I live in a 2 1/2 bedroom railroad apartment here in the Bronx. The half room is attached to my bedroom, and when we first moved in, I imagined it to be my dream walk in closet. A long narrow room with a small coat closet and built in bookcase in the back- I was so excited to create my own wo-man cave. But reality sunk in, and as the toys I had finally eliminated as my oldest outgrew them were replaced with new ones for my younger daughter- I accepted the inevitable. It was going to be a playroom.
Fast forward five years later and I kept finding myself going crazy trying to keep it clean- I had shelving from Ikea that I used for toys or books at different points, but it was still a huge mess every time I turned around. So, I headed to Home Depot for wood and brackets to create a full wall of shelving to house everything in the playroom.
The end result was exactly what I had hoped for. It’s still a work in progress- I want to buy matching bins for more of the toys and I have to touch up the paint, but it’s exactly what the room needed. I utilized the space below the shelves to store bins we already had, and put the toys my little one plays with most frequently on the lower shelf. And believe it or not, it has stayed clean. Gia is much better at putting away the toys she’s done playing with, and the floor has stayed clear unlike before.
What I used:
- Large slab of wood from Home Depot- cut into 4 shelves
- Brackets- 2 large on the sides and 1 smaller in the middle for support
- Leftover paint
Total: Around $50
I also changed the curtains to these great light gray Rowland Light Blocking curtains from Eclipse. They keep the small room nice and cool in the summer months when the sun is usually beaming in, and they also compliment the curtains I have in my room.
The neutral colors of the shelves and curtains also give me hope that if we’re still here in a few years- it could quite easily become that walk in closet I had hoped for. Or even a quiet library or study room as my little one retires more of her toys. But there’s really no rush, kids grow up too entirely too quickly and before I know it the colorful toys will be replaced with tablets and other gadgets so that walk in closet can wait.
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Eclipse curtains are available at Target and are known for their energy-saving, noise-reducing, light blocking curtains of all opacity levels. For more info, visit www.eclipsecurtains.com.
We received product to facilitate this post. As always, all opinions are our own.