Help me with this room! Part 2

[PeacefulChaos]

Ok, this one is really bad. :tongue_smilie:

The boys share a room. It's probably about 15x15ish. Relatively large, but with all their stuff it certainly doesn't feel like it! And, making it even worse, in this picture they have toys EVERYWHERE - but I think you can probably still get the gist.

I do have the paneling on the walls, but we're renting, and while we could do something about it - and I'm sure the landlord would compensate us for it one way or another - DH just isn't sure it's worth all the work that would be involved, especially since we are most likely the last people who will live in this house. (When we move, it will hopefully coincide with the time frame when they want to build a new building - and they will at that time tear this house down.) The room is therefore a little dark, which just adds to its unpleasantness, imo. (The boys don't seem to care lol)

So anyway, here it is... in all its, um, glory...

Picture 1: into the room from the hallway. I don't have the bunk beds against the wall on the long side because of it being such a pain to make the bed in that position. On the wall on the other side of the bed is a pet net for stuffed animals, and I have no idea how many are in there. The floor over there is also a good spot (in their minds) to throw everything that they don't feel like putting away.

It has crossed my mind in the past to take the bunk beds apart, but DH thinks that is crazy, since I'm wanting MORE room, not less.

picture 2: the room beyond the bunk bed (counter clockwise again). You see their toy box under the window on the far right. The large dresser in the corner holds their clothes. The light colored wooden box under the window near the center of the picture is their clothes hamper. The small dresser there (which all the drawers are currently taken out of) holds smaller toys. The top of it is always covered with stuff (as is the other one). Oh, and the toy box is broken and won't close anymore. And is full of stuff as well.

picture 3: computer desk in the corner, and bookshelf. They need a bigger bookshelf but I have absolutely NO idea where to put it.

picture 4: for reference again... the door back into the hallway, and you see their closet there on the right. As it is, all of Link's clothes are in the closet except pjs/socks/underwear. They have coats and bags and stuff hanging on hooks behind the door.

 

This one is where I have the most trouble. Note: I do not clean their room (well, I vacuum, but I don't pick up their toys). I don't want something that will require my doing their job. I don't care how the toys look once they are put away - I just don't want to see them anymore. They could probably stand to get rid of a few toys, but honestly that isn't going to change much of anything - they still will have a toy box (grandpa made it for them) and a dresser for smaller toys. Or something for smaller toys, whatever it may be.

So, any suggestions? Ideas? Toy storage things that I could buy? Any help here is GREATLY appreciated!

TIA!

[PeacefulChaos]

Oh no! Everyone is just as stumped as me! :lol:

[Annie Laurie]

I'm sorry for being dense, but what part of the room do you need help with? Toy storage?

 

I had to put up most of my kids' toys because they weren't cleaning up after themselves, they're old enough to do so, and it does bother me having a mess everywhere. I think no matter what toy storage solution you have, the toys will just end up all over the floor unless they change their habits or pare down the amount of toys. Just speaking from my experience.

 

Maybe something where they can easily see the toys and access the toys would help- the drawers might make it hard to see what's in there so they end up taking all the drawers out. Maybe one of those open toy storage bins would help. Like this: http://www.amazon.com/Tot-Tutors-Organizer-Primary-Colors/dp/B000067PTO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339694241&sr=8-1

 

Or for smaller toys, you could buy those small clear plastic shoe boxes that have lids that are usually $1 each, and sort the toys into those, and use the small bookcase which you said is too small for their books to stack the plastic boxes. This would take more work on their parts because of the lids, so they might be less inclined to return things neatly. The open storage bins are easy to take things in and out of.

 

Also, toy boxes are so hard to use without making a mess because you can't see in those very well either. I know that grandpa made it but if it were me I'd use it for either only big things like soccer and basket balls or for out of season clothing or something like that, not toys.

 

If you got rid of the small dresser and used something else for toys, maybe you could fit a bigger bookcase there.

