One of the biggest struggles for any parent is keeping the house looking relatively tidy, despite their children running around most of the time! This is a subject that comes up a lot with our clients, that no matter how many times they try to tidy up after the kids, their spaces often feel overrun by all the toys.

Clutter can often have a negative impact on our mental and physical health so it’s important to not only stay on top of our things, but keep them tidy and neatly stored away too. Having an untidy home in general can have a massive impact on how we actually feel about our homes as well. And in some cases, that’s not good!

So what can we do to keep our kids’ toys and clutter to a minimum?

Well, there are a number of things we can do initially, plus with the help of some clever storage solutions, you can start to feel a lot better about your home.

Let’s dive right in!

Initial Decluttering and Ideas

Firstly, it’s good to understand where your kids are mostly using their toys. Do they have a designated space within a room or room entirely? And what sort of furniture have you got in these areas? Is there enough space for storing toys?

Then, start to think about how you can use those pieces of furniture better. If you have a TV unit which you’ve had for years with old DVDs or CDs still in, it might be time to have a clear-out session and make space for some of the kids’ stuff. Even if certain items that you infrequently use need to be stored elsewhere for a while, this could make all the difference. 

Alongside this, it’s also a good opportunity to get the kids involved in deciding which toys they use most… Their beloved stuffed giraffe of course must stay, but if there’s anything you have noticed they play with less, or haven’t played with for a number of months to a year, it may be time to part ways. 

 

 

 

It is important to create an area within your home which is designated to the kids as much as possible; a bookcase even, is a great place to start. Populate the shelves with lidless bins or baskets to store toys in. This keeps the overall room visually pleasing while providing vital storage space.

 

 

 

 

 

Baskets

We absolutely love using baskets within our client’s projects because they are such a versatile storage solution. They are available in many different sizes, so there’s one for everything you need to store away. Baskets are traditionally made from wicker, but more child-friendly materials (like thick linen and cotton rope), designs and patterns are available to suit any space. 

For kids’ toys and other bulky items, baskets are really handy to have around. They make it easier to gather up all the toys left out at the end of a busy day so they’re kept out of sight.

Within the living room, baskets can be handy to have underneath side tables or on the shelf under coffee tables. For these areas of the home which are shared or often used as entertaining spaces, opt for plain baskets or within a minimal pattern.

If you have the IKEA Kallax shelving system, using baskets for these shelves are a great way to add texture to your interior while providing more storage for toys.

Storage Ottomans and Benches

Another great way to store kids’ toys out of sight is by using storage ottomans or benches. It’s amazing how much more space you can create for storage when it’s integrated within something you already use! Think about an ottoman, bench, or even chaise lounges. The possibilities are endless! 

We absolutely love integrated storage and believe everyone should have some within their home! Whether it’s a built-in custom piece of cabinetry or integrated storage within sofas, ottomans, poufs, etc – they are extremely helpful for any lifestyle.

Storage ottomans are particularly helpful, not only for the storage element but for extra seating. Particularly when you’re entertaining around birthdays, Thanksgiving or Christmas it can be difficult to accommodate extra people. With an ottoman, you can increase the number of people you can accommodate and reduce stress for finding or moving other furniture.

Chaise lounges provide more relaxed seating and can be added to almost any room of the house. Ottomans, benches, and chaise lounges are perfect for living rooms, hallways and foyers (if space allows clear passage through) as well as bedrooms.

That concludes our top tips for clearing away kids’ toys and storing them cleverly! We hope it has provided you with some inspiration and ideas on how you can improve storage within your home.

How do you store your kid’s toys? We’d love to find out in the comments below!