All posts tagged: toy storage

Making the most of your space

Published by Karen Knox

Last month I wrote an article for Wayfair all about how to make the most of your space. It’s something I get asked about a lot during design consultations. “Can you help us find a place for **insert random but completely necessary item here**.” It seems we’d all like more space. I know I would. So I thought it might be pretty useful to share some of my solutions here with you.   Go up Use the height of the room wherever possible. Lots of smaller units and bookcases lined up side by side take up so much floor space. And more and more stuff gets plonked on top until you’re living with the “Leaning Tower of Niknaks.” Keep your floor-plan as open and free as possible. Have cupboards or open shelves built into your alcoves, not just in your living room but in your kitchen/diner too. Shelves fitted above doorways can house  endless boxes of books or CD’s without taking up any living space at all.   Above the bulk-head in the “box room” …

Up the Wall

Published by Karen Knox

Ikea has saved us again. We needed some storage for Charlie’s bedroom, but I didn’t want a “unit” as such with sides and doors. And I wanted to keep as much floor space as possible. That meant we needed to go up and what better way to keep the space open and clear than a ladder shelving unit. I spotted the Ikea HJÄLMAREN unit a few weeks ago. It’s priced at £69.99 under Bathroom Storage which I think is a little odd seeing as it can be used in any room. Would make a great bedside table, bookcase, kitchen storage, endless really. My other half was reluctant to go for these as he was concerned about tiddles climbing up them (he’s obsessed with our loft ladders, my decorating ladders… ladders in general) or them being pulled over. But, fear not! These have a bracket which fixes them to the wall at the top. And the shelves are positioned in such a way that you can’t climb. Well so far so good anyway. I picked up a …

Mini Kitchen for Minis

Published by Karen Knox

After we had our kitchen done, we discovered quite quickly just how much our son LOVED our kitchen too. Well, emptying the entire contents of the cupboards out onto the floors. It was a fun game. He would empty a cupboard in two seconds flat and I would spend the next five minutes huffing and carefully replacing everything. Rinse and repeat… until mum got fed up and decided to get creative. Our little kitchen loving, cupboard emptying cherub was getting a kitchen of his own. I’ve always believed role play activities are what children are best at don’t you think? Kitchen Ingredients: Ikea – Duktig Kitchen – Just the base section Ikea Ribba Shelf A roll of chalkboard vinyl (I always spell vinyl wrong – just had to write that out three times). Uni Chalk Marker pens – the ones they use to write on restaurant boards Wooden A4 Drawer Chest – Argos 3 little white screw in hooks Give your ingredients a good mix, pop it in the oven for about an hour at 180 …