Here are a few options I love — each works perfectly in a child’s bedroom or play area, but could also hold its own in a common area, or could find a new life once the kids have outgrown their toys. Who knows — they may even make it to your kid’s dorm room someday.

Via Toy Box

This Portland, Oregon-based company builds beautiful birch cubbies that can be mixed and matched in any number of ways. The colors aren’t too precious, and the form is simple and elegant. Add shelves or closet rods and you could build a system for just about any space in your home.

IKEA

If you’re lucky enough to live in an IKEA-graced city (as I am, FINALLY), you’ve got your pick of inexpensive, well-designed storage systems. We’ve got this TROFAST unit in our basement, and we find it’s ideal for the collections of small toys — the cars, the blocks, the train tracks, and, our favorite, “the random bin.”

Target

And then there’s Target. Lovely Target, where you can buy laundry detergent, school supplies and a cute top in one fell swoop. Target’s kids’ furniture offerings are simply designed and well-priced (assuming you don’t have an IKEA in town). This six-bin storage unit would work as well in an entry as it would in a playroom. The fabric bins are best suited toward lightweight toys, but they’re easy for kids to pull in and out.

Tip: Weed out unused and broken toys before you purchase new storage. You won’t overbuy, and you’ll have a better idea about how many bins or boxes you need. Once you get your new storage in place, rotate the kids’ toys every few weeks to keep them interesting.

While my office may not be a squaky-clean picture of IKEA efficiency, I’ve learned a thing or two about integrating working at home into my family life. Home-office organizing tips abound, most of which are simple suggestions to get organized and reduce clutter. But I have found that the most important adjustments are psychological.

If you work at home, the first step is to decide that you deserve time and space to yourself. This can be tricky, especially for mothers, because we’re used to being on call for the kids. But working at home requires everyone to appreciate that, sometimes, Mom or Dad is busy with work. No guilt required.

Next, establish limits with your kids (and possibly your spouse) around who can come in to your office and when. You have permission to declare your office a “no kid zone” (assuming you have a door). At the very least, they must knock first. Sound impossible? Our kids have grown up with at least one parent working at home most of their lives, and they respect the idea of “grownup” space (and did even as toddlers). (And my kids aren’t always the best about respecting limits.) When they do get to hang out in the office (whiteboard art is a favorite activity) it feels like a real treat.

If you allow the kids in your office — and, for many of us, this feels more natural — consider making a space just for them. A small desk with a dummy keyboard and mouse, art supplies, or just-in-the-office toys can help them feel at home while you get to work.

If you’re able to, establish a few set working hours so everyone can plan around your unavailable times. Then again, the beauty of home-based work is the very flexibility that makes such advice, well, inadvisable. You want to be able to cut out during the middle of the day to play! In that case, create QUIET ZONE signs and post them on the door when you’re at work. I’ve even heard of people wearing a special “quiet hat” when they need to be left alone! Kids often need a visual cue to remind them you’re working. If they do need your attention, lay out the rules about how to let you know (a knock at the door? An “excuse me”?), and for what occasions (bloody limbs: yes, “I can’t find my Game Boy!”: no).

When it comes to your home office space, whether it’s an entire room or a corner of the kitchen, try to keep it free of the inevitable kid- and household clutter than seems to spread over everything. It’s easier to maintain psychological boundaries between work and home when there is a little physical separation as well. Create some simple filing systems, and claim a drawer or box for your supplies.

Finally, a wise piece of advice from Twitter friend gwalter: “I find that preloading my family with quality time, taking care of myself, and getting up [earlier] (or staying up later) helps.”

Resources:

How to manage kids in the home office at Web Worker Daily

Brandie Kajino’s Home Office Organizer blog

Lots of great office organization tips at Unclutterer

Work-and-family-at-home inspiration at Sparkplugging

Excellent writing (and attitude) at Buttoned Up.

As always, thanks go out to my Twitter buddies for great feedback and ideas.

This is the KNAPPA KLÖVER floor lamp from Ikea, and I bought it while I was out shopping without Jon. I am sure that if he had been with me he would have tried to talk me out of this purchase, so I knew that I’d have to just show up at the house and say surprise! A new lamp! THAT YOU HAVE TO HELP ME ASSEMBLE. Fun! Fun!

It came in a rather flat, square-shaped package, and then it took us a good half hour to put it all together. And Jon has since admitted that he thinks it a rather charming addition to our living room, and not just because I was holding a gun to his head.

from the dooce archives