The Deal: Container Store savings can help tame the clutter in that closet, kitchen or home office

The Container Store is having its annual shelving sale, with discounts of 25%. After moving three times in three years, I've sworn off IKEA shelving in favor of the InterMetro metal units by Elfa, sold exclusively in the U.S. at the Container Store. The Elfa shelves are sturdy -- I mean really sturdy. Each shelf can hold 300 pounds.

They're also highly versatile, able to be re-purposed in a closet, pantry, home office or garage. I love the timeless, industrial-chic look, but what really sold me is how easy they are to build and dismantle (no tools required). Plus, they can be configured to whatever size you desire and, when the time comes, packed flat for moving or storing.

I recently moved into an 1937 French Normandy apartment in Hollywood with limited storage and a fiance who still holds onto T-shirts from the mid-'90s. When I heard about the Container Store sale, I raced over to the Westfield mall in Century City and picked up (above, from left): kitchen shelves, originally $132 each, now $99; a garment rack with canvas cover, originally $234, now $175; and a little cart, originally $160, now $120.

The sale runs through Oct. 18. Till then, you can check out one of the Elfa in-store demonstrations held at 1 and 3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. The Container Store also has locations in Pasadena and Costa Mesa.

-- Lizzie Garrett

Photos: The Container Store