How to create stylish, clutter-free kids rooms with the right storage

You want to throw all the toys out of the window you say? I hear you. I remember the days, before having kids, when my husband and I would look at each other in horror after visiting a bomb site at a friend’s house. “I can’t believe the state of their house. Honestly, the amount of plastic toys…surely they could tidy up, right? If we ever have a family, I will never have so much junk.” *laughs hysterically*

Yeah. Scroll down a few years. I have two little boys who make a mess on a daily basis. They have a lot of stuff: toys, clothes, sticks. Every birthday and Christmas more stuff arrives. They also leave their pants and socks everywhere. Who wants to use all their time and energy to tidy up all day? You get the picture. Things get messy sometimes. Oh sure, I do try. I buy nice storage boxes (which subsequently get turned into mini bath tubs for toy cars – or used as helmets in superhero dress-up games) and sometimes it stays tidy for a while. A day maybe. Sounds like your life?

One day, when I am old and the boys have flown the nest, my house shall be clutter-free. Until then, I turn a blind eye, breathe deeply and browse Pinterest.

Hold on, I live here too

Childhood may be short, but 18 years of living in a dump is not a nice thought. So despite having to accept the messy years of parenthood, we can still try and make it pleasant for ourselves and hide some of that junk. Right?

Let’s start by showing you some lovely rooms

Here are some examples of kids rooms that just look great and probably are more stylish than your own bedroom. (Obviously no kid was allowed in them before the photo shoot was over and done with. I would love to see what they look like on a daily basis – ha!). What’s wrong though in the next two pictures? Right, impractical storage tables (let me just place my tambourine here, mum) and fragile ornaments. I mean, who would place a ceramic Bambi behind a swinging chair? Or a pretty swan planter on a children’s bedside table? OK, let’s move on.

storage solutions kids rooms — Nevermind the kids, I want a swing in my own room. How lovely is this? Via Style me Pretty

Easy storage ideas kids rooms — Great eclectic room for older children, for sure, or a guestroom. Via The Boo and the Boy

Storage solutions for kids rooms: open or closed?

Storage is the main thing you need to keep your house clutter-free. And no matter how kid-friendly open shelving is (so they can see and reach their books and toys), it also means a lot of it will usually end up on the floor at the end of the day, especially with preschool children. We are sometimes winning but often failing at getting our kids to tidy up themselves, but most six-year olds will just lift the mess one level higher, albeit on the shelves. So unless you are a montessori purist and only offer your child a handful of toys to play with, toy storage with doors or drawers will be a tidier solution, with added large buckets for bigger stuff. Big chests or baskets with a lid are also great. Or buy some useful under bed storage.

Pimp your storage unit with decals

The Trofast bins from Ikea are a firm favourite among parents wanting rid of kids toys and for good reason, as they are sturdy, practical and inexpensive. To upgrade your Trofast system (or the Kallax shelving units), how about adding these City roads decal stickers to the top? Cars in the bottom drawers, easy access and also easy for the kids to tidy up afterwards.

Older kids need shelves for treasure display

Now my eldest son is eight, he is showing a keen interest in displaying his grand Lego creations, interesting found objects and other of his ‘valuable possessions’, away from the hands of his little brother. Shelves are therefore a good addition to a kids bedroom, for this reason. That way children can curate their own ‘changing exhibitions’ of the things they love and are proud of. A rock collection, trophies, delicate constructions they made. They will like having that bit of freedom and you’ll probably catch them showing their display to their friends.

Arts and Crafts storage for kids

Another thing that creates mess and untidy shelves and drawers: the countless stationary items, colouring books, hammer beads, jewellery making kits, paint tubs, playdoh pots and paper stacks. We have had two rolling drawer units in our house for a while now and they are great. Handy for organising stuff, easy to access, and even easier to roll out of the room and out of sight when your done. This metal one from Ikea is a popular one, but plastic ones work just as well.

Shelves that encourage kids to read

Books are normally stored only showing their backs, but for a small child this is not very attractive. To increase their interest in reading, it is better to show the front covers of books. That way they are much more like to become curious and take down a book to look at. Browse kid –friendly book shelving here.

For older children, ‘normal’ bookshelves are of course fine. I absolutely love the wallpaper in this bedroom below. They also included a shelf for displaying treasures and photographs and closed drawers in the storage unit to hide any small toys or other material.