One of the most surprising things about having kids is just how much stuff they accumulate in such a short period of time. Quite frankly, I find all this stuff really overwhelming. Granted there is a great deal of things that kids need, such as nappies, clothes, and safety equipment etc. But then there are all the things that they don’t really need but you have anyway, like 172 cuddly toys, 15 different puzzles, 24 different colours of Play-doh, a rocking cow, three dolls houses…you get the idea. Before I had kids I was determined not to buy into the consumerist culture where kids are concerned. I’d seen parents carting so much stuff around with them and I didn’t want that for my children. But you know what, I’ve come to the conclusion that it is unavoidable. Even if you try not to buy too many toys for them, other people will. Matylda comes home from her grandparents’ house with a new gift almost every time she visits (which is at least 3 times a week if not more). Friends you haven’t seen for a while also tend to bring small gifts when you do meet up. And before you know it you’re drowning in a sea of superfluous items that children may or may not be interested in playing with. This causes somewhat of a dilemma…where on earth do you store all this stuff? And how do you prevent your home looking like an exploded toy shop?
There are plenty of wonderful toy storage options on the market and they undeniably look fantastic in the kids’ bright and colourful bedrooms. But what if you want (or in our case have to) keep toys in the livingroom? Obviously in this case a bright red and blue storage unit may not quite fit in with the existing decor in your living space. In our small flat, the livingroom is the only reception room we have so it’s important that it can be kept reasonably tidy and can retain the illusion that it is an adult space, at least of an evening when the kids are finally in bed. So I wanted to find a storage solution that really fit in with the theme and aesthetics of our livingroom decor. I therefore wanted to find something that was grown up, whilst still being child friendly. I needed something that allowed easy access so Matylda could get to her toys without my help and preferably that was really portable so we could move it around the flat if necessary. So when I discovered these gorgeous vintage style crates from Also Home I knew that they were the perfect solution for my toy storage dilemma.
I have always loved vintage style crates but since they became trendy a while back I have found them to be a tad expensive for what they are. These ones from Also Home though are really reasonable at only £25 each. I thought that is a real bargain. They are also really quite sizeable at 54x37x28cm which makes them perfect for storing all manner of things. We tried out quite a few options from cuddly toys to craft supplies but eventually settled on storing books in ours. I really love this storage option and I’m really happy with the way it compliments our existing decor and allows us to keep the space reasonably coherent. In fact I’m already planning to buy a few more. They can be stacked but as they don’t really slot together completely securely I’d be a bit worried about stacking them more than two high with little children around.
So what do you guys think about these vintage style crates as stylish toy storage? I’d love to hear how you manage to contain the masses of stuff that your kids have acquired and how you stop your communal living spaces from looking like a toy store. Any tips you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Disclosure: This post has been written in collaboration with Also Home who provided the product for us to review. However, all the opinions in this review are our own and we stress that we only collaborate with brands and companies that we genuinely like and believe that our readers will like too.
These are a great option, and very stylish too! We converted our loft for the kids and thought we could maximise storage with fitting wardrobes from Sharps. Unfortunately the kids have too much stuff to get everything in them! We still have plenty of space for some of these crates to keep things tidy, and they will look great! Thanks Stacey!
Isn’t it just crazy how much stuff kids have?
When I was a kid, my toys were stored in the corner in a grocery store cardboard box. I would have loved this storage system!
Oh toy storage is something you can’t seem to have enough of. I love the crates for books! When I did my daughters bedroom, we added storage EVERYWHERE the one that worked most effectively is the underbed storage. So simple, but fitted in so much.
Definitely can’t have enough storage where kids are concerned Amanda! I’ve certainly learnt that since becoming a mum!
While I have no experience with lots of random kid toys (although my dog has suddenly a million toys but once he’s chewed it to bits, it gets binned!), I still think these are a really nice looking storage solution for just about anything! And such a good price as well – wonderful choice :) xxx
I was so impressed with the price Kimberley, especially given the quality!
I don’t have children yet and quite glad not to have even more stuff in the house, but these would be great for magazines or rolled up blankets by the sofa too x
They would be perfect for that Cate and would look much nicer storing grown up stuff I’m sure!
Oh gosh, I know exactly what you mean. So much stuff!!! Those grandparents have a lot to answer for. I’ve just started making some fabric storage buckets for our living room. I couldn’t find anything in a material or colour I wanted so have resorted to getting some practice on the sewing machine. I love the crates, though. They’re a wonderful alternative. Bizarrely, I walked past some in the antique shop in our village a few days, ago. They were so beautiful. I might have to pop back :)
Great idea to make storage yourself Rachel, I might do that for the girls’ bedroom when Milly eventually moves in with her sister. That would be such a fun project. There is no space in their bedroom at the moment for toys though as the changing table and nursing chair take up quite a bit of space, hence all the toys being in the living room.
Love vintage crates stacey-especially when kids are little and need to get to stuff easily on their own. As they get older, like geraldine, i find hiding everything that hasn’t gone to charuty, behind closed doors is my favourite option!!! ?
I really wish I had the space for one of those big Ikea units but my living room has no available space for that. I will probably eventually get one for the girls’ bedroom though.
Lovely crates Stacey. Something that can be used for years to come too and not just for toys.
Toy storage is something I constantly plan for. I’m always looking for multi function furniture (bench seat with lift off lid) cool baskets with handles for lugging stuff to and from and vintage drawers to house all that nonsense kids love. At least then the house still looks like a grown up space, but instead of having logs and a blanket in the lovely baskets by the fire, there is a train track and hulk :) Oh and the Ikea Kallax has been used in various projects now for toy storage. You can see it in action here http://blog.making-spaces.net/2015/06/03/the-marvel-bedroom/
I think the crats are a fab idea and very accessible
Crates are wonderful, they look fab and are so versatile. My teenage son has 4 stacked on top of each other as a shelving unit in his industrial style bedroom and they are great. They also can look nice wall mounted as box shelves.
I’m afraid I have no idea how to deal with masses of kids stuff Stacey but looks like you’re doing a good job with these vintage crates – they look pretty damn cool! :)
Like the crate idea Stacey. I know what you mean about toys and kids’ stuff. It’s inevitable. I’m not sure my solution is helpful but believe it or not, I have 2 living rooms. One very design oriented and my sanctuary and then one in the basement for the kids :) but also our family TV room. I commissioned someone to build cupboards across the length of the room. That’s where everything is hiding now. Many journeys to the charity shop to give away is also a routine :) X
These boxes are great. I found the best storage for my two boys’ stuff was a tall cupboard – the Billy from Ikea which was fixed to the wall so it couldn’t fall. Then I put baskets in each cubby hole – you can have a mix of basket or clear plastic or whatever you like. Each one had a label so it was Lego, making stuff, cuddly toys, plastic tat etc. They could get the lower boxes themselves but if they wanted a tall one they had to put away the lower ones first and ask for a high one. that way, in theory, it stopped them getting everything out at once. We broke up the spaces with books that they could always reach. The Billy is also only 30cm deep so doesn’t stick out too far into the room.