Cairey Baxter-Bruce is a mom of two and show director of the ECR House & Garden Show. Cairey understands that an uncluttered space is a must for any mom. Using her years of experience, personal expertise and advice from industry-leaders, Cairey shares her top smart storage tips to help ensure that kids’ little knick-knacks are not the recipe for décor disaster.
- Educate your children on allocated storage spaces from a young age. Make sure there are neat boxes or compartments in reachable places for everything. This is also an opportunity for children to learn about tidying up after themselves.
- On trend right now are beautiful fabric, woven baskets and wire crates that go with just about any colour scheme or décor style – perfect for storing toys, stationery and clutter.
- Look for chalkboard stickers that can be placed on the front of storage boxes and containers. These types of stickers look good and are very practical, particularly as your child grows (and these boxes are used for other things) they can be remarked.
- There’s always the dilemma of what to do with all the artwork that your children bring home from school – more often than not, these items are stored and cause clutter and get damaged. I like to frame my favourite pieces of artwork for the wall, or help them create artwork that fits with the colour schemes of my home. Make a book for the coffee table out of your children’s favourite artwork (like a photobook) which you can keep forever and you can throw away the actual art!
- Hooks, shelves and rods behind closed doors are a must for any mom. Not only does it allow for neat, hidden away storage spaces, but it also makes things easier to find.
- Minimise the number of toys your kids can have out at any given time. Leaving them up to their own devices often means 20 toys will come out into one space; getting muddled up and hidden under furniture. Set a limit of four toys at a time to keep control over their play.
- As your children grow out of their games and toys, ask them to assist you in deciding what they no longer use or want to play with. Assign a basket in your home, where these toys, and other things they have grown out of, can be placed and stored until full enough to be donated to a children’s home, school or local charity.
- Include a low table, that matches your décor within the family living area, and pair it with some small trendy ottomans or kiddies’ size chairs as a designated space for the kids to create artwork, build puzzles or Lego. Add some décor friendly jars and woven baskets for these items.
- Most importantly, ensure your children have a play space within the family’s living area and that their items stay in that play space. This prevents toys from being scattered throughout the house while at the same time being realistic about your home being one that is shared with little people.
By Cairey Baxter-Bruce.