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When we brought home our daughter, Stella, last August, everything seemed so tiny: her wrinkly feet, the newborn-size diapers, the bassinet next to our bed (which she never did sleep in). In what seemed like a blink—all the clichés are true—she’s a solid weight in my arms with a full head of hair curling at her neck. Sob. The other thing that’s grown exponentially? The amount of stuff taking over every room in our house. Luckily, my favorite kiddie storage solutions are stylish enough to go anywhere. —Lindsey Mather, digital director
On Board: Hide and Seek
Coming from Manhattan, my husband and I reveled in the spaciousness of our first suburban house. These days, though, we’re bursting at the seams. The culprits: Stella’s toys (and books and sippy cups and bath gear…), which quickly overflowed every basic bin and basket we could get our hands on. In an effort to coexist more peacefully with the baby paraphernalia as we head into year two, I’ve been collecting ideas to level up our organization—and they’re all applicable to grown-up clutter, too.
Nine ways to take control of the chaos:
- My secret to uncluttered bathtub edges is a caddy, and why use a kid-dedicated version when this wavy brass (but equally functional!) option exists?
- Instead of plastic organizers, I corral all the random 1-year-old accoutrements (puree pouch tops, wee baby nail clippers) in pretty little dishes like this marbleized tray.
- Changing tables are temporary, but they take up an annoying amount of space in the meantime. Graphic designer Swantje Hinrichsen built one over her bathtub complete with shelving and a peg rack—genius.
- These cane baskets are a more sophisticated version of the canvas ones you often see slid into bookcase cubbies, plus they make it easy to spot the exact toy (or tablecloth or charger) you’re looking for.
- Speaking of, we have this bookcase in Stella’s nursery, but I’m debating moving it downstairs since that’s where we spend most of our time. Painted a muddy taupe, no one would guess it’s from the kids’ section.
- When all else fails, go for toys that can pass as decor. This visually inoffensive rattle keeps both Stella and me happy.
- If I’m really dedicated, I’ll follow Ciara Kenaston’s lead and rework our guest room to double as a playroom so I can just close the door on the mess. The game changer is…