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Organization

Organized Playroom

organized playroom storage
Oh my word.  Our playroom is organized.  Plus I finally got the place clean enough to take pictures.  Miracles DO happen!  ;)
entry to playroom
Taking you on a picture tour today!  When you get to the top of our stairs you turn right to head into the kids’ laundry room
playroom door
Then past the laundry room you walk down a few steps into the playroom.
yellow playroom hutch
Now.  While I show you around the room remember that today’s post is all about organization.  NOT decor.  I haven’t done much of anything to decorate this space because we’ve obviously had bigger priorities.   The furniture in this room is all from our old house – stuff we’ve had for years.  That being said, I kind of like it for two reasons.  One – my kids can trash this stuff and I could care less!  It’s already hammered so it’s great furniture for a kids’ space.  Two – my yellow hutch (still love it!) and red couch add some fun color to the room.  I’m not sure they are the colors I will eventually go with in this space, but for now, they are working great.  This room is a happy room to be in!  Which is good because the kids are in here a lot.  :)
organized playroom toysorganized toys
extra-storage-in-frames
This playroom is over our garages.  Remember back when we were framing the house?  I was walking around this room and noticed that there was some empty space in the wall under the window because of our steep roofline.  I was trying to think of a way to tap into that space and use it and later that night I woke up at 2:00 in the morning with a vision of large, deep pull out drawers for toys!
pull out toy organizers
Here is what that vision currently looks like today.  Clearly I do my best thinking in the middle of the night.

That explains a few things.  :)
drawers for toys
I asked my cabinet guy if he could build really deep pull out drawers that would look flush with the wall and tap into that extra space.  Then when my carpenter was doing our wood work and trim I had him make them look like part of the wainscot.  Here they are closed.
drawers for kids toys
And open.  Are angels singing?

Funny.  I thought I heard them…  :)
toy labels
I was on a hunt to find the perfect hardware for these drawers.  I knew I wanted something that included a handle and a label.  I finally found these on a random website and it said they were from Pottery Barn.  I checked, but Pottery Barn’s website said they were sold out and out of stock.  I was bummed and kept searching.  Then a month later I was in a Pottery Barn in another area of town and they had fifteen left in their store!  I was so excited and bought them all.  We used them in Kole’s room too.
toy storage
First drawer is for Barbies.  And of course the occasional Spider man and Transformer.  (I still smile when I see boy toys – we thought for sure Kole would be a girl and I feel so lucky every day to have that little guy as the caboose of our family!)
toy storage in playroom
The next two drawers hold all of our stuffed animals…
organized stuffed animalsorganized playroom drawerslabels for toys
The last drawer holds all of the girls’ dolls.  Which I’m sad to say they are playing with less and less these days.  At some point we need to clean them out and give some away, but I don’t know if mom is quite ready for that yet.
organized dolls
organized toys for boys
What is getting played with these days?  Pretty much everything else.  Racetracks..
organized attic organized holiday decor_0078
and blocks..
play kitchen
and the fact that the kitchen is pink doesn’t seem to stop Kole from using it to mix up a mean plate of cookies.
land of nod tepee
This fun tepee was what Santa brought Kole for Christmas this year.  I can’t be sure, but I think he might have found it at Land of Nod.  Or had the elves make one just like theirs.  :)  I adore the black and white stripes.  I think I have something with stripes in every room of this house!
tepee from land of nod
My little buddy loves to play in this thing.  Plus it’s such a safe place to hide from “bad guys” of course.
playroom closet
Ready for more organization?  Let’s open these fabulous folding doors!
open playroom storage
What?  Angels again!?  ;)
playroom shelves
With three kids (who love their toys and truly play with all of them) I knew I needed a place in this room to store everything.  I try to clean out our toys often and aside from the dolls (that I just can’t part with yet!) I’m pretty good at donating toys the kids’ have outgrown.  But if you’re a mom you know that year after year with Christmas and birthdays and special events the toys add up quick!  Keeping them organized is not only sanity for moms, but also the best way to make them accessible and easy for the kids to play with.
organized toys and games
A closet with open shelves seemed like the best solution to me.  The kids have easy access to everything and I can close the door to hide it all if needed.
organized gamesplayroom closet toy storage
I keep all of our board games on the right.  This door actually slides open a bit closer to the wall to access them.
toy organization in closet
The left is for puzzles, the girls’ little doll houses and other random toys that Kole plays with daily.
labeled toy bins
The bins in the middle were inexpensive bins from Target.  I think these are the best for organizing toys!  I organize them by categories that will be easy for the kids during clean-up.  Chalkboard labels are the Martha Stewart line at Staples and I just wrote on them with a chalk pen.  Easy to erase and change if we mix things up in the future!
container store striped rigby bins
Kole has a lot of bigger toys, so I hunted for some bins that were large and would be easy for him to hold.
striped bins container store
These Rugby Stripe bins from The Container Store were perfect!  Love how big they are, love the nice handles on the sides of them (easy to pick up and move to other rooms) and hello!  More stripes.
organized toys and dolls
Container Store?  Stripes?  Perfectly organized toys?  Angels are harmonizing like no one’s business!

