Home Organization Challenge: Kids Bedroom

Creating a fun but functional space for children can be a challenge in so many ways. The main objective for me was to make the room easy to clean up, but have it reflect the personalities of my two boys. As with most kids rooms it serves multiple functions, and I wanted to make the best use of the space available.

Having my eldest son involved in the process was crucial. I feel that by doing so it gives him a sense of responsibility and teaches him valuable organization skills. He loves to draw, enjoys reading and he will probably tell you that he cannot live without his computer. He can be a bit dramatic and was initially clinging to his old desk, which I have replaced with an older wooden desk that offers a larger work surface and drawers for storage.

The "new" desk also works a lot better with the other furniture and is the same height as his old keyboard shelf. I purchased the desk about ten years ago at a vintage store, so it looks a bit shabby, but I personally like the worn look and the departure away from so much red. Over the past few days my son has grown fonder of his new desk, but I have promised to hold on to his old desk a bit longer just in case he really decides he cannot live without it . . . the DRAMA. The lamp seen on the desk got a lampshade makeover in November and I have a few other pieces that I am working on for the room, which I will feature in a later post.

Before

I have to say that I absolutely hate plastic blinds. The windows currently have blinds that came with the house and I have plans to remove them in the spring. I was hoping they would grow on me, but they have not. To clean these major dust collectors, I use the brush attachment on my vacuum. I have found that this helps a lot with the dust and can be followed by a cloth.

This past week I replaced the curtains with some lighter coloured cotton curtain panels that I found at IKEA. The previous curtains were too dark for the room, which is already a dark blue colour. The room is clean and well organized, but there is still more to be done. I have several changes I will like to make and I look forward to the room looking a lot brighter when I am finished.

Before

Organizing my son's video games and tons of trading card games was the most time consuming part of getting the room in order. He also has bins of Lego and way too many Beyblades. I took the Lego to the basement, where the little pieces will be out of reach for my youngest son and I stored the countless Beyblade parts and stadiums on a shelf in the wardrobe. I also placed the game systems in plastic bins and labeled them.

The bedroom closet doors were removed at the beginning of last summer and replaced with an IKEA PAX wardrobe that I had in my sewing studio. The wardrobe makes it easier for my son to help organize and access his clothes. I added a pullout drawer, a wire basket, and an easy to reach clothing rod; which has been a valuable change and saves us time in the morning when getting him ready for school. The wardrobe also holds the linen for the room, which helps to keep things organized.

My son has several posters that he will like to display and I am thinking of a practical solution for putting them up without tacks and sticky tapes. A bunk bed is also a future consideration.

Tips!

1. Design a space with kid's needs in mind
2. Define zones
3. De-clutter the space about four times a year
4. Designate a home for everything
5. Create floor space where possible
6. Consider putting the dresser in the closet to create more floor space
7. Get kids involved in the process
8. Rotate toys
9. Organize school materials as they come in
10. Make organizing a fun routine

Week 7 - Home Office

To Do List:

• Sort and purge items into four categories; shred, file, trash and other room
• Shred unwanted documents
• Organize paperwork and label files
• Organize shelves
• Clean light fixtures
• Dust shelves
• Wipe desk
• Clean windows
• Sweep, vacuum or mop floor

The main objective this week is to create a functional workspace that is free of clutter.

Thanks for following this Home Organization Challenge, we have six more weeks to go and I hope that you will share your organization tips here and on the Facebook page. You can also invited to join us on Pinterest.