It’s amazing how much stuff those little ones have. Between the multiple outfits required each day, the toys they love but are growing out of and the ones they aren’t quite into yet, a small home soon overflows with kids’ things. Add to that the required equipment (high chairs, boosters, car seats, strollers, walkers, swings, and a plethora of others) required by modern living, you’re hard-pressed to find room for the family sofa.
For some, just finding space is enough. But for others, swapping out their carefully curated home design for playroom staples causes underlying stress, so here are both decorative and straightforward solutions you can use.
Portable storage ideas
If you live in an apartment or rental home, you likely don’t want to spend money on cabinets or other types of built-ins. And, if you’re planning on moving into a new home soon, you need them to be as portable as possible. Consider using large laundry baskets to hold stuffed animals and other large playthings. Find smaller plastic buckets at the dollar store to keep blocks and other building toys. Stacking bins with lids work well for smaller objects or those with many pieces. You often find these at discount stores for less, although you can get matching pieces (bins, baskets, etc.) from larger stores, and even decorative ones from specialty organization stores.
Stack your storage in a corner, behind the sofa, or in a closet and pull it out one at a time for your child’s pleasure. If you stack toy bins on shelves, make sure to keep them out of your child’s reach so that they cannot pull down the container and end up with a lump on the head.
Cube storage solutions
Most post-college adults probably still have their Ikea cubes or similar ones from Target. Cube storage has undeniable appeal since you can go for plain foldable cubby bins or fancy baskets. Oblong cube storage (two by four, three by five) works two ways, vertically or horizontally. Most cube storage solutions originally came with wall mounts. If you did not keep the wall mount (what college student does?), you could order a replacement from the manufacturer. When placing children’s toys in cubbies, the shelving must be securely attached to the wall to avoid tip-overs that could result in serious injury to your child.
To make your cubbies decorative, paint the outside of the boxes to match your décor or purchase containers in complementary styles, textures, and hues.
If you’re brave, you can find online instructions to paint your cube shelving to match your décor. To add portability, consider attaching locking wheels to the bottom of the unit.
Built-in storage options
If your budget allows for it, built-in storage supplies ongoing organizational space to your home. Lower cabinets in the family room offer a place for games and toys, and later, when the kids are grown and gone, a place to store all your crafting supplies.
No matter which storage solution you choose, take care to secure it from little hands, or little climbers. To find a home with more place space, talk to your real estate agent today.
