I LOVE My Charging Station

I'm generally disappointed with most commercial charging stations I see. From ugly faux wood velvet-lined boxes with holes in the bottom, to sleek units that you wrap your cords around and hang from an outlet...they all fall way below my standards. I give kudos to some creative folks who are trying to make the charging process more fun, like this grass charging station. However, when I first saw it in person I felt it was would be difficult to remove your charging cord if you had to take it with you one day. And, you have to have a very specific "feel" to your space if you can easily weave in a sculptural, grassy piece like this. 
Lucky for me, I've found my own charging solution and I didn't need to buy anything new. As an organizer, I love to contain things. In the 50's and 60's, I think container design was at it's peak. I always go to the household goods section of a thrift store first to scan for fun containers, and that's exactly where I picked up the great vintage tea and coffee canister set that houses (yep, you guessed it) my charging station.
 

Why it works
1) It's so close to an accessible power source! This is on my kitchen counter, in the center of my apartment. It's exactly where I want my phone to be if it's charging. It's central location means that I'll hear it if it rings, and can pick it up (while charging) if I want to without having to sequester myself in some corner.

2) It's attractive! I enjoy opening it every day and extracting my little cord. When my phone is finished charging, I tuck it back inside and feel good about the way I'm using my decorative container.

 3) It makes me think! I like the juxtaposition of my modern internet-connected cell phone equipment living inside this cute, stainless steel container that was made to hold tea for a modern kitchen of the 50's.

Using vintage things to store modern conveniences is a fun way to reuse and recycle. People often ask me if my home looks like The Container Store...I love organization that much! But the truth is my soul would shrivel up if I lived somewhere that looked like the inside of a store. I go out of my way to find fun ways to achieve a calm, clutter-free atmosphere at home. Using vintage pieces is a big part of that process.