[justLisa]

I responded to your other post, and those are my favorite storage options.

 

In all honesty, if it were me and I had 2 in a room whom needed a desk/bookshelves and a bed, I would totally redo it all. All clothes in the closet, and two loft bunks. BUnk at the top, bookshelves and desk on bottom. I am planning to build one of these in our spare room. You say someone built the boy's toybox, perhaps he has carpentry skills? Or IKEA, you can find inexpensive ones there

[Lorien]

A couple of things came to mind when I looked at the photos:

 

A taller bookcase would allow more books to be stored on the shelves and also give more room for displaying special toys.

 

For toy storage, we bought several of the Trofast storage units from IKEA (seen on this page of the IKEA website). They work great as storage, you can get lids for the boxes to hide the contents, and you can also get shelves so you can make them half boxes/half shelves.

 

Hope this helps! :001_smile:

[KathyBC]

Well, you could replace the bookcase with a taller one (or find a safe way to stack another one on top) and add a second row of coat hooks above the first. Other than that, I can see that when the dresser drawers are put back in and the toys thinned out enough to fit in the toy box, that this is a great room for two boys.

 

Your pics look just like my dd's room does the majority of the time. Trying to keep the clothes and toys weeded out enough so that it's possible to keep it somewhat tidy is our constant challenge.

[----]

.

[justLisa]

adding to my previous post...I just noticed the size you say is about 15x 15. That is a good sized room! I would try to focus on separating the bunk beds and giving each their own "side." They can then make their own beds. I see you are using the dresser for toys? I would replace that with some tall buckets/bins from IKEA. I posted some Antonius storage options on your other thread. Those things are great and lightweight!

[Spryte]

It looks like your boys are having a lot of fun in their room! :D

 

If you are going to keep the bunks you have, I like the Expedit option with bins or the Trofast options. I tend to use colored bins rather than clear, because I like the look better. But we keep one type of toy in each bin, and try to get no more than 3 out at a time. (My kiddo does not do well with the one toy out at a time rule, he likes to combine toys.) The bins do end up with some mixed toys, but for the most part this is easier. One thing I like about Trofast is that we can write on the outside with chalk, so they are easy to label and then change later as our needs change.

 

My first choice would be to go with 2 loft beds though, with desks or toy storage and clothing storage underneath for each kiddo. Then you could do some Expedit or Trofast units for shared toy storage.

[Spryte]

Oh, since you aren't likely to declutter their toys, could you do a rotating toy library? Maybe get some big bins and keep the ones they use now out, put some others in the garage, and once a month they can go down and "check out" another bin, as long as they put something else in the garage? (If you have a garage, of course! Basement? Attic?) ...You could even make the checking out of the toy bins tied to something like a chore chart, and if they keep their room picked up for a week, than can check out a different bin?

 

We have bins in our garage, because our kiddo's room is ridiculously tiny. So we do the toy rotation. It does make it fun when it's time to pull out a new bin.

 

I think, too, if you can include them in designing the toy storage system it might help give them some ownership of it, and help them stay motivated.

 

Toy storage is a big issue here, too, and I often think we just have too much, but weeding it out is really hard. :)

[TheReader]

The things that come to my mind:

 

Scoot the computer desk/turn it so it is under the shelf on the wall, instead of perpendicular to that corner.

Add a taller bookshelf there where the computer desk was, between the side of the desk and the low shelf that is already there. And/or replace the low shelf with a taller, wider shelf.

Scoot the toy dresser to below the window (if doing so won't block the dresser? if so, maybe swap dresser for the shelf mentioned above) and add another shelf where the toy dresser is. OR move the toy box there, and add a bookshelf where the toy box is.

 

I find keeping the "this is what we pull our toys out of" stuff NOT in front of the door way helps me at least feel like the room is neater; I'd probably rearrange both rooms (boy & girl) so that the toy box is not the thing right in front of the door. Put a bookshelf, or clothes storage, or anything else there. This way, when they do pull everything out to play, it's not the first thing you see when you even walk past the room.

