I keep a rather minimalist look in my home and take true pleasure from everything being in its place. When I introduced a tornado — aka a toddler — into my life, I knew I needed a game plan. Before I knew it, books/toys/finger puppets/crayons/stickers slowly crept in and threatened my coveted minimalist design sensibility. And while my child prefers storing things on the floor (and the tables, and the counters, and the toilet??) I personally appreciate the range of amazing options out there for keeping me sane and the playroom clutter-free…most of the time.
Bins and baskets
One of the simplest options for toy storage are bins, baskets and buckets. You can find adorable options almost anywhere from Target to indie designers. They are perfect for small spaces as you can scatter one or two throughout a room, or for larger areas where they can be grouped together. The beauty is you can simply throw toys of all shapes and sizes in at the end of the day and the area instantly looks put together.
Hanging around
Hanging storage is the best for getting things up off the floor. I love the idea of a simple canvas shoe rack for growing collections like dolls or stuffed animals (I seriously don’t think I’ve ever purchased a stuffed animal, they just keep showing up, am I right!?) and a magnetic rack for toy cars is just genius.
(image via Chatelaine)
Magnetic knife rack, $9/ea (image via Keeping Up With the Souths)
Stack em’ up
Keeping the chaos slightly organized in closet areas is doable with a great set of stackable bins and boxes with lids. From outgrown clothes to legos, these are so great for items that are not necessarily played with on a daily basis but you still want to keep close at hand.
Double duty furniture
A piece of storage furniture in your kids’ bedroom or playroom is an actual lifesaver. A big toy chest, storage bench or bed can instantly conceal all those bits and bobs that don’t fit neatly anywhere else.
Topside storage kids bed, $899 – $999
It’s in the bag
I am a big fan of small bag sets of various sizes to corral smaller items like art and craft supplies, sticker collections, small figurines, play doh tools, etc. The list is literally endless and each one can be filled with different items and then thrown into a stackable bin or an open basket for extra organizational goodness!
