Interiors

Toy storage for your living room

Toy storage ideas featuring this unit from Habitat

Toy storage ideas featuring this unit from Habitat

Trying to find neat ways of storing toys is always something I like to read about, as it seems once you become a parent there is no end to the amount of little things which appear in your home and need a place to live. When they’re small, you can get away with a little basket of toys, but as they grow the size of the toys grows too, until they get to a certain age and everything either comes in a million tiny pieces like Lego, Playmobil or mammoth jigsaws, or is stored on an iPad. The latter of course needs very little storage but the former is a constant battle of pre-kids minimalism vs the daily toy box explosions which happen in each room of the house. Don’t you always find yourself tidying up in one room, only to find someone has undone all your hard work in another room? Always the way.

There are lots of storage units on the market specifically for children, but they’re not always the ones which you want around the main areas of your house. If you shop around you can find some really nice pieces of furniture which not only look good, but they hold a lot of toys and are easy for little people to access too. I recently bought this large cupboard which has two doors that you push to open, making it ideal for little hands to use. What’s even better is that it holds so much stuff, and everything can be piled in at the end of the day and hidden out of sight.

Toy storage ideas

We also have a bookcase with cupboard built into the base which is great for keeping books for grown ups and kids and storing toys and games underneath.

Toy storage with these units from Habitat

Ideas to store toys but keep your home stylish

Alternative ideas for toy storage

I was recently asked to have a look round the Furniture Village site and I found there were lots of similar options which would hold a lot of kids’ stuff but also look great as living room storage. I really like the sideboards, especially this classic-looking Ercol one. It would look at home in most living rooms but would also work in a kitchen/diner like ours too.

Clockwise from top left – Ercol Romana large sideboard, Arles small sideboard, Dijon narrow sideboard, Wingate bookcase, by Terence Conran Counter Balance shelving.

I’ve also found storing toys away in several small baskets is a fairly neat way to do it too, and it’s easy for smaller kids to get their toys out themselves when they want them. The only problem really is putting them back in!

x Julia

Furniture Village Toy Storage

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18 Comments

  • Reply
    Mackenzie Glanville
    September 25, 2015 at 1:02 am

    When our new home is built it will be smaller than our last house so sensible storage will be a MUST. I’m not sure how we will work it yet, but I’ll figure it out. Well I hope lol xx
    Mackenzie Glanville recently posted…I’ll be happy when . . .My Profile

  • Reply
    Claire Farmer
    September 25, 2015 at 10:23 am

    Ooh love this – it’s essential to have the toys in the living room, but so important to be able to tidy them away.
    Claire Farmer recently posted…Making a meal of it – PeastoMy Profile

  • Reply
    Rachel @ The Ordinary Lovely
    September 25, 2015 at 9:00 pm

    Ooo, love those Terence Conran shelves. I need something for the toys in the living room. It’s really my fault that we have no where to put them as the sideboard is full of the tea cups, glasses, and plates that I’ve bought and hidden away from Paul.
    Rachel @ The Ordinary Lovely recently posted…Back to school, blogging and beautiful boxesMy Profile

  • Reply
    Erin @Yorkshiretots
    September 25, 2015 at 9:28 pm

    That’s really nice! We’re almost to the ‘tiny pieces’ stage and we’re going to have to come up with something. The big toy box isn’t going to cut it anymore!
    Erin @Yorkshiretots recently posted…imfromyorkshire.com review & £25 voucher giveawayMy Profile

  • Reply
    sarah christie
    September 26, 2015 at 8:31 pm

    Toy storage is just great isn’t it? Giving you somewhere yo shut it away is so important it makes you fell you home is a home if you are organised, x
    sarah christie recently posted…My Weekly Round Up, ChangeMy Profile

  • Reply
    Katie
    September 28, 2015 at 10:45 pm

    Trying to find storage for toys really is the bane of my life! We have a lovely big sideboard but it is full of all our other junk so the toys are in some big pots instead!
    Katie recently posted…Going Gluten Free, Without a DiagnosisMy Profile

  • Reply
    Potty Mouthed Mummy
    September 30, 2015 at 10:20 am

    I love the cupboard! It’s gorgeous. Most of toys are all in H’s room these days as our lounge is too small. But in our previous home I was obsessed with trying to make the toy storage elegant and lovely to look at xx

