Tame the Toy Clutter: Smart Solutions for Beautiful Homes
- Robyn King
- May 15
- 4 min read
Family life can be very busy at times. To add to that toys have a way of getting just about everywhere. However, with a bit of creativity, you can blend storage with style to keep your home looking calm, organised and child-friendly. Here are some storage suggestions to help ease the toy tidying fatigue.
Multi- Functional Furniture
Furniture with extra storage can be the perfect place to hide away toys when not in use. Consider an ottoman, a bench or a coffee table that lifts open. Quite often toys have a way of spreading into many rooms so give yourself a place in each room to put things away once everyone has gone to bed. Beds with drawers make use of an awkward space and they save little things from disappearing just out of reach! Perhaps you might consider a child's bed with a pull out trundle bed for sleepovers when you have family to visit?
Built in Storage with Style
Storage that is made to fit your home uses all available space horizontally and vertically. You could build a window seat with hidden toy boxes or use built in cabinetry in living rooms that doubles up as toy storage. Your joinery can blend in with your homes' aesthetic giving a polished and refined look that makes the most of the space available.
Clear & Labelled Containers
Cube units are very versatile and can store a lot of toys. You can customise the storage unit with drawers, cupboard doors and an array of containers and baskets. Using transparent boxes or metal mesh baskets helps you to see what is inside, saving you a lot of time pulling out baskets and boxes whilst searching for the one that you need. It will also help children to see what is inside a box or basket without having to empty everything out onto the floor. You can use photos or icons with younger children to help them tidy up independently.
Zoning Play Areas
We recommend creating designated zones with storage close to where toys are used. For example putting art suppliers near a table with drawers helps to prevent pens and pencils ending up all over the house.
Other possible zoned play areas could include:
a building zone with wooden blocks, Duplo/mega blocks, magnetic tiles etc
gross motor toys such as tunnels, balance boards and push/pull toys
imagination and dramatic play toys including play food/kitchen, dressing up and doctors kits
music toys like drums, eggs shakers and xylophones
puzzles and games
skill development toys including stacking cups, beads for boards as well as funnels and containers
small world toys such as trains, farm animals and a dollhouse
Open vs Closed Storage
Open storage gives a much more easy and direct access to toys. This can encourage children to play as they can see what is available. Having some open toy storage can also help reduce having to bring out too many toys and boxes in the search for something specific. On the flip side, closed storage can offer visual calm, creating a more peaceful playing environment. A mixture of closed and open storage gives you the option to show what you are happy to see whilst you can hide away the items which may cause visual clutter.
Vertical Storage Solutions
Make the most of the height of your walls, doors and wardrobes by using a variety of vertical storage solutions. For example, you can hang baskets on the walls, put up shelving for dolls, books or craft supplies and fit hooks on the back of doors. These types of storage solutions can be great for smaller spaces whilst being both beautiful and functional.
Toy Rotation Systems
Consider storing half of your toys away and then rotate them monthly. This keeps things fresh and it reduces clutter.
Pretty & Practical Baskets
In addition to plastic and metal containers you can add a bit of variety by using woven or fabric baskets. There are so many beautiful options to choose from which will complement your room décor as well as storing your toys.
Involve the Children
Lets be honest, adults mostly end up tidying up the toys so why not add fun elements like chalkboard labels or colour-coded bins. Hopefully if children have a say in how things are arranged then they might take more responsibility for their belongings!
To Conclude
Functional storage certainly does not have to be boring. Toy storage can be both beautiful and smart. We love designing spaces for children and if you need some help creating organised family spaces that still feel like home then please get in touch.