This brand new add-on for IKEA shelving is a dream if you like to keep your home perfectly organized

Open shelving is a storage staple, and there's nothing like a curated display of decorative objet to show off your personal style, but our shelves also serve a practical purpose, too. In their functional capacity, however, they can be notoriously difficult to keep organized. 

In day-to-day life, shelving units are used for more than just books, vases, and trinkets, especially when they're in high-traffic areas like an entryway. They soon become a catchall for the likes of keys, wallets, and reading glasses - items that you're forever losing amongst your shelf clutter. 

Sound familiar? If so, you'll want an effective way to organize them, and this new product from IKEA is the best buy for the job. The insert is designed to fit the ubiquitous IVAR unit, and it makes it easier than ever to make your shelves functional once more. 

(Image credit: IKEA)

The IVAR is the unsung hero of IKEA shelving units. While the BILLY and KALLAX might be battling it out for most popular, the simplicity of the IVAR - sold in raw pine - is the real winner in our eyes. From the untold creative possibilities as an IKEA hack to its versatile, functional form, there's a lot to love about this iconic flatpack (there's a reason the storage system has been an IKEA staple for over 50 years).

Now though, there's an IKEA IVAR hack to make it even more functional, and it doesn't require any power tools or complicated assembly! A brand new insert has hit IKEA's shelves and it's the perfect add-on for keeping your IVAR organized. 

Made of felt, the shelf is designed to slot over the adjacent side panels of the IVAR unit and contains open compartments to fit all those everyday essentials that have a tendency to get lost. (We're talking accessories, reading glasses, sets of keys, and so on.) The felt material helps them to stay in place, offers a little recessed space for them to hide inside, and makes it easier to find exactly what you're after in a heartbeat. 

Measuring 33 x 12", the insert will fit all standard-sized IVAR systems and costs just $40. We recommend incorporating one into your existing IVAR if you're prone to treating your storage system as a catchall or, if your IVAR is your entryway, you could add an insert to every shelf and designate each one to a member of the family for their 'leaving the house' essentials.

'The IVAR shelves are a practical and inexpensive way to add shelving, and I love this new felt shelf addition,' notes professional organizer Melissa Gugni. 'The Ivar can feel utilitarian, which makes it great for inside a pantry but maybe less so for a living room bookshelf. This custom shelf lends both some design interest and another practical way to add storage.'

She suggests using it for organizing the like jewelry, sunglasses, or office supplies where it adds a luxe display to your home office or closet. 'I will absolutely recommend it to my clients,' she says.

Can't get to IKEA? Try these shelf organizers instead