Tuesday, April 6, 2010

11 April Featured Space: Living Room - Tucked Away Toys

Anyone with little one's can tell you, that toy's can quickly overtake any space in the house!  I find that to be especially true, not only with three young little boys of my own, but also with a daycare business to boot!  However, too many toys in a space will quickly make it appear to be much smaller than it is, and feel like crazy commotion and clutter!

Enter these amazing beauties:


I discovered this amazing piece of furniture awhile back when I was looking for an easy yet stylish way to conceal loads of miscellaneous toys that continued to creep into the living space.  And at a price of $32.54, I ordered up two!  


They tuck oh so perfectly under a console table in front of our large picture window!  And let's chat for a second about the warmth and texture they brought to the space!  The woven rush is so fashionably versatile, these pieces could fit in any room in our house!  IHeart that!


But back to why these are so amazing.  Do you see any toys?  Nope!  That's because the lids pop right off and the toys are all happily nesting inside!!   Oh, and I absolutely can not fail to mention how big the insides of these are!  I was totally taken by surprise how many action figures, baby toys and shape sorters fit inside!  

Plus, the ottomans are lined inside, making sure the toys get a good night's sleep {or protecting the insides from nicks, wear and tear}!


And when the kids are done pretending to be race car drivers and drive through order takers, they easy peasily toss their toys back inside, put the lid back on and no one would be the wiser!

When I did a post on our happy play zone, I mentioned that I sorted ALL the toys in the house into groups to corral in bins.  Well, frequently a miscellaneous single toys makes it's way into the house, and all those ended up here, in these bins.  It's a goulash of toys really!



But again, that's OK, all that matters to me is that I am not seeing them and tripping on them, when the fun times are over!

You frequent blog readers know what is next!  I am going to put you on the spot now!  How do you tuck away your little one's play things discreetly and stylishly?  I know this is somethings TONS of families struggle with and ask about, so don't be bashful!  The more idea's the better!  Thanks in advance for getting out your camera's and sharing some inspiration!


 







11 comments:

  1. How funny - I blogged about these same exact cubes quite a while ago, because they are by far the cheapest woven cubes you can buy anywhere! Good ol' Wally World. :) We ordered a couple via Site-to-Store (so we didn't have to pay for shipping), and we love them, too! And they totally are surprisingly big on the inside. We are currently using ours for bedside tables right now, but I have a feeling they will be relocated once we remodel that room - probably underneath a new console table we just got - just where you have yours! I was envisioning books on top, too... how funny! :) I won't lie, I was stealing entry ideas off of YHL's website (because they have a similar entry as ours) but these rush cubes are wayyy cheaper than the leather-look Target ones (that YHL has). And they add pretty texture. Anyways, great post! (great minds think alike, right?!)

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  2. Love the Rush Cube!! Great idea for anyone.. with Kids or not.

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  3. Oh my goodness! I love these!! Don't have as many toys around anymore but I do have an idea of where I could use them. Love your blog!!

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  4. Just found this post and got really excited! I am hoping to use a similar set-up for our files. Our console table doubles as my desk, and it's right next to the front door/mail slot. The idea is that mail gets dropped in a pretty tray on our console table (3 feet away from where it falls on the ground) and then, when I have time, sorted into the recycle bin and files under my "desk".

    Ideally, the cubes 1) should be big enough for a file-storage system, 2) can be modified with some rolling casters for easy access, and 3) are sturdy enough to double-duty as little stools when we need extra seating.

    I like the price and aesthetic of these rush cubes... any advice about how they will fit my requirements? Thank you!!

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  5. Hi Sam!

    I think these would work great for that! You could probably tuck a file box perfectly inside, they are amazingly spacious! I also don't see a reason why casters couldn't be added! Such a great idea!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  6. I a cube to store the kids toys in our living space too! I can't take credit for it though, it was my husbands idea. He ran to the store one day and came back with one and said "This is for hiding stuff quickly." Haha. Before I just had a small clear box tucked in our entertainment center. The cube works great for putting away all the toys that have accumulated in the living room through out the day without having to sort and return toys to their rooms every time I need (or want)the floor clear. Your cubes are more stylish than mine though. (My husband"s idea, remember.) My husband just built me a new (huge)entertainment center and I think I'll be getting a few more cubes to go in the empty spaces I now have.

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  7. I am just finding your blog through Pinterest and am in love. You have so many great ideas for organization. Where did you find your console table? I love the idea of it doubling as a desk.

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    1. Hi there!

      I found it at Target quite a few years ago, however, it looks like they still sell a similar piece: https://www-secure.target.com/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&catalogId=10051&storeId=10151&krypto=hGYf%2BXIIQnUFanOzrf7Rfy%2F3XDZR%2Fi0MkIWYsQEHJA3SdKg385lxXZFYXLVgG45kQEIfzIxbBFpZ%0AqbW%2BfqWiiM8CDg2V4Xv2velBvy5xD6XJpUErVdl7WfyJLAbRZZXWbn%2FYS5On6X5In1wzOiUlNOj7%0AtC%2BHN%2BJEIltFun0dXYWlLwq8RLcX8jjsOlLEOkjpKDqT4yOSMywOCuxiBtkfM2T%2FTmdUz9suG0UG%0AL9a5CYCg1mU7N69UuLrl4ltKtTr3LVIlIfrBEs0OuOUVi0mfArdhZaEFuQE9qbL3ixpm%2BPd0UnKD%0Aj2q%2BjuMtj%2BYSNBVRZpSEDkQ42RQTRS0jivTvtvL1AU82nJSeibgT9jvjFtdI7pznekXmw9fvV8n6%0AhHWCNkcRwrBlsORGuBQ2aSXj1Q%3D%3D&ddkey=http:Logoff

      xoxo,
      Jen

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  8. Hi! Love your blog! I just found it, so I'm hoping you still see this and can reply. I often keep my niece and nephew in addition to my own two littles, and my biggest problem organizing toys is they play with the storage bins the toys are kept in and end up breaking them! How did you prevent that when yours were smaller?

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  9. It is probably the best blog I've seen so far! You are absolutely genius! Thank you so much for sharing your heart full of incredible ideas! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

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  10. I love your blog! I really need to organize things and you have really helped me! thanks so much!

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