K.  Sorry.  I’ll stop now.

The angels won’t.  But I will.  :)
organized cars and trains
These chalkboard labels are some I’ve had for a few years.  From World Market maybe?  I just attached them with a safety pin.  Wouldn’t recommend that if you have really little ones, but my kids don’t play with them.  Aside from keep things organized, labels are great for working on pre-reading skills.  Kole finds his toys by sounding out the first letter of the word.  Added bonus.  :)
organized pretend foodorganized blockstoys in baskets
Here are a few other ways we are keeping the toys organized.  The baskets in this old coffee table pull out.
toys in bins
Beanie’s on the right (all from my husband’s mom – she loves to give them a new one each time she visits).  The other basket is used to hold Kole’s pretend stuff.  Superhero capes, swords and shields, fireman hat, etc.
movies on hutch
My hutch is currently holding our DVD’s which makes me laugh.  I stuck them all here when we moved in thinking I’d find a better place for them and there they have stayed!  For over a year!  I’m actually organizing them soon though.  I found a system I’m excited to try!  Coming soon to a blog near you.  :)
organized game directions
The drawers hold extra things like game instructions and the cupboards below hold a few future birthday presents for friends.   (I pick fun toys up for birthdays when they are on sale.)
organized toys
So that’s it!  Our organized playroom.  It NEVER looks this clean.  There are usually toys all over the floor.  But that’s what a playroom is for.  A place to mess up and enjoy.  The nice part for me is that after the messing up and enjoying is over, everything has a home and clean up is simple.
playroom red couch
Even for this little trouble maker.  :)
how-to-make-an-effective-plan-to-organize-your-home
Now that I’ve tackled the attic, holiday decor and bonus room, the playroom wraps up my January spaces!  February spaces are almost done too!  Have you made your list for the year?  You can see mine here.  So happy to have this year plan to keep me on track!
organized playroom storage
Also beyond happy to have the toys organized!

The angels can rest.  And so can I.

:)

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**If you are new to my blog, click below each picture to see full posts and sources for other spaces in my home!

kitchen-refresh-3

{KITCHEN}

sunny-side-up-family-room

{FAMILY ROOM}

geometric-wallpaper

{POWDER BATHROOM}

formal-living-blog-1

{FORMAL LIVING ROOM}

my-organized-office

{OFFICE/CRAFT ROOM}

xoxo, Erin
Join the Conversation

145 thoughts on “Organized Playroom

  1. Looks fantastic, Erin! I think you are absolutely brilliant for coming up with those deep storage drawers! They are fabulous. I also really like that the kids have a place to be kids and you’ve made it so easy and fun for them to clean up when asked. I think you are pretty dang smart for all the ideas you come up with and so willingly share. Have a great day! :)

  2. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE everything about this room! I am so wishing I had a room like this, and if we ever get around to building I will definitely be copying some of your ideas :-) really, this room could not be more perfect! You and I are on the same organizing page ;)

  3. Wowee Erin — it is such a perfect playroom and organized so nicely! Those drawers — genius!! I’ll bet your builder is suggesting to other people — they are so brilliant!! Hey, my girl is 13 and I can’t give away her dolls yet either and she won’t give away some of her stuffed animals! All in good time, right!
    Hope you have a good day!

