Manolo for the Home

For years, I threw all my office waste into the same bright teal bin I’d been using since I moved into the university dorms. There was a huge wave of dried nailpolish that appeared to be oozing down the side and a splash of orange paint that got there when I spilled an entire can over the contents of my desk. That didn’t matter much when I kept it out of sight in a corner, but I started getting a little embarrassed when I moved and it became the bathroom wastebasket. There were no cabinets or corners in which to hide it, and it didn’t exactly go with anything else in the room.

Naturally, I did what I always do in such situations, which is move forward without ever once looking back. The old bin went straight into the recycling can, and I slogged through Amazon pages until I found a new, better wastebasket (rather like the one in the upper middle position) that fit right into my decor scheme. Then, when I moved, I put it under my full bath’s sink where it would be out of sight.

I actually think that anyone with sufficient storage space should just keep the smallest possible wastebasket tucked away under the sink or in the bathroom closet. Visitors to one’s home don’t particularly want to see one’s used cotton swabs or wadded up tissues. Failing that, I recommend buying the loveliest possible bin and emptying it frequently — however tiresome the thought — when you know there will be guests about.

The technology that allowed people to store food in tins was developed in the early 1800s. Nowadays, food isn’t the only thing that comes in cans. You can get a carnivorous garden in a can, a t-shirt in a can, or a baseball card in a can. You can even find karma in a can, though I’m not entirely sure how they get it in there.

Lekker is currently offering a few more things in cans…on sale no less! Eleven bucks will buy you a candle in a can featuring colorful retro labels and no-mess high sides. For $7.50, you can get paperclips, mini-candles, or creative pins in cans with slick vintage-look labels. Yes, the appeal is in the packaging, but it’s a small price to pay when you need a little fun in your life.

My office is designed to make people think I’m smart and bookish and well-read. That means I have a lot of old, dark furniture meant to be a little intimidating. If I wanted to be really intimidating (while also projecting an uber-nerdy image), I supposed I could have Tom Spina Designs make me up a “Han Solo frozen in carbonite” desk.

I don’t, however, know that I could bear having Harrison Ford’s agonized face looking up at my mouse hand while I, um, play World of Warcraft or watch free episodes of classic Trek.

(thnx, Raincoaster)

I found this pic via the Uncluttered Workspaces pool on Flickr. This particular space belongs to Timothy Andres, a master’s student and composer with a real flair for color and design.

As you’re going to discover, I have the serious hots for sparse interiors, which probably explains my sudden inclination to rabidly exorcise my own cluttered office after scrutinizing this pic.