Who would have imagined that the petrie dish could have household storage applications? We’ve long been fans of scientific equipment: We use test tubes as vases, line up glasses on instrument trays, and swear by Chicago faucets. Back when we were creating Remodelista: The Organized Home, we also discovered that lab-style covered glass containers are ideal for corralling all sorts of small items, from tea bags to loose change.
It wasn’t easy to source them—we ultimately found Japanese imports at Dover Street Market and Italian examples at Makié, both in New York. But we’ve since been gratified to see these handy containers in a range of sizes popping up all over. Take a look—and start inventing new ways to put them to use.
Above: Made of heat-resistant glass, Schale Glass Canisters come in three sizes; $16, $18.80, and $21.50. They’re made by Kinto of Japan, which sells them directly. In the US, they’re also available from Unison Home and Food 52. Above: The smallest Schale Glass Case is ideal for pocket-sized items—and both the top and bottom can be used as receptacles. It’s $18 from Unison Home. Above: CB2 added a handle to the form. Its new Pincher Glass Canister, $9.95, is made of “ultra-durable, chem-lab beaker borosilicate glass” and sized for bathroom accessories, such as cotton swabs. Above: Big enough for dry goods that don’t require airtight storage, CB2’s Looking Glass Canister comes in two sizes; small (shown) is $24.95 and large is $29.95. Above: During the final shoot for Remodelista: The Organized Home, we created an Etiquette Kit that includes a small glass container for stamps (a Schale design from Dover Street Market), and a Hay Bits and Bobs Container for clips; $28, from Schoolhouse Electric. Above: Present & Correct, our favorite London stationery supplier, offers green-hued lidded glass Desk Dishes in three sizes for £6, £8.50, and £12.50. Explore the store in Now Present in London. Above: Hay’s collection of Bit and Bobs glass containers are made of borosilicate glass. Amara offers them in Brown, Gray, and Clear: the small size is £13, and large is £16. Above: Hay Bit and Bobs Dot containers also come with clear glass tops and colored bottoms: one size for each color. They’re sold individually by the Danish Design Store, starting at $10 for the green mini. Another variation: The MoMA Design Store offers Bits and Bobs mini containers in solid colors—blue, green, and powder pink—for $10. Above: Muji makes covered glass containers in several sizes. The Large Glass Container, $16, is the only one currently in stock at Muji USA; it’s sized for cotton balls. Above: The real thing—petrie dishes are available online from a range of lab suppliers; just make sure what you’re looking at is glass (plastic is more common these days). Pyrex is the standard-bearer—the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has one in its collection—but can be pricey. For affordable options, consider Ronyes Life Science Glass Petri Dishes; $18.99 for a set of five via Amazon.
For more glass containers—and organizing ideas—take a look at:
When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.
Access 10 archived posts (older than one year) per month on each site
Use of our internal bookmark tool, so you can save products, posts, and other pages for quick reference
Access to our community bulletin board so you can ask and answer design-related questions
Unlimited access to the Product Catalogs, Design Travel sources, and Architect & Designer Directory listings
Choose from our ten newsletters to keep up with the latest on the sites
Or Subscribe for Maximum Value!
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
×
Sorry! As a registered member you get 10 free posts from our archive (posts more than a year old) every 30 days. You have reached your limit for this 30-day period. If you would like to access unlimited posts from the archive (ad free, too), become a subscriber today, and keep reading as many articles as you want.
Full Access Individual Subscription
Benefits include:
Unlimited access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home sites
Ad-free browsing environment
Unrestricted access to 30,000+ archived posts
Receive the full-text daily newsletters
All features that Members have access to
Annual subscribers pay just 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
Sorry! You have reached your limit of three (3) free posts from our archive every 30 days. You can increase this to 10 posts by joining as a free Member, or read unlimited posts with no ads by becoming a paid Subscriber.
Subscribe to the Remodelista family of websites
For $5/month ($59.99 paid annually) you'll enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home and all the benefits of Membership.
Annual subscribers pay 50% off the monthly subscription price of $9.99
Become a Member at no charge
When you register as a free Member of the Remodelista family of websites (Remodelista, Gardenista, and The Organized Home), you gain access to all current posts plus 10 archived posts per month, our internal bookmarking tool, and the community bulletin board.
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Start the Conversation