    1. Thank you Janet! Yes! All in good time. I’m in rush to give the dolls away. In fact – I may just keep them all. Too many sweet memories of them! I’m sure you feel the same! xo

  4. I hear the angels Erin! lol that’s definitely NOT what I hear when I open the door to my kids room…more like screams of horror!! But I’m tackling some of that with a few snow days here in NC…when cabin fever sets in, I find I can either work out or clean out lol today will be a bit of both!

    Genius idea that you came up with at 2am!!! Those pull out drawers are really awesome, glad you had that aha moment there!

    1. I’m laughing! :) Thanks Aria! Believe me that we definitely hear screams of horror in this room too! That’s why it took me SO long to post it. I couldn’t get the place clean enough to show how I was organizing things! :) xo

  5. The angels ARE singing!!! I LOVE everything about this space! I keep thinking the kids would love a teepee but I don’t know exactly where we’d put it! The drawers in the unused wall space are genius :) I started my list back in January, and I’m totally overwhelmed I have only done a few small spaces! EEEK! Love your playroom!

  6. Erin,

    Thank you so much for sharing! I just wanted to leave a quick note about your blog. I have been reading your blog for about 6 years now and I have to say that it is one of my favorites. I stumbled upon your blog by googling the pretzel hug recipe. I know that you have mentioned in the past how you find yourself comparing your blogs to others. Let me just say that your blog is one of my favorites because it is NOT like so many others. There are so many blogs that went from sharing glimpses into their lives and homes to pushing and promoting sponsored products and pushing and promoting their personal products (home management lists, scrapbooking products, side businesses). There are certain blogs that I used to read daily and now I’ll check them about once a week. I enjoy reading about home décor, organization, and fashion. Your blog has a balanced combination of the three. Some people still appreciate what I call “old school blogging”. Blogging that is not a business. I feel that you genuinely enjoy sharing bits of your life with readers. You are such an inspiration to me and I’m sure to so many others. Thank You!

    Lisa from Texas

    1. Oh my word Lisa! What a sweet thing to say! Honestly this comment was so kind and genuine. It just made my day! I feel the same way and have stopped reading a lot of blogs I used to love that have changed. I’m so happy to hear that you have been reading for so long and still enjoy it here! I will remember your comment the next time I start comparing again. ;) Thanks again Lisa. Your sweet words mean so much to me. xo

    2. I agree. This is the best blog I’ve ever found. BEST. I love your ideas and your energy transpires throughout our entire your blog. Reading your blog makes me smile. It’s….sunny!!

  7. Just a question? Why does it have to be clean to take a picture? I find it so refreshing when I see photos of real imperfect spaces. I think so many times we only see or show our “highlight reels” and i don’t think it’s healthy. Love this space and your organizing is amazing but taking pictures when it’s messy is great!

    1. Hi Anon! I’ve actually posted lots of messy pictures of this playroom! I wanted it clean for this post so that I could really show how I’m organizing things without the mess getting in the way. But if you read my blog often you know I have no problem sharing messy spaces. :) Let me know if you want links to some of my messy house posts! xo

  8. I am in LOVE with your playroom! I have 2 small boys and would love to have a room like that! I am currently organizing our playroom but it doesn’t have a closet, boo:( and it is tiny but work with what ya got right? Anyways, I was just curious what the other door in the playroom leads to? The one by the hutch? If you say a bathroom I will hear the angels singing all they way over here in the snow covered north west part of the country, lol

    1. Ha! You made me laugh Theresa! That door leads to the bonus room/attic space I shared last week! There is a bathroom down the hall that links the girls’ rooms and that is the one the kids use upstairs. :) Your current playroom sounds a lot like my playroom in my last house! No storage so I had to get creative. I’ll have to share that space again on the blog soon! Thanks Theresa! xo

  9. Love your blog. You are so organized and have a great playroom. I’m all about storage space myself and love the pull out drawers! Brilliant idea! :) What’s behind the other door in the playroom, besides the closet? More storage space? I love all the space you use in your home, you can tell you’ve put a lot of thought into how you want to keep a house of order for you and your family.