  • Reply
    Becky @ PinksCharming
    September 30, 2015 at 10:36 am

    Lovely ideas, I love Ercol furniture! Your ‘Courage, Dear heart’ print is beautiful, where did you get it? I love the Narnia books. Do you have that up to give you courage to tackle the toy mountain?! I think I need it some days 😉 Becky x #HomeEtc
    Becky @ PinksCharming recently posted…My crafty day at Kirsty Allsopp’s The Handmade FairMy Profile

  • Reply
    Lizzie Woodman
    September 30, 2015 at 12:30 pm

    The challenges of toy storage definitely change as they get older, don’t they? I bought a vintage Ercol sideboard to basically house our enormous Lego collection. I try and keep it all categorised in stacking plastic boxes inside the cupboards. Which lasts for approximately five minutes before it’s all a crazy jumble again. I like your wicker box – it’s essential to have a big box to throw all the stuff in that has no other home! #HomeEtc
    Lizzie Woodman recently posted…Autumn Flowers, part twoMy Profile

  • Reply
    Lins @Boo & Maddie
    September 30, 2015 at 4:35 pm

    Similarly to you I’m definitely a fan of keeping things neatly stored away. That cupboard looks lovely in your living room and thank you for sharing your choices too, we’re in desperate need of new storage x #HomeEtc

  • Reply
    Gemma @ Two Little Misters
    September 30, 2015 at 8:33 pm

    I really like that cupboard! It’s nice to see something that is functional for all the children’s bits and bobs, but stylish as well! The sideboards you linked to are lovely as well. I have a G-Plan sideboard which I love! It is great for storage but not being used to the best of its ability at the moment, needs a good sort out!! #HomeEtc

  • Reply
    Lisa@intotheglade
    September 30, 2015 at 9:38 pm

    Now this is something that I don’t miss. I feel I have spent half of my life trying to find places to store toys, oh that’s because I have ha! I love your toy cupboard and agree about the problem of getting little people to put them away ha! X
    Lisa@intotheglade recently posted…Ringing the changes!My Profile

  • Reply
    Not A Frumpy Mum
    October 4, 2015 at 2:12 pm

    I agree it’s easier storing in lots of smaller baskets, otherwise everything ends up all over the floor whilst they look for the one toy that is in there somewhere, usually right at the bottom. Love your choices from furniture village. xx
    Not A Frumpy Mum recently posted…Getting Crafty, A Bit Of Sparkle and Pretty Pretty Wallpaper #LittleLovesMy Profile

  • Reply
    mummyofboygirltwins
    October 6, 2015 at 11:43 am

    Love your choices. It is so important to have somewhere to store all of the things that children and we collect! Otherwise it just ends up being thrown everywhere! Love your home and this area…looks fab. Thanks for linking up and sharing 🙂 Much appreciated. Jess x #HomeEtc
    mummyofboygirltwins recently posted…Why we all love the Great British Bake Off and how to keep it going in your homeMy Profile

  • Reply
    Caro | The Twinkles Mama
    October 9, 2015 at 2:07 pm

    Love these pet — especially the Ercol one!! I’ve always had a soft spot for Ercol furniture 🙂 I need more storage for the boys’ stuff — they’re literally taking over!! xx Thanks so much for linking up to #HomeEtc
    Caro | The Twinkles Mama recently posted…135 weeks and 1 day | The Joules in Milton Keynes’ crownMy Profile

  • Reply
    27 Stellar Toy Storage Ideas! - Posh Tiger Blog
    January 18, 2016 at 12:42 pm

    […] you just can’t get your kids to keep their toys in the playroom or their bedroom. The solution? A stylish grown-up friendly cupboard with great shelving space inside, as well as doors to hide all the mess away when the kids have gone to […]

  • Reply
    Lavina
    August 22, 2016 at 4:22 am

    Hi, I came across the picture of your wooden cupboard when I did a search for wooden cupboard toy storage. Where can I buy that cupboard? Thanks for your help!

    • Reply
      Rainbeaubelle
      August 22, 2016 at 2:53 pm

      Hi there, thank you! It’s from Habitat.

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