A $200 IKEA Hack Creates 2x the Storage Space in This Empty Living Room Corner
There are lots of great IKEA hacks to help kids and families stay organized. The latest to add to the list? Laura Barber’s (@lifeatolddenehouse) empty-corner-turned-TROFAST-bench project that creates a cozy setup for her little boys.
“We had nothing in this corner, and toys were starting to creep out of the playroom into the living room,” Laura writes on Instagram. “But it’s nice to spend time together in the main living space rather than just the playroom, so I thought I’d create a little toy storage area in here.” She spent about $200 on the project.
An IKEA TROFAST makes a great bench base.
Laura started with a six-drawer pine IKEA TROFAST with white containers (but you could also choose gray, orange, pink, or teal). The piece fits snugly in the empty corner. She used a cozy bouclé seat cushion from H&M on top of the bench, and she used wooden labels on the outsides of the bins to match the overall look of the living room and the shelving overhead.
Laura emphasizes that she wanted the addition to “still go with the overall look of the living room rather than look like a playroom.”
Overhead shelving blends the toy corner into the living room.
She selected chunky oak shelving for overhead to incorporate some decor for grown-ups, too. Laura dubs her creation a “play corner” rather than an entire play room. (For another adorable “play corner,” check out this living room makeover and its cute little kiddos’ kitchenette.)
Laura’s advice? “You don’t need to have a playroom and can make a great play space within another space but still keep it in keeping with your decor,” she says. “[This project] means we can spend time together as a family with easy access to toys for my children, but still keep it as a grown-up space.”
And the Apartment Therapy advice here, of course, is that this hack can even be for grown-ups with no kids at all! If you’re short on storage in any space, consider a TROFAST bench setup such as this, and spruce it up with a cushion, pillows of your choice (although the bear ones here are certainly pretty cute), and matching wood-toned shelving overhead.
Inspired? Submit your own project here.