  10. I’ve always LOVED your yellow extra-wide hutch, and what a great use for it in the playroom!! Your large built-in drawers on the outside wall are genius; I remember back when you were planning those. If only I had room in our home for a striped teepee for our two grand babies – I absolutely LOVE the teepees from Land of Nod!! Your red couch is perfect for the kids to watch movies on the large TV on the wall! I can’t say enough about how much I LOVE your children’s playroom!! It’s absolutely PERFECT!!!! Erin, I just love everything you organize and decorate!

  11. Hear, hear to the first comment! Couldn’t have put it better myself! This room looks great, and is not only organized, but also inviting to the kids! Thanks!

  12. O.K. Missy, grab a cup of coffee because this is going to be a long comment! First, I had to get off my phone and log on to my laptop to see this space in it’s organization glory because it was sooooo good! I needed to see it on the “big screen” (if I knew how to see it on my t.v. I would but I’m not that technical:( ). Anyway, thanks for showing up where this space is at, that always helps. Don’t worry about the décor, I am fine with all of that organizational glory! The closet looks amazing. Great job and it makes good sense. Love it. Love the baskets, the labels, everything. The angels were not only singing, there was a whole chorus of them on that one. Pull out drawers flush with the wall AND they have wainscoting? Well, you have just been promoted to Senior Organization blogger for that one. Functional. Check. Stylish. Check. Beautiful. Check. Pinterest worthy. Check. There is nothing more you could do for that. You know I love architectural details and moldings right? Love the Pottery Barn hardware. Are those adhesive?

    Now for the blog details. Yes, it’s refreshing not to be bombarded with ads. I understand the need for bloggers to monetize however some are out of their element and are trying to be fashion bloggers and it’s a disaster or there are so many ads, I just throw up my hands and leave. As a follow up comment to another comment about photographing messy rooms, we don’t need to see that. If it’s a before/after post, that is fine but I don’t need to waste my time looking at someone’s mess. Just my opinion:) I am looking for eye candy, organizational eye candy, décor eye candy, etc. (man candy is o.k. too if you like:).

    Overall, really nice job. Can’t wait to see the rest of the projects.

    P.S. I organized a client’s playroom a few years ago for a little girl and had a drawer for Barbie’s too and put organizers in the closet for the games/toys too. Pics are on my blog although I don’t blog anymore. (I used to be a Professional Organizer for many years but had to give it up to take care of my son (invalid).)

    1. Oh my word! You are too sweet! And funny. :) Thank you thank you! I’m so happy you like my playroom! Means a lot coming from a previous professional organizer! I have checked out your blog several times and have to tell you that I look up to you so much. You are an AMAZING mom (dream mom is a perfect title!) and you take such good care of your son. I can only imagine the trials you face daily, yet you always seem optimistic and full of love for him. Your son is so lucky to have you. And I am so lucky to have people like you who read my blog! Thanks again for your sweet comment! So glad you enjoyed this post on the “big screen.” Ha! :) xo

  13. I agree – you are BRILLIANT for coming up with those pull-out drawers!! You should market that somehow LOL. Also, the closet door is so pretty! And I like how it pulls to one side (more practical) instead of opening on both sides. But I think my favorite thing is the big striped bins!! Those are SO cute (and functional)! Thanks for sharing the space :)

    1. Thanks Jen! I bought them about a year ago so I’m not sure if Target has the exact ones right now, but they always have similar bins with different colored lids!

  14. Wow, this playroom looks amazing. Love the secret storage bins. You should pat yourself on the back for that one!

  15. I love how organized everything is. Looks great. Very kid friendly for sure. What brand and color is the carpet in there? Looks comfy. This is an odd question but are your walls texture? If so, what kind of texture did you go with? Thanks so much. Love your blog by the way. Very real and down to earth.

    1. Thanks Summer! That is just about the sweetest thing you could say about my blog! :) I wish I could help you with the brand/color of the carpet! I have no idea. I picked it out at the store and said “that one” and haven’t looked back! If I find the info. on it in my house files I’ll share it on the blog because others have asked. Sorry I’m not more help!

  16. This is amazing! The wall bins to utilize space underneath the roof is seriously GENIUS. I have never seen that before. Organizational genius-ness.

