Before you had kids, your home was probably clutter-free. Now? Forget about it. It's all picture books, stuffed animals, and Lego blocks that always seem to end up beneath your feet, which… Ouch! Even with the clutter kids add, it's not impossible for your home to return to its original organized state. It just takes a bit of work. To get started, follow these expert-backed design tricks for hiding your children's toys. Your home will look like a million bucks soon enough.
1
Always buy pieces with built-in storage.
If you're looking to add storage in sneaky and unsuspecting ways, purchase furniture that comes with built-in storage, suggest Caylin Harris and Laura Fenton of Parents Magazine. Some ottomans, stools, and beds have built-in storage or drawers.
2
Make use of benches.
Storage benches—like the one pictured here—provide a stylish and effortless way to keep all of your children's toys disguised. These days, pretty much every décor retailer has a solid option. Exhibit A: This walnut wood bench from Design Within Reach ($995).
3
Use storage units in your closets.
What's better than toys behind closed doors? To keep your clutter expertly hidden, install as many drawers and shelves in your closet as possible, says Elsa Elbert, owner of Composed Living, an organizational consulting firm in L.A.
"My youngest son has a lot of drawers built into his closet, and not many clothes, so we use his closet drawers for toy organization as well," she says. "If custom designing your closets in your home, you could certainly incorporate large drawers to hide kids toys without needing additional storage furniture."
4
Put frequently used toys on low shelves.
According to Harris and Fenton, placing your children's most frequently used toys on lower shelves serves two purposes. Firstly, it'll make it easiest for your child to reach their favorite things. And secondly, it shaves minutes off the cleaning process.
Plus, the toys on the higher shelves will remain in better condition for longer.
5
Use upholstery to your advantage.
Interior designer René Dekker of René Dekker Design Limited advises using upholstery to hide open toy bins and prevent them from being an eye sore. "It is a little more costly, I will admit, but upholstering doors to look like decorative panels works great," she says. "It's like having a unique artwork instead of just plain doors."
Dekker also suggests using wallpaper "in the same finish that's on the wall, which allows the elevation to blend in seamlessly with the rest of the scheme."
6
Choose matching storage containers.
To eliminate the visual noise in a room, it's best to stick with matching storage containers, Harris and Fenton suggest. Investing in identical storage containers, no matter their size, shape, or color, will make your room look more organized and stylish—a difficult thing to achieve in a room full of toys.
7
Use cute mason jars to store small toys.
HGTV's Allie Holcomb King suggests storing your children's smallest toys in clear mason jars or clear kitchen containers. To tie it all together, attach fun labels, which makes them look both down-to-earth and chic.
8
Make use of your wall space.
Clutter on the floor will only make your space look that much more unorganized, according to Harris and Fenton. Instead, rely on the vertical space in your room to store your children's toys. Whether it's a shelving unit or a smart series of hooks, using wall space can keep your children's toys in check.
9
Choose toys that are easy on the eyes.
There might come a time when you can no longer contain all of the toys your children have accumulated over the years. So, knowing that some will cascade out in the open, you can try your best to buy more visually appealing toys that won't wreak havoc on the ebb and flow of your home's design scheme.
"By purchasing toys that fit the aesthetic of your home, they'll look less like clutter and more like well-loved decorative objects," Erin Loechner of Design for Minikind told Apartment Therapy. "A few key items to start with? Wooden musical toys or metal vintage cars. And never underestimate the power of a great set of wooden blocks."
10
Employ wood bins and oversized baskets.
In addition to using storage containers that match in color, size, and shape, keep stuffed animals and blankets in stylish oversized baskets and wooden bins. "Sleek wood storage bins slide under [a] modern play table, but they would work well lined against a wall, too," says King.
11
Take advantage of window seats.
Window seats serve double duty as seating and hidden storage, says King. What could be better?
12
Designate a play space within a room.
"It is important to integrate a space where the children can read, draw, and play," interior designer Meta Coleman told Apartment Therapy. Giving your children a space of their own helps keep their messes contained, giving you a much smaller space to tidy up in the end, too.
13
Invest in a raised bed.
Investing in a raised bed with space below gives you the opportunity to store toys or whatever else may be causing clutter. Plus, if you choose to employ curtains, it'll all be fairly hidden. Besides, what kid wouldn't love a built-in bed fort?
14
Use spice shelves to house books.
Rather than adding large and bulky bookshelves throughout the house, repurpose spice shelves to hold all of your children's books instead.
15
Create a play table.
The next time you decide to invest in a new coffee table, don't throw the old one away. Instead, use it to create a play table and slide storage bins on the shelves below. Kate Riley of Censational Style has an excellent walk-through. By doing this with her son's Legos, "all the madness is contained within 30 square inches—which is pretty much a mother's dream," she says. And for more ways to get organized, check out these 65 Genius Ways to Organize Your Life.
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