More Rooms
6 Cool Ways to Store Kids’ Bits and Pieces
Designers offer their storage and display solutions for kids' collections to turn unwanted clutter into standout features
Kids are collectors of just about anything: erasers, seashells, rocks, Lego models and whatever else fits on a shelf (or the floor). Their treasures can turn bedrooms into a mess quickly, especially if you haven’t given children a place to put everything. The designers of these rooms figured out how to tame the chaos without shoving stuff in a closet, an opaque storage box or – where you might really want to put it – the rubbish bin. Using a few key tricks, you too can create an inspirational space that honours your child’s favourite things.
In this room, 22 Interiors designer Lucie Ayres kept the fixtures in the room black and white to showcase a 10-year-old’s collection of figurines and stuffed animals displayed in clear Lucite boxes.
White walls and furnishings also act as a neutral backdrop for the Lego and toys in this room. The the star-print curtain adds interest without competing with the playthings. The chairs pick up on colours commonly found in toys.
The other benefit to neutral furnishings: you aren’t tied to a theme, a bonus as your child’s taste in cartoons, toys and idols changes with the seasons and years.
The other benefit to neutral furnishings: you aren’t tied to a theme, a bonus as your child’s taste in cartoons, toys and idols changes with the seasons and years.
2. Put toys on display
To handle your child’s buckets of toy cars and trains, think about going vertical. These custom-made shelves were fashioned using stock material from a timber supplier and bolts as a decorative touch. You can also buy picture ledges, which are the perfect width for most toy cars and trains.
To handle your child’s buckets of toy cars and trains, think about going vertical. These custom-made shelves were fashioned using stock material from a timber supplier and bolts as a decorative touch. You can also buy picture ledges, which are the perfect width for most toy cars and trains.
They’re also well-suited for handling your child’s books, which, when displayed like this, act as a graphic element in the room.
Turn a wall into a giant canvas. This was created with outdoor fabric laid over foam. Favourite lightweight items slip under trimming held in place with upholstery tacks.
Use toys to your advantage
Use toys to your advantage
Photo by Plumlily Photography
3. Tailor the space to the interest
Parents everywhere have stared down a tower of Lego or an intricately built model and asked: Where am I going to put this?
The answer: in a place set aside for kids to display and create, says Simplified Bee designer Cristin Bisbee Priest, who emphasises the importance of including your child’s interests in a room’s design.
This ledge runs along the room’s perimeter and is the perfect spot for this child’s enormous collection of Lego models.
3. Tailor the space to the interest
Parents everywhere have stared down a tower of Lego or an intricately built model and asked: Where am I going to put this?
The answer: in a place set aside for kids to display and create, says Simplified Bee designer Cristin Bisbee Priest, who emphasises the importance of including your child’s interests in a room’s design.
This ledge runs along the room’s perimeter and is the perfect spot for this child’s enormous collection of Lego models.
Sometimes a simple shelf isn’t enough. This custom-made bookcase was crafted to manage this teen’s transformers.
4. Group collections
Lego is one thing, but what can you do with the rocks, seashells and plastic trinkets your kids gather?
Aaron Christensen, owner of Embellishments Kids, suggests putting similar things together in see-through containers to keep things visually organised and make the collections more powerful.
This child had an abundant nature collection. Christensen built shelving over the desk to store some of the boy’s belongings. He fastened Mason jars under the bottom shelf to act as an accessible and visual place for knickknacks, which can be categorised by type.
Lego is one thing, but what can you do with the rocks, seashells and plastic trinkets your kids gather?
Aaron Christensen, owner of Embellishments Kids, suggests putting similar things together in see-through containers to keep things visually organised and make the collections more powerful.
This child had an abundant nature collection. Christensen built shelving over the desk to store some of the boy’s belongings. He fastened Mason jars under the bottom shelf to act as an accessible and visual place for knickknacks, which can be categorised by type.
Decorative glass or plastic containers also work well.
For young children, avoid glass and use baskets made of wicker, plastic or wire to hold items.
Storage dos and don’ts for your home
Storage dos and don’ts for your home
This room gets stuffed animals off the bed and onto handy shelves.
5. Distract attention
Bold shelving can help take the focus off what’s inside, Christensen says. In this room, he designed colourful hexagonal shelves for a boy’s video games and controllers.
Bold shelving can help take the focus off what’s inside, Christensen says. In this room, he designed colourful hexagonal shelves for a boy’s video games and controllers.
6. Practice editing
Priest suggests having kids evaluate their interest in objects every so often, to weed out stuff they’re no longer interested in seeing every day.
Designer Stephan Howard of Flik by Design used a hutch to display only a child’s favourite Barbies and bunnies. The rest of the collection were stored.
Priest suggests having kids evaluate their interest in objects every so often, to weed out stuff they’re no longer interested in seeing every day.
Designer Stephan Howard of Flik by Design used a hutch to display only a child’s favourite Barbies and bunnies. The rest of the collection were stored.
“Kids’ rooms I always find challenging, as there are lots of items they want out. I embrace the items but showcase them in a specific palette,” Howard says. “It allows everything to be seen that they actually love, but it’s also very appealing to the eye.”
TELL US
How have you managed to tame your child’s favoured collections? Upload photos or share ideas in the Comments.
MORE
Browse more organised kids’ rooms
TELL US
How have you managed to tame your child’s favoured collections? Upload photos or share ideas in the Comments.
MORE
Browse more organised kids’ rooms
It all starts with how you dress the bedding, walls and furnishings – the things that don’t change. Suna Lock, owner of Stripe Design Group, keeps palettes fairly simple – one to three colours in a room – to let the collections be the inspiration.
For this teen soccer fanatic, Lock chose a sophisticated blue, a nice backdrop to the girl’s trophies and sports memorabilia. Lock says the girl and and her mother were constantly at battle over her collection, until Lock figured out a way to turn the teen’s things into an artful display.
The key to designing a wall like this is to find the item you want to be your focal point, Lock says. In this case, she started by placing the ribbons along the ceiling’s apex. She suggests laying the objects on the floor to figure out positioning before putting anything on the wall.
See more teens’ bedrooms