20 Clever (and Stylish!) Storage Solutions for Kids’ Rooms
Finding practical yet attractive storage solutions and organizational ideas for kids’ rooms can feel like an uphill battle. This is especially the case if you’re trying to avoid major installations and custom work. However, there are plenty of brilliant kids’ room storage ideas out there on social media — and from Apartment Therapy readers — that will help you streamline toys, clothes, shoes, books, and other clutter with ease and style. Read on to discover 20 ingenious ways to bring more order and organization to any child’s room.
1. Know that pegboards are your friend.
We love how this kid-sized craft room allows for both creativity and order. Joy Cho of Oh Joy! created this vibrant storage corner that goes all the way up the walls with a little help from colorful pegboards. She ensures everything has its place without going overboard, while making extra room for displaying her daughters’ artwork.
Get the look:IKEA SKÅDIS Pegboard Combination, $68.99
2. Find (or build) a chest that matches your child’s bed.
This multi-purpose chest blends right in with the room’s furnishings in this Portugal home. Mother Susanna found a pretty chest that she painted the same color as her daughters’ bunk beds to create this sneaky storage solution that also doubles as a cozy spot for reading.
Get the look: Child Craft Harmony 33″ Toy Storage Bench, $149.95
3. Shop for storage beds.
If you’re in the market for a new kids’ bed, you may benefit from choosing a functional option, such as this upholstered storage bed from Max & Lily. Not only will this keep you from having to add an extra piece of furniture to the room, but there will also be no dust bunnies hiding under the bed.
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Get the look: Max + Lily Nicholas Upholstered Full Bed, $539
4. Invest in drawer inserts.
Let messy drawers be a thing of the past once and for all! We love IKEA’s SKUBB box sets that will help socks, shirts, and undies stay in their designated places. At $8.99 for a set of six, the boxes are affordable enough that you just might want to grab some for your own chest of drawers too.
Get the look: IKEA SKUBB Box (set of 6), $8.99
5. Create your own shelving system for toys and books.
You don’t need to have a big budget or ample room to create an efficient and aesthetically pleasing shelving system. Take a page from Jacqueline Kruithoff and her Kalamazoo home, which features a wall of easy-to-install floating shelves that bring color and order to her son’s room.
Get the look: Love-KANKEI Floating Shelves Wall Mounted (set of 2), $15.99
6. Use walls to extend your kid’s closet.
If you’re short on closet space, consider hanging kids’ clothes on colorful, wall-mounted rods for extra room. We recommend purchasing metal pipe rods and painting them a fun color that goes with your kiddo’s room. Choose your child’s most adorable pieces to display, and bam! Wall art.
Get the look: Trent Austin Design Pipe Clothes Rack (set of 2), $88.99
7. Never underestimate the power of a crib skirt.
A crib skirt, like this one in Meg & Joe’s Uptown Chicago house, isn’t just for decoration. It’s an easy way to utilize the space under your crib so you can stash away bins of clothes, toys, diapers, and more.
Get the look: Crate & Kids Supersoft Brulee Brown Striped Organic Cotton Gauze Baby Crib Skirt, $74.95
8. Be selective about which items are worthy of display.
Part of the charm of the kids’ room in this Victoria, Australia, home is all of the items on display. If you can put holes in the walls, consider small shelves for toys and books, and hooks for clothes and hats. Wooden crates also serve as great visual pieces and practical storage areas. Choose pieces that showcase your child’s personality and interests to individualize the space.
Get the look: Heirloom Solid Wood Decorative Bin, $105.20
9. Shop for storage beds.
Hayley of @kidofthevillage used a brilliant tactic to make organization more fun: creating a colorful and exciting storage center. A little accent paint, some festive decor, and cheery wall art make cleanup time a bit more appealing for little ones.
Get the look: IVAR Wall Cabinet, $200
10. Lean on wire baskets for cute books and toys.
Kids’ room organization is all about the balance of display and concealment to ensure the space feels uniquely theirs. We love how the owners of this Marietta, Georgia, home placed more appealing toys and books in wire baskets to streamline clutter while still looking pretty.
Get the look: LeleCAT White Wire Baskets (set of 4), $59.99
11. Better yet, start a basket collection.
Keep your eye out for beautiful baskets, and start collecting as you travel and shop for other spaces in the home. Your child won’t have to dig through drawers to find their favorite stuffed animals, and the baskets will add a well-collected sensibility to the room, as shown in this London home.
Get the look: August Grove Fabric Decorative Basket, $31.99
12. Go old-school with a vintage-style trunk.
A trunk is an easy way to store a large amount of toys, and can also be used as a chair or a table like in this Kansas City home. Plus, it can be used for summer camp and long weekends at Grandma’s.
Get the look: Pottery Barn Teen Faux Leather Standard Dorm Trunk, $499
13. Shop smart for a play table.
A play table is a smart storage solution that doesn’t look like storage. Your little one can use the top surface area for board games and drawing, while the drawers and cubbies hold toys and books to cut down on visible clutter.
Get the look: RiverRidge Home Activity and Play Table, $155.99
14. Find drawers that fit under the bed.
If you don’t have a closet or room for an extra dresser, consider utilizing the space underneath the beds, as shown here in the kids’ room in a Madison, Wisconsin, home that sleeps three. Needless to say, storage is precious!
Get the look: Wisucart Bamboo Under Bed Storage Containers, $54.99
15. Create (or upgrade) a window seat.
Window seats utilize the small space underneath a window, offer seating, and allow for storage, as shown here in a Pacific Palisades nursery. Plus, it just might get your kids more excited about reading if they have a designated corner.
Get the look: Ebern Designs Cubicle 3-Cube Storage Bench, $239.99
16. Go double-duty on storage and privacy with dividers.
This shared bedroom in Yonkers is divided by a bookshelf, and attached to the back is a pegboard for extra hanging storage! You can re-create this look yourself by choosing a bookcase with open compartments, and customizing both sides so your kids can have the privacy they need as they grow older and more room for storing clothes, shoes, toys, and more. Sure, it takes a little DIY, but it’s nothing you can’t handle.
Get the look: Crate & Kids Rue 27″ White Wood 8-Cube Bookcase, $699
17. Utilize benches to create storage and seating.
This San Diego nursery has a storage bench with an opening on the side, so the child can easily access and put away their toys. This also creates more sitting room when friends come to play.
Get the look: IKEA GULLABERG Storage Bench, $179.99
18. Streamline, don’t stifle, your child’s creativity.
If you have a child who is hands-on and loves to create jewelry, build cars, or create other goodies, a hanging jewelry holder may do the trick. This will not only keep you from stepping on beads and bobs, but will also make their pieces easier to see, such as in this Los Angeles treehouse.
Get the look: BB Brotrade Hanging Jewelry Organizer, $17.95
19. Try a locker system.
Lockers are commonplace at school, but they can also be a storage workhorse at home. These bold red ones, from a Los Angeles Home Tour, can stow away just about anything.
Get the look: Kaer Storage Locker, $146.22
20. Find furniture that can fit in the room’s odd nooks and crannies.
Here, a family of five gets creative with storage space in their 600-square-foot Brooklyn apartment. Sourcing furnishings that can fit in tight or more angular areas of your room can help you maximize space and storage, so your kiddos have more space to play.
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