but offer outstanding durability and strength. They sell for between $40-$50 for the two large storage sizes. (And they all come with a cute "Sumo" logo on them.)

A word of caution: There are many fine fabric storage cubes and collapsible storage cubes available online and in retail stores of all sorts. Be aware that such cubes offer excellent storage options -- but generally aren't suitable for stacking because of their softer, flexible nature. They're, well, COLLAPSIBLE. Just a bit of a heads-up.

Start the foundation of your storage cubes furniture and furnishings in any apartment or home with the versatility and economy of stackable storage cubes and build your practical -- and well organized! -- dream house from there.

Stackable Storage Cubes

The stackable storage cubes form the basis of this very popular furniture "building block" system -- stacking and interlocking modules allow you to shape and reshape everything from room dividers to closet organization, with relative ease. These modules come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and materials to help you design exactly what you want and need in practical storage space and fun decor for living. Storage cubes furniture is at its most convenient with stackable storage cubes.

Wood Storage Cubes

With so many types and materials of storage cubes to choose from, wood storage cubes are often on the "high end" in pricing, compared with many plastic and other storage cube modules -- but they also may offer the "high end" style and decor you're looking for in storage cubes furniture and home furnishings. These modules come in a variety of finishes, from painted wood to stained wood to some really luxurious wood veneer finishes over cheaper press-board wood bases.  For "faux-luxury" decor on a restrained budget, and for sturdy construction with some weight to it, it's hard to beat wood storage cubes as a basis for your contemporary home furniture and furnishings!

Plastic Storage Cubes

If wood is the gold standard for sturdiness and quality finish, then plastic storage cubes are the workhorse that does the home decor heavy lifting for modular furniture and furnishings for those on a tight budget. Plastic offers such a wide range of materials and prices that it is the first place you'll want to start looking if budget constraints have perked your interest in storage cubes furniture. They are versatile, and in some cases and using some sizes and colors, they can blend into any decor to the point of becoming virtually invisible extra storage space. Given the sturdiness of quality plastic and its light weight, plastic storage cubes could be just what you need for your storage furniture!

Fabric Storage Cubes

If you are new to the world of modular furniture and storage cubes, fabric storage cubes may be something entirely new for you. Seen very often in nurseries and kids' bedrooms, fabric storage cubes come decorated with cute patterns for babies, camouflage coverings to appeal to youngsters -- and even in imitation silks and furs to decorate adult bedrooms. Fabric storage cubes, too, are often collapsible. That offers something of the ultimate in storage convenience -- storage cubes that can be stored in other storage media when not in use! From designer fabric to circus animals and clowns, fabric storage cubes may add just what you need to your home decor.

Collapsible Storage Cubes

Of course, many modules besides those made of fabric offer the convenience of take-apart or break-down assembly. Many collapsible storage cubes are designed to flatten or fold open specifically for those tight spaces or out-of-the-way convenience when they aren't in use. Collapsible storage cubes range in material from canvas to cardboard. There's even a hard-shell, sturdy plastic material used for storage cube carts, as well as rugged nylon mesh for a carry-all storage cube bag. The better cubes, no matter what material they're made of, maintain their "reusability" for years of reassembling. Some careful shopping will uncover real bargains in this type of storage cube -- ideal if you want practical storage cubes furniture on a very limited budget for that spare room or kid's closet, for example.

Storage Tubs

Plain old storage tubs may be just right for you if you're looking for some quick and easy, out-of-sight storage.  And given some of the nicely made storage tubs on the market, and depending on where you want to use them in your home, these may be a good option, even though they are a bit of a departure from most of the modular cubes we've focused on at this website. Tubs and totes may be the small, convenient temporary storage you need for those little jobs that require pick-up-and-carry portability. But don't overlook their capabilities for larger jobs. Storage tubs in a wide variety of sizes -- mostly made from various plastics -- have their industrial uses, too. So, really, depending on what you need and where you look, there may be nothing "plain old ..." about storage tubs and the way they'll meet your storage cubes furniture needs.

Toy Storage Bins

If you have kids, toy storage bins may be at the center of your modular storage needs. And if you do have kids, you know toy storage has to be fun for both you and your kids for it to work well. Many children who are eager to pull out the toys and plant themselves in the middle of toyland for hours find it easy to "forget" about picking up those treasured friends and storing them properly when play time is over. Parents who invest in good toy storage bins and toy chests discover the secret to post-play picking up: Fun toy storage bins become part of the fun of playing with those treasured friends. The wide variety of shapes, sizes, and prices out there make toy storage bins an easy and practical investment for families.

Storage Cubbies

From classrooms to churches, storage cubbies make group organization a snap, and the many varieties of them on the market offer solutions to every storage cubes furniture need if you have the need for "cubby holes" for sorting classroom materials and belongings. (Our church has some stackable storage cubbies in the foyer, with a cubby hole assigned to each member or member family. That works great for leaving literature, newsletters, and member-to-member messages.) Teachers of every elementary grade level know the importance of storage cubbies in the classroom. They allow students individual storage and quick accessibility to important class materials, aside from the personal storage space they have in school lockers. With some careful shopping, you can find exactly what you want in materials and pricing to meet your need for storage cubbies!

Craft Storage Boxes

The uses for craft storage boxes are as wide as the types of crafts and craft materials you and your family (or your classroom) need for your crafting or hobbies. If you're a "crafty" person, or know someone who is, you know how easy it becomes for craft materials to quickly outgrow the space you have in which to store and organize them. Good craft storage boxes help you both organize and protect your materials. Whether metal, plastic, or just plain cardboard, craft storage boxes are an essential for every hobbiest, scrapbooker, or other crafts lover! Go ahead, craft something to express yourself -- and find a good craft storage box to keep that self-expression safe and looking good for years to come.

Stackable Shelves

Stackable shelves and shelving may be at the heart of your storage cubes furniture game plan. No matter what shape or size your storage needs take, it comes down to basic shelves and shelving. A fundamental beauty of modular furniture and furnishings is the way great storage and organization at great prices can be found that will fit exactly where you want it and look just the way you want it to look. Stackable shelves are even an excellent backdrop for storing the various storage cubes, storage tubs, toy storage bins, and many of the other products that make up modular furniture and furnishings.