Hi Jenny,
I am new to your website and I have to say love it! I too am a mom (of 3) and married to a law student. With a limited budget its always fun to get creative, and inexpensive decor ideas (like the paper alphabet in the nursery! That is my project today).
My kids ages are 4 yrs., 1.5 yrs., and 4 mo. With the youngest two's ages, I still have a ways to go before they are out of that destruction mode. I'd like some ideas on how I can decorate my house with child friendly accessories, but still have the feel of an adult space with class. Another thing is we currently live in a small apt. and, as much as I'd like my girls to have a playroom, we can't. Therefore all the toys are in their room, and it is always a mess. I feel like it is a full-time job just cleaning and reorganizing their toys. I am tempted to buy tubs and put the toys in there, put them out of reach and only pull one or two tubs out at a time. That way I can limit the amount of mess, and they can learn to pick up their toys themselves. What do you think of this idea?
Is there a better way to have a stylish childrens' room that can be clean, organized, and free of destruction?
Lindsay
Well, Lindsay, there are a lot of toy organization systems available, but not all of them are functional and stylish.
Just like you, we don't have room in our townhouse for a playroom. Some of our toys are in the girls room, stored in painted baskets under the crib and under the play table, but many of the toys are downstairs in the living room. I found a solid wood toy chest at Ross two years ago that had a sailboat painted on it (not cute). But the shape was classic, the hardware was nice and the price was $20. I painted glossy black and added some gold accents. It looks great in the living room and is super functional, though some days I hate having toys in that space. The toy box looks sort of like this one (but ours is painted):
Here's a pretty toy box for sale on your city's Craig's List for $20.
Or here for $30.
Or here.
I'm pretty sure one of my first purchases post-graduation will be a few of these Land of Nod bins ($150 each). They look well-made and sturdy, and I think the functionality is obvious. Toy organization and clean-up would be a breeze, even for the kiddies. (Seleta loves these, too)
IKEA's Expedit system ($159) is a really good option for storing a lot of toys without making a huge footprint in the room. I would fill some of the shelves with soft canvas baskets from HomeGoods, Target or IKEA. Virtually any store with home furnishings will sell these bins.
You could also use galvanized buckets from Home Depot in some of the shelves. These look great in their original finish, but can be painted any color you want to match your nursery. They are perfect for blocks, Barbie clothes, flashcards, really any smallish toys that need corralling.
And the Expidit shelves are obviously good for book storage too.
You could paint or paper the insides of the shelves to make things more interesting.
Here are a few Expedit shelves from your city's Craig's List:
here, $50 (comes with the two baskets, which you could paint)
here, $40
and here, make your best offer.
Another option that's worth looking into is Target's version of the Expedit system, called the itso system.
If you're looking to go another route, I like the idea of refurbishing the inside of an armoire.
The great benefit being that you can shut the doors and not see any toys in the room.
This is a great armoire from your local Craig's List. I like that it's lower and wider, so the kids can easily reach their toys.
You could put this antique wooden case on top for extra storage.
And/or these mail slots. These look straight out of Anthropologie.
These wooden shelves are really narrow and would take up very little floor space. They could look really great with a few coats of paint and some pretty paper on the backs and sides of the shelves.
I know it's not exactly an armoire, but this antique cabinet could be gorgeous with a little TLC (including a new base made from MDF). Only $20.
This armoire is another good option.
Storage ottomans are also great for hiding away toys. These below are new from Target and cost $130 each. One of my clients is considering buying a pair of the brown trellis printed ones for under her small entry console. There are lots of other great color and print options to check out, as well.
As an alternative to the above, you could buy this leather ottoman and reupholster it in a fun, youthful outdoor print for the nursery or in something more sophisticated for the living area.
A whole different direction would be this canvas and chrome rolling laundry basket. Toys could be tossed inside and pushed into the closet when not in use.
This Ohdeedoh reader shared her idea for hanging galvenized buckets on the wall for small toy storage. Love it.
Library-style book display shelves can be really pricey, but I think so worth the cost and space. I coveted the Pottery Barn Kids Schoolhouse book shelf ($$$) for a long time before they discontinued it. This $22 bookshelf could really do the trick. {Isn't it just screaming for a paint job?} And, to save space, you could mount the shelves on your wall.
Here is one of my favorite ideas that I can't wait to try. We all have seen (or used) these cheap plastic crates that are available at most home stores, like Target and Walmart. I have never used them because they're pretty ugly and small items always fall out through the holes. Frustrating.
This genius woman is sharing her easy tutorial for making cute and functional crate liners. These now-adorable crates would be perfect inside an Expedit shelf or just stacked, like below. She used Amy Butler and Heather Bailey prints here.
Do any of you space-savvy mothers have some additional tips for Lindsay? What is the best trick you have for keeping toys off the floors when not in use?
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