If you have kids of any age, you know they come with stuff – LOTS of stuff which inevitably invades every corner of your home. Controlling all the kid clutter in a home can be daunting because to a child, even toys that haven’t been played with in months are precious. Fortunately, there are some solutions to help you deal with all the clutter that accompanies the joys of parenthood.
Family Room
Many families spend a great deal of time in the family room. More and more storage tables are appearing to help control cluttered living rooms.
Cocktail or end tables with built-in spots for baskets are a great solution: you can pull out the basket and walk around the room, tossing in toys along the way.
Storage ottomans are another great solution, particularly in homes with very young children since there are no sharp corners for the toddler to tumble into.
Decorative storage boxes or baskets can also be placed under tables that lack built-in storage.
By the Door
Having a designated spot for shoes, jackets, and backpacks can easily solve many early morning dramas as they are frantically sought all over the house. A hall tree, coat rack, shelf, or a bench near the door can serve as a repository for your kids’ stuff.
Play Room
Few American homes with kids can escape the proliferation of video game systems, cases, and controllers. Storage of video game components may not be the first thing you think of when shopping for an entertainment center, but many manufacturers are proactive in providing attractive solutions. Integrated controller and cartridge storage can help bring some sanity to the situation. Barring built-in solutions, concealing the clutter in a stylish decorative box can help. Traditional toys and games contribute to clutter in a playroom as well. Lining a wall in the play room with shelves for toys, books, and games will help get the clutter out of the way. Modular storage wall systems can be customized to your space and needs with a combination of open shelves, storage cubbies, drawers, benches, and door cabinets.
Crafty Kids
If you have an aspiring artist in your home, you may want to consider setting up an area where imagination can run free without ruining the rest of your home. Project tables, comprised of cubbies and shelves at the ends and a broad work area on top, can help keep all the supplies organized when not in use.
It’s important to involve your kids in the decoration and organization of their bedrooms. Kids are more likely to keep their room clean and orderly if they feel personally invested in the space. Organizing a collection of toys can help them show off what they’ve accumulated, and get them excited about how their rooms look. Collections create an instant theme for the room. Try running a shelf around the top of the room to hold a stuffed animal collection. Storage beds build organization into the base with drawers, baskets, or open shelves in the base. This can be a good solution for small bedrooms by making use of space that would ordinarily house dust bunny farms and the occasional errant soccer ball. The right furniture can help your kids keep their rooms organized and clutter-free.