Wish you could organize the living room for adult space?
Boxes and ottomans are great toy hiding spots that children can easily access.
Are you looking to organize the living room and reclaim a little of the adult space again? Have you stepped on Barbie’s shoes one too many times and wish you could organize the living room into a adult rest and relax space for just one evening?
Reclaiming adult space is a common theme for many parents. No matter how much they love their children, at there comes a time when many parents crave a lego-free zone, even for just a short period.
Organizing the living room by banning Barbie, her shoes and the lego altogether may not be possible, or even desirable, for your family and home. The living room frequently serves as a multi-purpose space. In the absence of a large recreation or family room, the living room is sometimes adult relax space, Barbie’s house and lego creation central all at the same time.
Here are 4 steps that you can use to organize the living room to help keep Barbie, the lego and any other toys in check so that when needed, the living room can be the rest and refresh space the adults in your household are looking for.
Step 1 – Identify Easily Accessible Storage Space
Look around and study where you might find storage for toys and other children’s items in the living room. Storage space, which children can access, doesn’t have to be complicated. Look for space under tables, a shelf on a book shelf, a shelf in an entertainment unit, storage in an ottoman.
Here is an example of re-purposing a bureau in the living as a table. The drawers make for great toy storage.
Step 2 – Contain the Chaos
Gather up the toys and see what can be parked where. Identify a new home for the items. Larger items can go under tables. Smaller items can be stowed in containers on shelves, under the coffee table or on a book shelf.
Step 3 – Source out Storage Containers Complimentary to your Living Room Decor
Sure, toy storage can be bright and cheerful and kid friendly. It can also be adult and decor friendly. While lego may need to be stored in some form of sorting container, the finished products can be displayed with pride on the bookshelves an entertainment unit. Consider using a glass coffee table with a shelf and the finished lego items become decorations themselves.
Step 4 – Build tidy up time into play time
Open containers that match the colour scheme of this living room make for perfect toy storage on the bottom of the book shel
Once each item has a home, and the home has been put into place, the next step is to teach the children to use those containers and return their toys, books and lego to their homes. In my experience, children understand that they go home after playtime so the toys and books also need to go home after play time. When we teach them that the toys need to go home to after playtime, clean up is done by the kids, not the adults.
I love your examples, showing that function and beauty can go hand in hand. One of my favourite pieces of furniture is an old chest that was left behind by the previous owner when I bought a house. It sits in my living room where it hides away board games and playing cards, very handy but out of sight. It can also be used for extra seating when needed!
I do think this is a real challenge for so many families. Not everyone has multiple spaces for the children and adults, and often the children simply want to be wherever the parents are. So eve if there is a playroom, toys get carried in. I’ve had some luck with putting some boundaries on the living room as to which toys can come in. For example, yes to books, no to glitter glue:)
I like how rearranging and repurposing creates fresh options, as well as saving some money! Creative containers set appropriate limits. It shows a measure of respect for all members of the family.