In their Brooklyn home, a curated collection of wooden and bamboo boxes keeps everything from cooking spices and tile samples to bulky children’s toys neatly arranged. Far from looking like cheap quick-fixes, these storage pieces are attractive, stackable, durable, and sourced entirely from the Swedish furniture giant’s clearance area—specifically the Red Hook warehouse location in New York. According to Ament, that small room of ex-showroom displays, customer returns, and slightly imperfect merchandise operates as a hidden storage treasure trove for professional designers and savvy shoppers alike.
Navigating the bargain department requires a strategic eye, however. Ament notes that she routinely steers clear of larger furniture pieces, such as chairs and coffee tables, because items in that category usually end up in the clearance section due to significant structural damage. Instead, her shopping strategy focuses almost exclusively on versatile, ubiquitous organizational accessories.
The appeal of shopping the clearance section goes beyond mere thriftiness. Ament points out that professional designers frequently operate without massive client-level budgets for personal projects, making high-value, resilient materials essential. When sifting through discounted items, she specifically looks for hardy materials like wood, wool, and metal that deliver accessible, lasting, and modern design solutions without breaking the bank. Her running mental list of reliable targets provides a roadmap for what to look for when navigating the markdown aisles.
The Knagglig Box
Among Ament’s top recommendations is the Knagglig box, a remarkably simple slatted pine container that she describes as an essential organizational tool. Available in two different sizes, the designer strongly advocates for the larger version, which measures roughly 18 inches deep and nearly 10 inches tall.
In her household, these pine boxes serve a multitude of functions, ranging from rounding up children’s toys to storing important work binders, large envelopes, and bulky architectural rug samples. While some shoppers might dismiss the containers as too basic or industrial, Ament embraces their minimalist aesthetic. By establishing visual continuity out of household clutter, these simple wooden crates fulfill the fundamental rule of introductory home organization.
The Uppdatera Box
For kitchen organization and managing material samples, Ament scouts for lighter bamboo bins from the Uppdatera line. These sustainable wooden containers offer a clean, modern look that elevates standard pantry storage. While she and her partner primarily utilize them to keep food items and dry goods orderly in their pantry, Ament notes that the versatile bamboo boxes function equally well in bathrooms, home offices, or entryways for corralling miscellaneous everyday items.
The Bumerang Hangers
Wardrobe maintenance is another area where the designer turns to secondhand or discounted retail items. Regardless of whether she has recently purchased new clothing, Ament routinely snaps up Bumerang wooden hangers whenever she spots them in the clearance section for a few dollars. Praising the surprising durability and quality of IKEA’s wooden hangers, she notes that both heavy winter coats and delicate silk blouses benefit from upgrading flimsy wire or plastic hangers to sturdy wooden alternatives.
The Gladom Tray Table
Multi-functional furniture remains a high priority for small-space living, making items like the Gladom tray table a frequent target for Ament. Featuring a sleek side-table frame paired with a removable serving tray top, the piece offers dual functionality that appeals to urban apartment dwellers. Whenever these portable tray tables appear in the as-is inventory, the designer advises moving quickly before other shoppers claim them.
For supplementary seating and versatile surface space, Ament also champions IKEA’s selection of stools, highlighting the Domsten model in particular. Moving beyond the standard all-pine aesthetic, the Domsten features colorful metal legs paired with a pine wood top, injecting a vibrant pop of color into a room. Whether utilized as a temporary perch for stacking books, an extra seat for guests, an elevated platform for houseplants, or a step stool to reach upper kitchen cupboards, Ament maintains that purchasing a reliable stool is a decision homeowners rarely regret.
The Parkla Storage Bag
Living in New York City has made Ament an expert in small-space optimization, particularly when it comes to the logistical challenge of swapping out seasonal wardrobes and bedding. The semi-transparent polypropylene Parkla storage bags, which are offered in multiple dimensions, provide an efficient way to manage bulky textiles.
Homeowners can easily slide these zippered bags under a mattress, stow them away on high closet shelves, or repurpose them for outdoor living by storing patio cushions inside them during harsh winter months. Ament even relies on them as a long-term archiving solution for outgrown children’s clothing, sorting the garments systematically by size to streamline hand-me-downs.
The Purrpingla Laundry Bag and Slibb Laundry Basket
Managing household laundry demands durable textiles, and Ament vouches for the structural integrity of the Purrpingla laundry bag. Constructed from firm, heavy-duty canvas, the structured hamper is rigid enough to stand upright on its own without collapsing, making it equally practical for carrying loads up and down stairs or functioning as a stationary hamper in a bedroom or bathroom.
For more flexible everyday tasks, Ament keeps low-profile Slibb laundry baskets stationed near her front door to corral loose shoes or clear out children’s toys from high-traffic living areas like the kitchen. Because the flexible baskets sit close to the floor and feature comfortable handles, even young children can easily pick them up and assist with tidy-up routines.
Natural Textiles
Beyond storage and furniture, Ament has been consistently impressed by the quality of natural-fiber textiles available through the retailer, noting that patient shoppers can occasionally uncover exceptional bargains on cotton and wool items. Among her dream discount finds is the 100 percent cotton Skogskovall bedspread, a chic and durable textile that consistently prompts questions from visitors regarding its high-end appearance.
Ultimately, shopping the clearance room relies heavily on chance, as inventory shifts constantly based on customer returns and floor model rotations. However, for designers and homeowners willing to look past minor packaging flaws or cosmetic imperfections, the treasure hunt through IKEA’s markdown aisles offers a reliable path to stylish, functional, and budget-friendly home organization.
