It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Santa Claus is making a list and checking it twice. The overwhelm of toys can leave you exhausted and stressed. With the right systems in place, organizing toys can be a breeze. We have organized a handful of playrooms and each and every one has been different.  These 7 playroom storage ideas will show you how they were laid out and organized.

7 Playroom Storage Ideas

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1. Closet Shelves

Shelves are always a good playroom storage idea, especially when it comes to storing toys. This space previously was empty, nothing was in there. Adding shelves created more space and got everything off of the floor.

Boaxel from IKEA was used for this closet.  The great thing about these shelves is that they are adjustable, the brackets can go up or down.

Shelves hold a majority of toys from books to dolls to music toys. They also give you the ability to use stackable bins or large storage bins.

When it comes to organizing shelves, create zones to keep it organized. For example, one shelf is dedicated to dress up, another one for Barbies and another one for books and so on and so forth.

There are a lot of category’s when it comes to toys which means multiple categories will likely have to go one one shelf. Do your best to keep like with like.

2. Cube Organizer

The next playroom storage idea is to use a cube organizer. These are extremely common and make great use of space while keeping toys organized.

Cube organizers keep items together in one location. There are a variety of ways to organize these cube organizers. One of the most common ways is with storage bins.

There are two types of storage bins, clear and not clear. Clear bins give you the ability to see everything where as non-clear bins conceal hide the toys and don’t have to see it all. It all comes down to your personal preference.

This playroom storage area already had this cube organizer.  One thing we try to do is to utilize what you have before buying something new, that is why every project starts out with a consultation so we can see what is there.

As mentioned, clear bins allow you to see everything.  This cube organizer previously had solid bins that were scattered throughout the unit.  She wanted her boys to be able to see what toys they had since they are young and not able to read.  I am not the biggest fan of pictures as labels for kids not able to read yet which is why I use regular labels.

We started with the most frequently used toys at the bottom and worked our way up from there.

3. Ladder Bookshelf

Bookshelves, similar shelves are a great playroom storage idea because they give you the ability to display important pieces like Lego creations. They also add a design element to the space.

Lego displays work great for playrooms because after all that hard work, no kid wants to take that apart. Bigger bulkier toys such a cars and American Girl dolls would work well here too.

This ladder bookshelf is the memorabilia of their toys on display.  As one can see the mack daddy lego structure went all the way up top, this way no one would bump into it or accidentally knock it down.  We all know how that would end.

This bookshelf is displayed in a corner cut out of the room.

4. TV Stand

Unconventional pieces are a great way to get organized especially when it comes to playroom storage.  This unit is categorized as a TV stand, the back of the unit is designed for it as there are multiple cut outs for it.

The water hyacinth bins fit perfectly in here as there is space available for them to breathe, they’re not crammed together.  There is also enough space between the bin and the unit where you can toss the toys in there durning cleanup versus having to pull out the entire bin.  May seem minute but it’s the small things that make a big difference when it comes to organization.

The legos were stored by color and stored in these clear stackable bins.  Everyone has their own preference to store legos, I prefer doing them by color especially there are multiple sets.  This makes it easier when using the building guide book to find that piece that is needed.  There are more shapes and colors which is also why I prefer color.

5. Custom Built Shelves with Desk

There are times where what you want and what you are looking for are not coming together.  That is exactly what happened with this space.  This client had a vision of what she wanted on this wall, it was a matter of find a designer that could do it and we did.

Closet Twin Designs custom designed this space based off the dimensions and wants and needs.  She wanted open shelving with clear bins so the kids could see what they had.  Plus, she didn’t want to waste the space on the wall.  The last want was a craft area/homework station.  This was going to be a unit for years to come, establishing the right components mattered.

The wall space between the storage units was going to be for crafts.  We used a utility board to keep all the craft items organized.  The drawers consisted of the pencils, crayons, and markers.  Craft boards make great use of wall space and provide structure.  Kids know exactly what is there, where to find it and how to put it back where it belongs.

Each wall unit had pull-out drawers with dividers.  We added these to make it easy to access toys.  When there is an opportunity to add functionality to a space with kids we use it.  Kids know how to take out bins, while the hope to always get items back in the right bin that’s not always the case.

The last thing added to this space were these puzzle organizers. You can store eight puzzles in this organizer which means the bulky boxes can be eliminated.  Worried about the picture?  No problem, cut it off the box and put it in the bottom of organizer.

6. Small Cube Organizers

Cube organizers come in all shapes and sizes.  It all comes down to space available, personal preference and budget.   This was our dining room turned into the playroom in our old home.

We went with the smaller cube units because of the white trim on the wall, this allowed them back up completely to the wall.  Plus, we want the kids to be able to reach the toys without climbing any furniture.

We wanted this room to be fun, cute and playful.  We added a Melissa and Doug rug with an IKEA desk and chairs (which we still have).  Pictures of the alphabet, a United States map and art pieces tied the room together.  I mean a playroom can’t be complete without the Picasso pieces your kids bring home right?!

One thing to note about bin selection with cube organizers, you do not want to fill up the entire unit with bins especially if they are solid.  This gives you a sea of confusion because of the monotony there is nothing breaking it up.  Use a blend of different bins and a row dedicated to items for display, this acts as the focal point.

7. Storage Unit with Doors

This last playroom storage room had angles that restricted the use of the entire wall.  Through research and multiple designs, we opted for this design from IKEA.  You can read about the entire process as well as see the before and afters here.

The storage unit has the option to have doors or not have them.  This homeowner wanted them because she did not want to see the toys.

We took advantage of wall space by using the current bookshelf they had and attaching a desk to the wall on the opposite side. We kept the other storage pieces as they fit the space.  Why buy something new when you don’t have too?  That’s how I roll.

The center of the room gives them plenty of space to play with dolls, games or dress up.  We were able to add a reading nook in the cut out and create a dedicated doll zone in the corner.

The consistent theme with all 7 of these playroom storage ideas is utilizing vertical space.  You’ll now scroll back up through the post and see that every single space is using vertical storage.

These 7 playroom storage ideas show you that no two spaces are alike.  That you can craft something in the space you have available.  Establishing a good playroom system not only keeps the area organized but grows with them as they move into older toys.