Martha Stewart’s Genius Alternative to a Messy ‘Junk Drawer’ – Portable, Stylish, and Easy to Store Anywhere

Martha Stewart has found a clever solution to a problem every homeowner faces – and you can copy it for under $17

Martha Stewart
(Image credit: Pierre Suu/GC Images via Getty Images)

We’ve all been there: rifling through a chaotic kitchen drawer, searching for a pair of scissors or a stray tape measure, only to find a jumble of miscellaneous items instead. That little corner of disorder might seem harmless, but over time it chips away at the calm and efficiency of your home.

Good home organization isn’t just about aesthetics – it’s about creating a space that functions smoothly, eases daily life, and allows you to focus on what matters. A well-ordered home is a quietly powerful thing, and Martha Stewart has long understood that.

In true Martha fashion, she has transformed the humble ‘junk drawer’ – a fixture in nearly every household – into a model of clarity and calm. Her solution is deceptively simple: one dedicated, thoughtfully stocked container. ‘Most people have one kitchen drawer loaded with lots of random items; they call it their junk drawer. Do you have one of those? Well, some of those things, such as tools, can be really kept in a nice, clean container like this one, which I love,’ she explains in archival Instagram footage.

Martha’s go-to kitchen storage comes from Muji, also available on Amazon, with sliding compartments and transparent sides that keep every item instantly visible. While the exact model may no longer be available, the principle is timeless: invest in quality, clarity, and ease of access, and organization effortlessly follows.

The contents of the drawer are equally deliberate. Martha fills hers with essentials that anticipate daily needs and unexpected moments: twine, emergency candles, kitchen shears, a flashlight, a measuring tape, 3-in-1 oil, WD40 [available on Amazon], Goo Gone [also on Amazon], a cutting blade, Phillips Head screwdriver, pliers, and even ice grips.

She adds waterproof matches, electrical tape, and a hammer to complete a compact, mobile emergency kit. ‘See how nicely everything fits in the drawer? You’re not going to have to grovel around. This is a nice, clean, organized thing; it can fit under the sink, and it can fit in any number of places right here in the kitchen. And it’s completely transparent on the sides, too, so I can see what I need without opening the box,’ Martha says.

By replacing the chaotic ‘junk drawer’ with a single, carefully curated container, Martha Stewart shows us that kitchen drawer organization isn’t just practical – it’s transformative. It brings calm to everyday life, makes your kitchen more functional, and transforms an overlooked corner into a quietly elegant feature. In a home filled with beauty and order, even the smallest drawer can make a meaningful difference.

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Megan Slack
Head of Celebrity Style News

Megan is the Head of Celebrity Style News at Homes & Gardens, where she leads the celebrity/ news team. She has a history in interior design, travel, and news journalism, having lived and worked in New York, Paris, and, currently, London. Megan has bylines in Livingetc, The Telegraph, and IRK Magazine, and has interviewed the likes of Drew Barrymore, Ayesha Curry, Michelle Keegan, and Tan France, among others. She lives in a London apartment with her antique typewriter and an eclectic espresso cup collection, and dreams of a Kelly Wearstler-designed home.

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