When raising children, it's easy to endlessly collect. We desire to give them everything. At the very least, we hope to give them the basic developmental toys and tools, right? The thing is, these seemingly "necessary" expenditures can take up a ton of space. See what space saving solutions we've come up with in our 950 square foot apartment:
1. Don't Buy a Play Kitchen.
This image is of my daughter in her makeshift play kitchen. It's a table top apparatus that folds up. It's brilliant because my children don't always want to play with the same things every day. I can pull this out along with her tea set, and she sets to work right away arranging her kitchen. After a few days when it stops being played with, it can go back onto the shelf, and we reclaim the play table. As for play food? My children are happy to use legos and blocks, which I also think encourages the imagination, though I have to admit that didn't fly very well on a recent play date.
2. Use Stackable Or Foldable Chairs.
The chair she's sitting in? Also a space saver! It's a stackable from IKEA. Stackable or folding chairs are a real apartment gem, be it for the children or their parents.
3. Use Tables That Do Double Duty.
As for the play table, try finding a good looking one that can double as a coffee table. Or use their play table, as we do, as a side table for your couch.
4. Find Other Items That Can Be Made Flat.
The dollhouse is another thing that can take up massive real estate. We've fixed that one too. Ours is foldable, and can be tucked away under a bed if it sits idle. I've been unsuccessful finding this one as it's a relic from my own childhood, but there are foldable dollhouses out there that come apart in two strips of plywood.
5. Don't Fear the Toddler Bed.
Toddler beds catch a lot of flack. They're an unnecessary piece of furniture many say, and if you can skip straight from the crib to a twin bed, I applaud you. Yet space constraints make it an absolute necessity for this stage. Next up, we plan to loft a play space / bunk bed, but we would like to wait until the children are slightly older.
6. Look Up for Storage.
Create storage where needed. Our daughters' small room has a tiny closet, so we made one. We originally hung curtains up but preferred the open look.
Everyone's spaces and needs are different. What's worked for you? What hasn't?
(Images: Elisabeth Wilborn)
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This organized closet is a thing of beauty. It's perfect: cute, functional and tidy!
Awesome dollhouse. I was trying to figure out how it works so I can make it. Can you do a tutorial?
Play clothes are big these days - we keep them under her bed (along with a ton of other stuff!) in a plastic bin. When she outgrows them, we can use the bin again for her next obsession. We are lucky to have some storage space in our basement so I also rotate a lot.
Our guy is only 2, but for us we make big toys out of cardboard, like a playhouse or a fire station/parking garage, and then recycle them when we're bored with them. Also, just having lots of storage items (Tub Trugs, IKEA cardboard storage boxes, IKEA fabric boxes that are meant to go in Hemnes bureau drawers but zip shut) handy means we can rethink our arrangements every few months as our guy gets interested in different toys, we have more or less hand-me-downs waiting to be grown into, etc.
We have 3 large white shoe bags hanging on the wall opposite the bed because it is a narrow walk space. We hang Barbies, hats, houseshoes, mittens, headsets, small toys, etc. It has helped out a lot and actually doesn't look bad either.
Lots of great suggestions.
I totally agree with you on the toddler bed. In our older home our children's rooms are on the smaller side. A toddler bed makes sense and and allows floor space for our 2.5 year old to play in her room.
Even better than the toddler bed, is Ikea's "Junior" bed.
Great topic! I have three little ones and am always searching for new aesthetically pleasing storage solutions. A vintage trunk set atop wheels is perfect for dress-up and also doubles as a coffee table. As for bedrooms we are a bit short on space also so we tore out the original closets and furniture and replaced with IKEA PAX units with drawers, hanging rods, shoe shelves, etc-. We also purchased vintage beds with suspended nightstands to allow for some storage/nighttime necessities but without utilizing prime real estate (i.e. floor space). Also, these beds from the 1950's are more narrow which helps out. just some thoughts!
I love that foldable dollhouse. where can I get one?
Lots of great ideas. A junior bed is of course a great option, and we thought about Ikea's Kura bed too.
@SandraJSM and Barking Ants, I'll see if I can figure out a tutorial for the dollhouse. I don't have the tools to make one myself, but I can certainly try to drum up a plan for it. Unfortunately I've searched for something like this for quite a while. I have no idea who makes it, but I do know it's 30 years old. My mother said she thinks it's Danish.