    Do you have toys elsewhere in the house? Like the kids’ rooms? How do you decide which toys go where? We have toys in every room ;)

    1. Hi Katherine! Thank you! Love your word – genius-ness. Totally something I would say. :) The kids each have a few toys in their rooms, but most of them live in the playroom. Plus the girls have their doll houses in our guest room and Kole has a basket of toys in our family room. K – I guess we have toys all over the house too! Ha! Mostly the playroom holds the toys except a few they are currently playing with. The struggle with toy organization is real! :)

  17. Oh, and I forgot to mention how much I like the closet doors. I can’t stand the double doors on closets. I’ve had my husband remove all of them from our house despite his protests.

  18. Hi Erin,
    I love how you’ve organised the toys etc.

    I know you label the boxes etc with words but in the past have you also added pictures for children who can’t read?

    It’s a real shame that your girls aren’t playing with the dolls so much. My niece was only into dolls for about 2 years, which I never really understood as I played with dolls until I was about 13.:)

    I bet Kenny (& probably you too) has fun playing with Kole’s toys. The wigwam is great.

    I love the last picture of Kole sneaking over the settee, he’s so cute & I love the colour of the settee.:)

    1. Thanks Jullie! :) I used to label with pictures when the kids were little, but now the girls are reading and Kole knows his letters/sounds so written labels work best! xo

  19. Wow. This room is gorge! Where did you get the folding doors? I’ve never seen ones like that! We have a set in our house that open up from the middle and I despise them!

    1. Thank you so much Nicky! We had them built custom. It was the only solution I could come up with because I didn’t want regular doors taking up so much space when I knew this closet would be open most of the time!

  20. Erin, I had one more question, where does the DVD player live in that room? Does the tv have a DVD player inside it? Or do you have an AV closet for everything? I was just wondering because I like that you just have the tv mounted. And you see no cable boxes or DVD players mounted on the wall. Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful organized playroom! Your blog is the only one I read too! Love it, love it! Keep up the good work. Thanks for being so real. Your the BEST!!

    1. Such a sweet comment! You are too good to me. :) And that’s a good question! The DVD player and all of the boxes/cords are in the room next door (our bonus room with the treadmill). We plan on someday making that room a theatre room so we have an area set up with all of the TV equipment for both rooms in there. :) Thanks again for your sweet words! Makes me so happy you enjoy my blog. :) xo

  21. Those built in drawers are genius! YOU are genius!! I love your house and it really makes me want to build! Scary because I am the most indecisive person ever — but I’m working on the husband anyway. :)

    1. Thank you Christen! You are too sweet. I’m normally an indecisive person too! But building made me decisive real quick. You have to be. It’s a good process for people like us to go through. ;) xo

  22. Erin! I was so excited about this space, I almost had a heart attack!!!! It is so functional and beautiful. You have a gift, thanks for sharing your awesomeness.

  23. I’m so glad you clarified that the closet door opens further to access the board games. When I saw the picture I was thinking…”No! That door is in the way! You can’t reach the games. Surely Erin thought of that!” :)

  24. What a very clean and organized playroom Erin, this brings back good memories when I was younger as a kid. I would be so happy if I had a playroom like this back in the old days. :)

  25. I stumbled upon your blog yesterday and fell in love! I feel like I have a new friend. ;o) Thanks for all the wonderful and beautiful ideas and inspiration! With such a GORGEOUS house, and so many beautiful finishes, I assumed that you were not living in Cali… but yes, we are neighbors (ish). I live in SD too! Looking forward to following your blog, and seeing what other wonderful things you have to share! xoxo

    1. Hi Leah! Thank you so much! What a sweet comment. I’m so glad you found me! Love that you live in San Diego too! So happy to “meet” you! :) xo

  26. Your home is beautiful!! And I love the playroom… very inspired to work on organizing ours! Can I ask you what the name of the gray wall color is? It’s just perfect. Thanks!

    1. Thank you Awilda! I can’t remember it right now but I have that all written down somewhere and I’m going to do a post soon with all of our paint colors so check back! :)

  27. BEST ORGANIZATION FOR CHILDREN’S STUFF I’VE FOUND SO FAR AND I LOOK FREQUENTLY FOR NEW IDEAS! THANK YOU! AND YOU’RE FUNNY TOO! HAHAHAAA

  28. Hi. I was scouring your site and really looking hard for any mention of paint colors you used in the toy room. Thanks <3

    1. Hi Carissa! I’m traveling and don’t have that color with me, but I’m planning on doing a post next month with all of my paint colors so it’s coming soon! :) xo

  29. Hi can you tell me what the road set is called and who it made by on the coffee table? I would love to find it for my son.

