Do you ever look at your home and think when did my relaxing space become a kids war zone? What used to resemble your lounge room is now a mind field of blocks, cars, balls and other kid paraphernalia?
I hear you sista and I’m here to offer you a solution. Here are some easy ways you can salvage your space with stylish storage ideas.
Baskets – These super stylish options are everywhere and really cost effective. Whether it’s a printed canvas sack or a selection of earthy woven baskets, these storage ideas are perfect for virtually any space and can be found in many stores. For inspiration check out the fun and funky collection available at The Super Cool.
Since Gus turned one the toy collection in my house has grown massively but unfortunately my house hasn’t, so to combat this I have put a fun spotted print basket in Gus’s room for all the toys he no longer plays with and a beautiful woven basket in the lounge room for all the current flavours of the month.
Wooden chests – I love a good treasure chest. Not only are they durable but they have loads of space for anything from blankets to toys… (to hiding your child!) and can also serve as a seat.
The wooden chest I have featured was one I picked up in a garage sale and I sanded and stained it to make it the colour I wanted. Another idea is to look in places like the garden section at IKEA. Products such as the Hol are a storage table designed for outdoor use but I think would be perfect for indoor use as well.
Shelving – There are some awesome and fun shelving designs out there these days from clouds to 3D bear heads, but something that I saw recently really struck my eye for its unique shape and practicality.
Image by @topknotmum, product featured by rafa-kids Instagram- @Rafa-kids
The L shelf as it’s called by rafa-kids is an ideal piece for any nursery as it grows with your child. It’s perfect for storing knick knacks or books and doubles up as a place to hang clothes when they get a bit older.
As soon as you have a baby you are a magnet for anyone else who has ever had a child and wants to gift or offload their old clothes. It’s a lovely gesture except that your house begins to feel like it’s bursting at the seams with the amount of stuff you’ve accumulated and no you don’t need 1000 onsies!
But if you’re either too polite to say no or the clothing is useful here are some ideas for how to store it so you don’t have a nervous breakdown over where to put another outfit.
Plastic containers – I know they aren’t that glamorous but they are so damn practical. These inexpensive all rounders are perfect for storing all the clothes you don’t use anymore but want to keep, items that are out of season or clothes that are currently too big. All you need to do is label them and store them in a loft, cupboard, garage or anywhere you have space.
Drawer dividers – These nifty inserts from IKEA have changed my life…ok a bit of an exaggeration but they have been so useful for storing all the small things that I never know where to put.
Because I live in a small house my husband and I had to think of crafty ways to save on space and one of the ideas was to design a change table to go on top of a chest of drawers, but where to put all the nappy changing stuff? We filled the top drawer with inserts so we had a space for nappies, wipes and creams and expanded it to include a place for socks, hats, shoes, bibs and face cloths…job done!
I know it can be hard to get rid of items that you have grown attached to but sometimes storage isn’t the answer, sometimes you have to suck it up and get rid of things and a good clean out can be therapeutic.
These days there are so many options for donating goods you no longer want or use such as op shops or charities, toy libraries or not for profit groups that collect pre loved baby items for less fortunate families.
Whatever your storage issues, know there is a solution and if it all becomes just too hard you can always take a page out of baby Gus’s book and just hide…..don’t worry I won’t tell anyone!
Image & brand credits: @topknotmum via Instagram, rafa-kids, The Super Cool & IKEA
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