Kid's Room Archives - Graceful Order

Teen / Tween Bedroom Organization

August 28, 2015 · by Maria · 9 Comments

I recently shared my toddler’s new “big boy” room but we also changed the furniture in our oldest’s room. It’s been busy around here! I haven’t done a complete post on my 11 year-old son’s room in the past but you can see what his room looked like here and here. We had been wanting to update his room for a while because it just wasn’t working for him. So we recently went furniture shopping and decided it was a great idea to bring him along for his input – not the first time that one of my bright ideas was less than bright. Of course, he wanted a bunk bed and was attracted to anything “cool” and disregarded all practicality in the process.

I really wanted for him to be excited about his new room but I know that what he likes at 11 may not be what he likes at 13 or 14 so his dad and I had to take charge. I want to show you the bedroom set that we chose and why we love it, and ultimately why our son loves it too! At least now he does.

There are a lot of reasons why I love this bed but the first is that he finally has a full size bed (he previously had a twin bed) so we can comfortably get in his bed at night and chat with him before he sleeps. It’s not something I do all the time, but I cherish those moments when he asks me 102 questions before falling asleep. The second reason is that this bed included a trundle as an add-on option. The trundle was an added expense and we briefly considered not getting it, but now I am so glad that we did.

It is a trundle within a trundle. It’s not easy to distinguish in the picture but the trundle has a sliding shelf that allows almost double the storage.

Since all his books didn’t fit inside the bookshelf, I placed some of them under the bed. On the sliding drawer, I placed felt-lined bins (from Target) to store smaller toys that end up not having a home. And that means they end up on the floor.

Ok, and how cool is this? The bedpost hides a reading light – I was kinda jealous! My son loves to read and this was a huge plus!

We were only able to fit one nightstand in his room because the other side of his bed is next to his closet which needs to open towards the bed. This nightstand also had a great little feature…look on…

There is a lid towards the back of the nightstand that conceals all the cords! Seriously, how perfect is this bedroom set for kids?!

Inside that small compartment is a plug that allows all his electronics to be plugged in next to his bed.

We also purchased the desk that came with the set and the bookshelf. There were some other pieces available (a dresser and desk topper) that were great but the room was filling up and the wallet emptying by the time we tallied up the items!

The other side of his room has a t.v. and an ottoman that he places all his bed pillows on before going to bed. Well, that was the idea anyway…

One of my favorite organizing solutions in his room is being able to hang up all his skateboards and pogo stick. These were items that used to be in the garage but out-of-sight was out-of-mind and he stopped using them. We want to encourage him to be active so we brought them into his room and it has worked because he now uses them often. Since I didn’t want those skateboards all over the house, I found these hooks that are probably meant for garages, but they are heavy-duty and perfect for holding bulky items. Also, I think it decorates the room a bit and adds character to the wall.

After some convincing that the bright blue bunk bed wasn’t the best choice for long term, our son now loves his new room! It has been easier to keep organized now that he has so many systems in place!

Is your teen naturally organized or does their room make you sigh just thinking about it? I would love to hear from you…

xo,

Maria

Big Boy Room Reveal

May 19, 2015 · by Maria · 1 Comment

I have shared my 4 year old’s room before when I posted about Toddler Room Organization, but the existing furniture wasn’t working for him anymore. He had a toddler bed, which basically had the same size mattress as a crib. It was time for a big boy room for Matthew.

We did some window shopping online and I found various pieces that matched the style that I wanted, but none that matched the price point we were looking for. Finally, in a local store we found the right set. We chose this set which came in many colors but we settled on the gray because honestly, not only was it nice but I figured it was the most “forgiving” color. This was a good call because before the furniture delivery personell had driven away, he was already using the bed rail as a car ramp.

We only purchased one nightstand since the room is small and also because we purchased a trundle that opens on the opposite end. Regarding the trundle, I am only storing bedding and wipes along with other uninteresting items inside it. If I placed toys in the trundle, I know that he would be pulling it out all day and I am not sure the bed could take all that “fun”.

All the wall art remained the same. The three pieces above the bed are very lightweight which gives me peace of mind. I am so paranoid about hanging heavy items above beds so I usually opt for light canvas art. The anchor is white cardboard that I spray painted.