    Thanks!
    Kim

    1. Hi Kim! I ordered that from a store called Hearth Song. I’m sure if you look it up and search for road sets it will pop up. :) xo

    1. Thanks Chelsea! I’m working on a post right now that includes all of my paint colors! Will be up on the blog Monday or Tuesday so check back! :) xo

  30. Hi there, I’ve recently stumbled upon your fabulous blog. Thank you for sharing glimpses into your life and all the projects you’re tackling. The picture of your closet is actually what led me to your blog. We’re getting ready to move back into our house after a year away and I would LOVE to get the kids’ playroom together like yours! Can you tell me how the shelves in the closet are supported? It looks as though they are just sitting on little brackets, two on each end. Is there a piece of wood against the wall that offers support along the long, back edge as well? Also, what is the spacing you used between shelves? It looks as though the top and bottom shelves have a little more room. Any insight would be immensely appreciated. It will probably be a joint DIY effort between my hubby and me.

    1. Hi Jessica! Thank you! So happy you like my playroom closet. :) Ok.. the shelves do have wood against the back and on the sides. It’s a whole unit built inside my closet. Yes.. brackets on each end supporting the shelves (underneath them). The shelves are actually adjustable! My carpenter drilled holes all along the inside of the shelves so I can move them anywhere I want. For now I have the top and bottom bigger to hold larger toys. :) Hope that helps! xo

  31. You are my house inspiration! Thank you for letting us peak into your beautiful world–you pull off being both inspiring and down to earth like no one else I follow! We are planning on doing the same idea under the eaves of our home with the deep pull out drawers. May I ask the drawer dimensions? We are trying to strike the perfect balance between being useful drawer sizes vs too vast and big! Thank you in advance.

    1. Katie that was such an incredibly kind thing to say! Thank you! That means a lot to me! Ok.. my play room drawers are 17×21 and 21 inches deep. They are BIG! Perfect for large toys or stuffed animals, etc. Hope that helps! You will love them! :) xo

  32. One Word: FABULOUS
    One Question: how did you find the space to build the in-wall drawers by window?

    1. Thank you Grace! Our roof line is really steep which gave us lots of little pockets of space we discovered while we were building. :)

  33. hi.. i’m danar from indonesia..
    that’s wonderfull house..i hope my house will be organize like yours.i has try to organize my kids room but its so difficult for me. your house will be my inspiration..tq

  34. What size are the Martha Stewart chalkboard labels for the bins? Recently found your blog so sorry for the late comment. I am going through all your old posts and just love everything! So many great ideas! :-)

  35. Where did you get that adorable racetrack?! I love it!! Also, your organized playroom is magical!! So inspiring, thank you!!

  36. Do you know the color and brand of the paint in your hallway? That is the color I’m looking for. Thanks!

  37. Hello! Was checking out your organized playroom post and wondered if you got the shelving units in the closet from somewhere? It looks great!
    Thanks,
    Brit

  38. Love this playroom! Can you share more info on the folding closet doors? Is it two bi-fold doors joined together?

    1. I would also love to know more about the closet doors too! Do you have plans on how you guys built them? Trying to find solutions for our doors & this is exactly what I have in my head but I can’t figure out how to make it happen!!

  39. Hi Erin,

    I love your blog so much! Your home and family are so beautiful. I am mom to a large homeschooling family here on Prince Edward Island having so much fun organizing and decorating our century home. I love and am obsessed with organization and your blog is such a treasure trove of wealth!

  40. Hey Erin! LOVE your house and the built in storage! I had a quick question. Do you remember the sizes (quarts/gallons) of the clear storage containers you used? I’m currently in the process of adding an additional shelf in our playroom closet and will be attempting to buy all the storage containers soon. So it would be a big help knowing what sizes you used. I greatly appreciate it! Thank you!

  41. Hi! Where are the closet shelves from? I like that the vertical and top pieces are slightly thicker, gives it a nice looking aesthetic. Thanks!

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