[Rebel Yell]

Your boys look young, and those dresser drawers they have all puled out look heavy. How about some cubbies and fabric bins? I can't imagine young boys easily get the drawers back on the track when and if they put them away.

 

And more/bigger bookshelves. And shelves and pegs/hooks on the walls.

[Tina]

Why don't you swap out the big toy dresser in the boys room for the smaller one in the girl's room. It looks like it would fit. Then she could have a book drawer or two or put them between bookends on the dresser. Could that dress up bin go in the closet??

 

I would get one of the shelf units someone showed for the boys, or some stackable totes or bins, whatever fits the budget, for the toys. If you have to pick them up, they're gone! ;) (Works in some houses...)

 

Could some totes or milk crates fit in the closet for some toy storage?

[LucyStoner]

I think you need less stuff in there and a place for everything so they can put it away. I would purge toys to some degree.

 

I might also consider selling that dark bed (you could get a pretty penny) and buying white beds to lighten things up.

 

I would add a bigger bookshelf or some high shelving.

 

If you keep the bed I would take them apart and add shelves for soft toys above each boy's bed.

 

If the dresser is not being used for clothing I would get rid of it in favor of something smaller and lighter with a smaller profile, like trofast bins.

 

If you can build, there are all sorts of designs on here

Edited June 14, 2012 by kijipt

[PeacefulChaos]

I'm sorry for being dense, but what part of the room do you need help with? Toy storage?

 

I had to put up most of my kids' toys because they weren't cleaning up after themselves, they're old enough to do so, and it does bother me having a mess everywhere. I think no matter what toy storage solution you have, the toys will just end up all over the floor unless they change their habits or pare down the amount of toys. Just speaking from my experience.

 

Maybe something where they can easily see the toys and access the toys would help- the drawers might make it hard to see what's in there so they end up taking all the drawers out. Maybe one of those open toy storage bins would help. Like this: http://www.amazon.com/Tot-Tutors-Organizer-Primary-Colors/dp/B000067PTO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339694241&sr=8-1

 

Or for smaller toys, you could buy those small clear plastic shoe boxes that have lids that are usually $1 each, and sort the toys into those, and use the small bookcase which you said is too small for their books to stack the plastic boxes. This would take more work on their parts because of the lids, so they might be less inclined to return things neatly. The open storage bins are easy to take things in and out of.

 

Also, toy boxes are so hard to use without making a mess because you can't see in those very well either. I know that grandpa made it but if it were me I'd use it for either only big things like soccer and basket balls or for out of season clothing or something like that, not toys.

 

If you got rid of the small dresser and used something else for toys, maybe you could fit a bigger bookcase there.

Possibly toy storage - mainly just with trying to make it look less insane. Not even the toys - that doesn't bother me as much, as long as they get put away at night (which, with the exception of on top of dressers, they do - at least the floor ends up clear!) - but more just the vast amount of STUFF they seem to have accumulated in there. :)

I responded to your other post, and those are my favorite storage options.

 

In all honesty, if it were me and I had 2 in a room whom needed a desk/bookshelves and a bed, I would totally redo it all. All clothes in the closet, and two loft bunks. BUnk at the top, bookshelves and desk on bottom. I am planning to build one of these in our spare room. You say someone built the boy's toybox, perhaps he has carpentry skills? Or IKEA, you can find inexpensive ones there

DH is a carpenter, he could build one, but he probably doesn't want to. :lol: In all honesty though, I splurged a little on their bunk bed and don't relish the thought of getting rid of it. :tongue_smilie:

The only advice i have is to declutter. Our kids all share a teeny tiny room and one little closet. When things no longer fit in the given space, it's time to donate some of it.