On the nightstand I placed his little diffuser. I have diffusers in every room in my home, sans the bathrooms. If you know my 4 year old, you know that lavender is what I diffuse the most in this little room!

His little reading area remained the same but I added his backpack underneath. This is what he will use for school once he starts later this year. The backpack holds a dino and a small firetruck – all the items that he says he needs for school.

Most of his toys are inside these 4 blue bins. I would like to edit the toys even more and get it down to two, but for now this works.

I couldn’t wait to take advantage of all the space that this new bedroom set offered so I filled up his drawers right away. I will do a separate posts on how I organized the drawers and trundle.

And we will see how long this extreme organization lasts. Actually, I can already answer that. It lasted until I turned off the camera. Then he wanted to get dressed like a ninja and pulled out 3 shirts to pull off the look. Sigh. He was a super cute ninja though so totally worth it.

Sources:

Furniture: Rooms to Go

Bedding pillows: Pottery Barn Kids

Toy Bins: Target

Lamp base and shade: Target

Wall art: Target

Hamper: Pottery Barn Kids

Anchor: Amazon (I painted it, it was originally white)

That’s his new little room and he absolutely loves it! What room in your home is next on the list for new furniture?

Toddler Organization

5 Tips for Organizing a Toddler Room

Toddler Room Organization

August 10, 2013 · by Maria · 10 Comments

Toddlers. We fear them with good reason. They are bundles of never-ending cuteness and never-ending energy. Their little smiles make them get away with almost anything. It’s like a spell. I am convinced!

As I was working on the blog yesterday there was a pause…silence. All mothers know that toddlers and silence equal trouble. I quickly went to check on my toddler and he was standing on a swivel chair in his brother’s room while feeding the fish in the tank….a WHOLE bottle of fish food. He just smiled at me as I walked in. Help me Jesus!

So we have now established that toddlers are not easy to keep in line and neither are their rooms. We also know that despite the magical “Clean-up” song…we end up doing most of the work. Cleanup needs to be easy for both parent and child.

Here is my toddlers room. All the furniture was his brothers and that means that the furniture is 9 years old. Math is my thing.

This is the smallest room in the house so we built out his closet before anyone else’s to help with storing all his items. Here is his closet.

There is so much in this closet but it usually stays organized since everything has its place. His room does get messy fast but it is quickly picked up thanks to all the systems in the closet.

You will notice a hamper in the bottom left; it is full of stuffed animals. The hamper makes it easy to just throw them in there. Above it is a basket that is full of balls. Open baskets and containers are great for quickly putting away large items.

The closet is fully adjustable so as he grows I will adjust the shelves and rods. I am a believer in having all hangers look the same because it instantly makes closets look so much neater. Ours are inexpensive Wal-Mart hangers.

Legos. We also fear them with good reason. You don’t know pain until you have stepped on one of those colorful blocks. Ouch!

I keep all his legos and small toys in these green containers. In order to have my toddler help with the clean-up I added labels with pictures. I suggest that you laminate the labels so that they last longer.

I store his DVD’s in the closet (most of them were also my 9 year olds). I keep them up high because otherwise, they would all be all over the floor EVERY DAY and no one has time fo dat!

I have these little ceramic containers in this closet as well. I keep little notes for the boys and sometimes I write down funny things that they might say. I probably write down .001% of the funny things they say because I end up forgetting to write it down but I still hope they appreciate it when they are older. I am so sappy…

I love hats on little boys and I am blessed with a son that keeps them on! I put all his hats and caps in this flexible bin. I also use these bins to store his swim trunks and water shoes.

I keep all his small books inside a bin because it is the only way to contain them in one spot. I nest that bin next to his larger books.

On the floor I keep these three bins. The bottom two are the next 2 sizes that he will be wearing. Any size larger than that is stored at the very top of the closet. The top bin (without a lid) is where I place clothing that no longer fits him. It fills up fast!

So that’s the closet! We purchased a toddler bed (at Wal-Mart) that has two thin drawers at the bottom. In one drawer I place his small stuffed animals and in the other the small toys that would otherwise fall into the bottom of a toy chest.

Done! That’s how I organize my toddlers room.

Just in case you were wondering, the fish lived. They are now full. They love my toddler. And so do I!

Please share with me your ideas to keep your toddlers organized and out of trouble!

Happy Organizing!

Maria