Shelving is one of those basic organizing products that almost everyone needs: in a garage, an office, etc. So when interesting shelving products like those from Origami come along, they catch my attention.

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Origami makes steel shelving in various sizes, from this three-tier size up to a six-tier bookshelf. They're sturdy things that can hold a lot; this one holds 250 pounds per shelf without casters, and 75 pounds per shelf (evenly distributed) with the casters.

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But what makes the Origami products special (and explains the company name) is the way they fold and unfold for simple assembly—and space-saving storage when they're not in use. 

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Without wheels, the rack assembles in 20 seconds, with no tools; adding the casters takes a bit longer, but is still quick and easy. (a wrench is provided.) Purchasers say things like this: "I am one of those people that can't put anything together, and this is the best thing since sliced bread."

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There's a corner rack, too, which provides good use of space that sometimes goes to waste.

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Shelf liners are available (for most sizes) to keep smaller items from falling through the bars. They have magnets to keep them in place.

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I saw these racks in person at a conference for professional organizers, and I was impressed—as were the other organizers i spoke with. 

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Origami has taken its folding design and applied it to other products beyond your basic shelving. For example, there's this folding shoe rack.

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There's also a tool rack for long-handled items: mops, brooms, rakes, etc.

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The 4-tier drawer cart is still going to require some storage space for the drawers, but the easy-assembly features are still important. This cart reminds me of the Elfa carts, which aren't difficult to assemble for most people but are certainly more work than the Origami cart.

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Origami has also created some bundled products to meet specific needs. These take a bit longer to assemble, but they are still very quick and easy. The Systemate has four-tier shelves and a locking cabinet; that cabinet would be good for anything that needs to be kept safely away for kids or pets, as long as the end user remembers to lock it every time. 

One drawback: Pieces like this give the end user less flexibility to adjust to changing needs than a collection of single pieces would.

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The Armario Closet allows the end user to set up an 8-foot closet in less than 15 minutes using only one tool (an allen wrench, which is included). The towers unfold just like other Origami products, and after watching the assembly video I feel pretty confident that even someone as assembly-challenged as I am could handle this one.

To avoid the all-too-common problem with dark closets, the Armario includes two battery-powered motion-activated LED lights that last for six to 12 months. 

This video shows how the Origami racks unfold—just ignore the sexist "no husband required" comment at the very end.