I definitely need to do that! It just seems like we never carve out the time... and the boys are horrible at weeding through their stuff. The only stuff they usually are willing to get rid of is kids meal toys. :rolleyes: I think we could do away with up to 50% of what is in there... but I don't want to do it by myself, and they make it difficult to do it with them. Maybe if I tried to do it when DH is here it would help...

adding to my previous post...I just noticed the size you say is about 15x 15. That is a good sized room! I would try to focus on separating the bunk beds and giving each their own "side." They can then make their own beds. I see you are using the dresser for toys? I would replace that with some tall buckets/bins from IKEA. I posted some Antonius storage options on your other thread. Those things are great and lightweight!

It is a HUGE room! I always feel like it's so dark and bleh in there, though. Part of me feels like it's because the bunk bed is this monolith shadowing the corner - that's why I've asked DH about taking them apart before. Part of it is due to the paneling, and the fact that their room is on the shady side of the house... etc, etc. In a perfect world, I'd rip the paneling down and let them paint it, and take their beds apart, etc. But I don't think it'll work, unfortunately. :( I can't wait for them to have separate rooms!!

(Oh, and they are supposed to make their beds in the morning - I see in the pictures that they didn't do it today. :glare: Oh, well... )

The things that come to my mind:

 

Scoot the computer desk/turn it so it is under the shelf on the wall, instead of perpendicular to that corner.

Add a taller bookshelf there where the computer desk was, between the side of the desk and the low shelf that is already there. And/or replace the low shelf with a taller, wider shelf.

Scoot the toy dresser to below the window (if doing so won't block the dresser? if so, maybe swap dresser for the shelf mentioned above) and add another shelf where the toy dresser is. OR move the toy box there, and add a bookshelf where the toy box is.

 

I find keeping the "this is what we pull our toys out of" stuff NOT in front of the door way helps me at least feel like the room is neater; I'd probably rearrange both rooms (boy & girl) so that the toy box is not the thing right in front of the door. Put a bookshelf, or clothes storage, or anything else there. This way, when they do pull everything out to play, it's not the first thing you see when you even walk past the room.

You know, I think we may be able to get rid of the computer altogether. They don't use it much. (It's a corner computer desk, which used to be ours when our living area was smaller). So that's an idea.

I'm thinking that once I find a spot for a taller shelf, I could even put that shelf in Pink's room. Then I wouldn't have to buy a bunch of stuff for everyone, just repurpose what we have...

Should I keep the toy box? On one hand, I feel like we should, because my grandfather built it for Link when he was a baby. On the other hand...it's broken. :glare: Idk...

Our furniture is all so random. :lol: We've gotten most of these dressers from grandparents/etc who pass away or who have just given them to us. It's kind of a pain in a way, because the tall dresser, the boys can't even reach the top drawer without climbing something, so I keep seasonal stuff in it. Not necessarily something I would have chosen, but we got it for free, so... sigh.

[melbotoast]

Oh, since you aren't likely to declutter their toys, could you do a rotating toy library? Maybe get some big bins and keep the ones they use now out, put some others in the garage, and once a month they can go down and "check out" another bin, as long as they put something else in the garage? (If you have a garage, of course! Basement? Attic?) ...You could even make the checking out of the toy bins tied to something like a chore chart, and if they keep their room picked up for a week, than can check out a different bin?

 

We have bins in our garage, because our kiddo's room is ridiculously tiny. So we do the toy rotation. It does make it fun when it's time to pull out a new bin.

 

I think, too, if you can include them in designing the toy storage system it might help give them some ownership of it, and help them stay motivated.

 

Toy storage is a big issue here, too, and I often think we just have too much, but weeding it out is really hard. :)

 

:iagree::iagree: This is what I was going to suggest. It really helped DS keep his room cleaner and I feel like he enjoyed his toys more.

[AndyJoy]

From the pictures it looks like maybe their closet floor is underutilized?

