SMALL SPACE LIVING | TOY STORAGE

A few weeks ago, I took a poll on my Instagram and asked some of my readers what topics they would like to see covered in the ‘Small Space Living’ series. An overwhelming amount of y’all wanted to know about toy storage in a small space. This is such a good topic because this is possibly our biggest struggle and the one thing about small space living that we have to actively focus on.

I’ll be the first to admit, I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to an imaginary playroom that we don’t have but yet I keep pinning to it. I think I pin mostly for inspiration, so many have beautiful storage solutions or well designed art spaces or gorgeous framed kid prints. All things that I can take pieces of and apply to our own toy storage in a small space.

Because our space is so small, I try to make sure that toys are either hidden or that the toy itself is aesthetically pleasing. For the hidden toys, I chose to find storage that matched our interior design, neutrals with a beachy, relaxed vibe. This is important for me because we can bring out a bucket of toys and play with it and if the bucket gets left out, it doesn’t feel out of place. It belongs and flows with the home decor. I also feel like it’s important because when the babes outgrow these toys and it’s time to move on, the storage solutions can be repurposed and grow with them and in our home!

With that said, I’m going to share with y’all my favorite toy storage solutions… what storage we have, how we use the storage, and what all goes in the storage!

LIVING SPACE TOY STORAGE

In the living room, we’ve turned our TV console into a toy and game storage area. Thanks to modern day technology, we don’t really need to use the space for more than our tiny apple TV. Our doors are glass front so I was cautious about the bins I put in as they are very visible. On the top shelf, I used these bins from target for smaller items that get a ton of use like matchbox cars, car tracks and magna-tiles. These bins are stackable too so if we need to move them for any reason, they can be stacked vertically just about anywhere. I also love that they slant front makes the toys visible. The kids are very visual and tend to reach towards what they first see.

On the bottom shelf, I used these bins for puzzles and family games. I actually have these storage bins spaced all over our home in various sizes. The white wash rattan is so classic and can blend with any kind of decor. I use them in the bathroom, the studio, and in our closet. They’re incredibly sturdy and will have longevity.

I rotate out the “big” toys and place one in the living room. This helps keep the toy fresh. Currently, the Ikea kitchen resides in the living room but I switch it out with the tool table. One of my favorite finds for storage are these bins from target. These are perfect to organize the small stuff that goes along with the bigger toys, I use 4 of these in our Ikea play kitchen and two of them on the bottom shelf of the tool table.

BEDROOM TOY STORAGE

We keep a majority of toys in the babes’ room which is small so coming up with good storage solutions has been key to keeping the space functional but fun. For books, we opted for picture ledges from Ikea vs a clunky bookshelf. It’s been great to have the books on the wall, they’re a visual art along with being functional.

We turned this Ikea storage unit on it’s side and bought these rope baskets to store toys inside of. We keep dinosaurs and animals in one bin, baby dolls and accessories in another, dress up items in one, and doll house accessories in the last one. I love that this unit also serves as a table top, a place to build legos, set up the doll house and read on.

EXTRA TOYS

The babes have a few extra toys that we keep on rotation. Some we only pull out for rainy days and some that are small and have a million pieces. For the rainy day toys, we keep them at the top of the closet, out of reach and pull them out when the babes seem to be bored or need something more to do. For smaller toys and sets that have a million tiny pieces, I use these bins with lids from Ikea. I love the simplicity of them and that they stack so easily.