The Interior Designer’s Secret to High-End Home Organization on a Shoestring Budget

For many homeowners and apartment dwellers, the IKEA "as-is" section is often overlooked, dismissed as a chaotic corner of damaged furniture and broken dreams. However, for Aubrey Ament and William Glaser, the founders of the Brooklyn-based firm Glam Studio, this humble space near the retailer’s checkout area represents a gold mine of untapped potential. While the average shopper might walk past the rows of discounted items in search of pristine, factory-sealed boxes, Ament has mastered the art of sourcing high-quality, durable goods at a fraction of their original price, turning functional storage into a cornerstone of her home’s aesthetic.

In the Ament-Glaser household, the challenge of maintaining order while managing a busy design firm and raising two children is a daily reality. The solution, according to the duo, lies not in expensive custom cabinetry, but in a tactical approach to shopping at the IKEA warehouse. Their home is filled with wooden and bamboo storage solutions that keep everything from bulky toys and cooking spices to delicate architectural tile samples organized and accessible. What makes these pieces remarkable isn’t just their utility or their clean, modern design; it is the fact that they were almost all acquired from the "as-is" section, often at a 50 percent discount.

Ament’s strategy for navigating the bargain bin is highly intentional. She admits that she avoids the larger, more complex furniture items that typically populate the section—pieces like coffee tables or upholstered chairs that are often relegated to the clearance area due to structural damage or heavy wear. Instead, she focuses her attention on smaller, modular organizational items that are frequently marked down simply because they were used for showroom displays or returned by customers in pristine condition. For Ament, these are "ubiquitous organizational staples" that provide a cohesive, minimalist look without the custom-level price tag.

The designer emphasizes that the thrill of the hunt is not about finding luxury, but about finding durability. Her personal mandate is to look for pieces crafted from hardy, natural materials such as solid wood, wool, or high-quality metal. By focusing on these materials, she ensures that the items she recovers from the as-is section will stand the test of time, even in a high-traffic home environment.

The Power of the Knagglig Box

At the top of Ament’s list of essential finds is the Knagglig box, a simple, slatted pine crate that has become a staple in her home. While IKEA offers the box in two sizes, Ament is a firm advocate for the larger iteration, which measures approximately 18 inches deep and nearly 10 inches tall. Despite its unassuming appearance, the box serves as the backbone of the family’s storage system.

In the nursery and play areas, the Knagglig boxes provide a sturdy, aesthetically pleasing home for her son’s various toys. Because they are modular and stackable, they allow for a sense of visual continuity—a fundamental principle of effective organization. By using uniform containers, the Ament-Glaser home avoids the cluttered look that often comes with mismatched plastic bins. Beyond the playroom, these boxes are equally useful in a home office or workshop setting, providing ample space for organizing work binders, important documents, and even large-format rug samples. Ament suggests that the simplicity of the design is its greatest asset, as it allows the containers to blend seamlessly into various interior styles, from industrial to Scandinavian.

Curating with Bamboo and Natural Fibers

When she is in need of more refined storage solutions, particularly for the kitchen or for organizing delicate materials like fabric swatches and tile samples, Ament turns to the Uppdatera bamboo storage box. These bins offer a warmer, more sophisticated aesthetic compared to the raw pine of the Knagglig, making them ideal for high-visibility areas like open pantry shelving. Ament notes that while her primary use for these boxes is in the kitchen, their moisture-resistant material makes them an excellent candidate for bathroom storage as well.

The designer’s commitment to natural textiles is also evident in her search for quality soft goods. She regularly sifts through the as-is section for linens, rugs, and blankets, always keeping an eye out for 100 percent cotton or wool compositions. She recalls a recent find—a 100 percent cotton Skogskovall bedspread—that left her pleasantly surprised by its high quality and texture. For Ament, the unpredictability of the as-is section is the primary draw. Finding a high-quality textile tucked away among the discounted furniture is a rare treat, reinforcing her belief that careful, patient shopping can yield results that rival high-end home goods retailers.

Maximizing Utility in Small Spaces

Living in a city like New York, Ament is no stranger to the constraints of small-space living. Her reliance on the Parkla storage bag is a testament to the need for versatile, long-term storage solutions. These bags, constructed from a durable, semi-transparent polypropylene, are ideal for seasonal transitions. She uses them to store out-of-season bedding and clothing, but they also serve as an effective way to manage her children’s hand-me-downs, allowing her to categorize and label clothes by size for future use. The semi-transparent nature of the material makes it easy to identify the contents at a glance, further reducing the stress of seasonal organization.

Laundry management is another area where Ament applies her practical design sensibility. She speaks highly of the Purrpingla laundry bag, a firm canvas hamper that is sturdy enough to stand upright on its own. Its structured design makes it a versatile tool, serving not only as a receptacle for soiled clothes but also as a reliable vessel for transporting laundry between floors. Similarly, the Slibb flexible laundry basket is a permanent fixture near her front door. Its low profile and durable, flexible construction make it the perfect "catch-all" for everyday clutter, such as shoes or larger toys that need to be cleared from the living areas quickly. Ament notes that the basket’s height is particularly child-friendly, allowing her son to help with the cleanup process.

The Versatility of Multi-Purpose Furniture

While Ament generally avoids large furniture in the as-is section, she makes exceptions for pieces that offer genuine, multi-functional utility. She highlights the Gladom tray table as a prime example of a piece worth grabbing if it appears on the sales floor. Because the tray is removable, the table can function as a traditional side table, a serving station, or even a laptop surface, making it an incredibly valuable asset in a compact home.

Similarly, Ament is a proponent of investing in durable stools, such as the Domsten. Unlike basic models, the Domsten features colorful metal legs paired with a pine top, adding a layer of visual interest to its utilitarian function. For Ament, a stool is never a bad investment; it can serve as a makeshift side table, an extra seat for guests, a stand for a houseplant, or a step to reach high kitchen cupboards.

Finally, Ament’s dedication to quality extends to the most mundane items in the home, such as the Bumerang wooden hanger. Whenever she spots these in the as-is section, she considers it a win. Even if she isn’t in immediate need of new hangers, she snags them, knowing that a uniform, high-quality hanger set is one of the easiest ways to elevate the look of a closet. By prioritizing these small, intentional purchases, Ament continues to prove that professional-grade organization is less about the budget and more about the discerning eye of the shopper.