A technology for virtualized container opening and optimized item placement, and in an example includes a receiving, from an augmented reality device, a first image of user view capturing a storing surface of a storage space; receiving an input identifying a first item; retrieving item data associated with the first item based on the input; determining, from the one or more placement regions, a set of one or more viable placement regions for placing the first item on the storing surface based on an arrangement model and the item data associated with the first item; generating overlay placement data describing the set of one or more viable placement regions; transmitting the overlay placement data to the augmented reality device; and instructing the augmented reality device to superimpose one or more virtual items in the storage space in the user view based on the overlay placement data.