 

My DS has a ton of toys--many of them are saved for when he is older, and we won't be downsizing soon. The vast majority of them are stored in Sterile Large Show Offs (way cheaper at my local Walmart, but Amazon had a pic) and medium ones (half the height). My DH built custom shelves to hold them, but they stack nicely about 4-high even without shelves. I bet you could store a lot of toys neatly and out of sight in the bottom of the closet. The bins really help my DS with the "put this away before you get something else out" rule.

[justLisa]

Ok this is my die hard DIY'er side talking, but painting that paneling wouldn't be too hard. I love THIS blog, and the post they did on painting their paneling.

[Celia]

Hmmm. I recommended an expidit from ikea for your dd's room, and I think you should just buy 2!

[PeacefulChaos]

Ok, so I updated the other one, figured I'd do the same on here.

The boys and I spent a couple of hours last night AND a couple of hours this morning going through toys. And we're still not done. :svengo: :lol: But here's what I'm hoping to do.

I'm still trying to talk DH into painting the paneling. (Thanks for the DIY website, btw! Can't remember now who posted it) I'm not a fan of white/ivory/cream/whatever walls, but honestly I'll take anything over the paneling. He still isn't sure it's worth the investment of time and effort. So we'll see on that part - but keep your fingers crossed! ;)

I can't decide whether or not to get rid of the toy box. It doesn't close, which is bothersome, as we noticed last night when we emptied it - the boys at some point spilled something in there :rolleyes: and it was a mess. We got it cleaned up for the most part, but I'm just thinking, What use is it if I can't close this thing? But my grandpa built it, so... sigh. I don't know! BUT if we do keep it, I think I'm going to do what a PP suggested and store out of season clothes in it (though this would require it being capable of closing) rather than toys. If I do that, it will open up some space in their closet (currently 2 tubs in there with out of season clothes in them - one for each kid), where I'll put the bigger toys that they have decided to keep. I have a mesh laundry hamper thing that they used to keep balls in that we put stuff in - at least this way they can see what's at the bottom, even if it still isn't easy to get to it. I may buy another one - they have an abundance of swords, lightsabers, and nerf guns (and yes, they play with them all!) and I was thinking we could put all their 'weapons' in one and the large cars and other large toys in the other. I'm sure 2 of them would fit there in the floor of the closet.

How do you guys have your kids' shoes? The boys tend to just throw them all down in the closet, and they straighten them up every once in awhile but they just have a lot of them. I guess we need to clear some out and see if they'll fit, and how. But I don't know any way to really 'store' shoes in the closet - Pink has a basket that all hers are in, and mine are in a shoe hanger hanging from the rod. They already have one organizer thing hanging from the rod in there, and that has all of Link's pants/shorts in it. They don't really have room for another...

I'm going to switch the boys' toy dresser with Pink's dresser, taking up less room for that.

I'm also taking out the computer altogether. They don't play with it or use it at all - it just gathers dust. I mentioned it to DH (who, as I told him all the plans up to this point, kept sighing with disbelief at me wanting to completely rearrange the whole house :lol: ) and he was like, yeah, that should just go, it's worthless. So that will free up room for sure!

I'm going to switch their dresser that has their clothes in it with the one in my room - they can't reach the top of the one in their room, so I really don't know why I ever thought it was a good idea to give them that one in the first place. :lol: (They are both from the same set that we got when DH's grandmother passed.) It's longer and not as high, and I'm thinking on top of that I'll put a milk crate sideways (college dorm style lol) with some more books for now. Between that and their current book shelf we should be good for a little while (trying to avoid buying anything too hastily, plus I'm not sure when the budget would allow for more book shelves). I probably will keep my eye out for a larger bookshelf on sale or cheap somewhere, but for now this will do. The dresser will either go where the clothes dresser/toy box is currently or over where the computer desk/toy dresser now is. There would be plenty of room in either of those places.

I'm not 100% sure what the layout would look like at this point, but I'll post pictures when we get it all finished. :) Thanks everyone for all the ideas!