One thing I really try to have in our home is adult-only space. I know, this is a lofty goal when you have little ones, but it's even harder to find when the space in your home is limited. When JP and I bought our house six years ago, it was the right amount of space. In fact, it was more space than we needed. But it was just the two of us -- and every room was an adult-only space. But since our family has grown, our house has felt smaller and overrun with baby and toddler gear. Who knew such tiny people could have so much stuff? Truly, it can feel impossible to have a space completely void of kid things when you're a parent. If you can relate, never fear! I'm going to share some easy ways to organize your kids' belongings and bedrooms that maintain style, and give the illusion of kid-free space (where you want it). 1. Kids' Library
There are so many ways you can organize a library: alphabetically, by size, or category. My favorite way is to do it by color for two reasons: 1. It's the most aesthetically pleasing and 2. It's fun! Which makes it perfect for a child's room. And hey, anything that will encourage them to want to crack open a book is alright with me. Here I tried not to worry about the sizes of each book. As you can see, there is no method to how the size affected the order of books. I wanted to create a gradient, rainbow effect, but you could match them by warm and cool colors, complementary colors (colors that are opposite on the color wheel), or any way that you think looks good. Full disclosure: JP is an English Language Arts teacher so my color coordinated method of book organization isn't necessarily his favorite. 2. Kids' Room Toy Storage
Before we moved our son into his big boy room, his toys were everywhere. Like, everywhere. When we made the switch to his new room to prep for the birth of our daughter, we took advantage of the new, extra space. His room is the largest bedroom in our house, which makes it perfect for housing all of his toys. (side note: this is not his bed. It's a guest bed that didn't have a home, so we use it as a lounge space for reading/hanging out together in our toddler's room.) The sideboard was a great fit. We were looking to relocate and re-purpose it since it didn't go with our living room anymore. Not only did it math the woodsy, rustic style we wanted, but it also fit his toys perfectly. We were able to neatly display his toys, and give him a way to access and put them away on his own. We use the top drawers for crayons, Play-Doh, and other art supplies. The storage bins hold small cars and stuffed animals. Obviously it doesn't make a home for every toy, but it holds them majority of them and designates a play area within his room. And since this is his room, it's okay that his toys are out. 3. Bathroom
We have two bathrooms in our house which means that the main bathroom is also the bathroom that the kids use. Now don't get me wrong, I have seen some very cute kid-focused bathroom designs. However, for the bathroom that gets used by everyone and is in the middle of our home, I didn't want it to have the distinction of "the kids' bathroom" when we have guests over or when we need to use it. Our house was built in the '50s, so there is no en suite and this is the bathroom that I use regularly. But I also know kids have their own bathroom essentials. When JP built the vanity, he included plenty of under-the-sink storage. This entire space is dedicated to our kids' toiletries, bath time necessities, and even beach towels. I've found that keeping the kids' belongings in lower, easily accessible locations makes a perfect transition as they get older and can start getting what they need without help. Our 3-year-old frequently picks his bath toys and grabs his own towel. If you share a bathroom with your littles, I can't recommend designating a space for their items enough. 4. Living Room/Common Area
If you haven't caught on by now, our house is definitely a "starter home." We don't have the luxury of a play room or a formal living room. Our is also open concept, so really the whole house becomes a play room. We love being able to keep an eye on the kids as they play while we get dinner on the table. At the end of the day though, we are ready for the grown up time where we can stream our favorite shows and relax without fear of stepping on a Lego. For toys that don't have a home in the kids' rooms, we use storage bins that match our style, the kids can reach, and keep the contents "hidden." We keep them tucked under our entryway table when they're not in use. It's also been very helpful when it's time to clean up at the end of the day. Our 3-year-old knows where the toys belong, and is able to put them away himself. Even our 1-year-old "helps" to put toys back in the bins. If I can foster some independence and responsibility along with keeping the house looking the way we want, I'll consider it a win. *Not pictured: the storage bin we use for Legos and keep under the coffee table. 5. Kitchen Cabinets
Here is something that we don't have easily accessible for the kids, but is very convenient for us. We have an entire cabinet designated for child safe utensils, plastic cups, 360 sippy cups, water bottles, baby food processor, snack bowls, teething popsicle trays, apple sauce pouches, and bibs, etc. We know it'll be a while before the kids can safely use real forks and knives, but there are still so many necessary products that little ones from the time they start eating solids to the time you no longer have to cut up their hot dogs. Keeping them all in one place makes for convenient access without taking away any real estate from the adult utensils, plates, and glasses. Pro tip: use 3M hangers for the bibs on the back of the cabinet door for easy access and to save space! Making your home a place where everyone is happy and comfortable is doable! There are so many ways you can save space, keep your kids happy, and maintain your home. Sometimes it just takes a little creativity. In other words: you can have your kids and style, too. -K What are some of your favorite organization solutions? 👇
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