Happy Medium re: Baby Toys

Ashleysred · June 2010

I always said I didn't want kids because I don't want kidshit all over my house. Admittedly, I am crazy about having a clean house, it is a problem I am working on. I hate clutter but even more I hate it when things don't have a spot.

I know that kid toys are going to end up in my living room. Already, baby toys have taken over-and she doesn't even have that many! I keep moving them back to her room but they always make their way out. So I need a storage container that is semi-cute that can go in my livingroom that will hide the mass array of toys and not make my living room look like a daycare/preschool center.

What are you ladies using?

Ms.Beachbum08 · June 2010

Do you have an ottoman that you can throw them all in and no one would know?

Ashleysred · June 2010

I was actually thinking about getting an ottoman. We have a coffee table with some seriously sharp corners. My friend was over this weekend with her 10 month old and we were constantly worried about him hitting his head. I was thinking table to ottoman replacement. And now that I know that they can store things. This seems like a good idea. Hmmmm....

Ms.Beachbum08 · June 2010

The family that owned the house before us had this rather large letter ottoman that they used as a coffee table and I remembered thinking that that was such a great hiding place for toys.

Ms.Beachbum08 · June 2010

The family that owned the house before us had this rather large leather ottoman that they used as a coffee table and I remembered thinking that that was such a great hiding place for toys.

AprilJT · June 2010

My dad made us a wooden chest that doubles as a coffee table for our living room. In our family room I have a brass chest against a wall that we use.

BlondeBeachBride08 · June 2010

We will be doing a bookcase like this, on its side with baskets for toys.

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Kahtie41 · June 2010

One of my friends uses this leather ottoman to store toys in her living room. I like the kind that flip over and have a tray so you have a solid space to put drinks and such, as opposed to the kind with hinges where you have to buy an additional tray if you want to set anything on top anyway.

MelVic · June 2010

BlondeBeachBride08:
We will be doing a bookcase like this, on its side with baskets for toys.
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This is what I have from Target and I have bins in there that match my living room

dexspsandqs · June 2010

In our 'media' or family room I have a large coffee table that has three sliding drawers.

I also have a small ottoman cube and three large boxes like these that sit on a shelf on the bottom of a built in downstairs.

Additionally, I also have a play room that has a mesh laundry lidded animal (from Ikea?) for blocks and the ikea storage shelving with the plastic buckets, some hanging baskets for stuffed friends and some soft coloured round bins for various items that sits on the said toy shelf.

Butterflie6381 · June 2010

I'm not a fan of ottomans for toy storage. I worry about pinched fingers, climbing inside, getting stuck inside, etc. Plus, its harder for them to get to the toys on the bottom, and then you have to help, or listen to whining...

Lots of the toy storage posts recommend either the 9 cube cubbies or the Ikea Expedit series with either baskets or bins. You could easily pick colors to match you living room instead of primary "kid" colors. Also, bins seem to be easier for kids to get stuff out of and to teach them to clean up.

Also, I'm a huge fan of these from Land of nod. We have them in Lil Miss's room. But they are open, allowing you to see the toys, so may not be what you're looking for. HTH

lindeenwedding · June 2010

We have a leather trunk similar to this

with her toys in our family room

nataliejp519 · June 2010

Ashleysred:
Admittedly, I am crazy about having a clean house, it is a problem I am working on. I hate clutter but even more I hate it when things don't have a spot.