Nice looking storage that doesn't cost a lot

[Alicetheinvisible]

Does it exist?

We live in a 2 bed terrace house and space is becoming a bit of an issue. DD is 2.3 and makes a lot of mess (big fan of getting all the pens out, and all of the puzzles) and tidying up seems to take forever, mostly because no where has a proper home.

We have now made our dining room into a play room (still a bit sad at losing the dining room) but i need some decent, inexpensive storage solutions for in there, so we can still use the dining room occasionally. I don't want plastic, i want grown up!

ikea, anyone who says otherwise is in denial

I need specifics!

"big fan of getting all the pens out" + "I don't want plastic, i want grown up! " = mum scrubbing pens of nice furniture forever

ikea is good resistance is futile

have a look on their website?

go look on the website you will be absorbed for hours they have pictures of kids rooms with storage

x post

i want adult storage not primary colours. I don't want people thinking they have entered a preschool! Dammit!

you obviously havent looked on their website

The variety of storage on there is vast not all primary colours jeez a rooney grumpy pants

Alice this tantrum like behaviour is not acceptable go and sit on the naughty step.

Wicker trunks from various places at various prices (inc. IKEA I think) They do wooden crates with lift off lids too that we have for bedding and photo albums.

Ok tantypants how about one of these combined with these or alternatively some other boxes/baskets if you don't want them to be see thru?

and I think the Trofast stuff is fine with white boxes FWIW!

I wanted something nice for DSs' room. I have ordered them one of those triple sleeper bunks in lovely white wood. I had visions of a beautiful white wood arrangement with wicker baskets and nothing much else in their room.

How beautifully New England.

After lots of internet researching and 'fecking nora' at the prices of stuff I gave in and went to ikea.

Sigh.

Took a chance on some more Trofast and it works really well. Just hope it doesnt fall apart but at least if it does it didnt cost me £600 plus delivery.

So not so much New England as Contempory East London......

(I have my very own Ikea up the road. They built it just for me)

Trying to be more helpful...

You can buy something like I have, white with slots for various sized drawers/boxes and get a net curtain rail and use some really nice grown up fabric to hide it in the evening.

Cheap and you get to coordinate with your other stuff.

Go on - give in to Ikea, you know its inevitable.

We go to ikea about twice a year (most of our actual furniture is from Ikea) but the problem is finding something (i am rubbish at finding the 'right' thing) I was thinking more inspiration.

Thanks for help so far, i am very grateful

Alice I hate to say it but the ikea trofast changed my life wrt toy storage-everything has it's place now. I got the white boxes so not primary colours but still plastic I'm afraid

My friend has wicker trunks and they do look more stylish in the room but everything is all jumbled up together so the dc tip the whole lot out to get what they want whereas my dc can just get the train box or duplo box or whatever out (not that ds does obviously but I am training him!)

IKEA Trofast with clear boxes is pretty discreet and very good for kids storage.

IKEA Expedit cube shelving is also good but depends on your space...

My friend has the Expedit shelving with wicker baskets in it and she and the DC keep cutting themselves on the baskets, so be careful.

I have Ikea Trofast and love it. I have the one that looks like steps and use the tops as book shelves. I'm also lusting after hoping to get one of the really tall ones.

Expedit with boxes in. I worry that I'll end up replacing walls in this house with expedit shelves.

Another "Ikea Expedit with boxes in" fan here. Love it!

For smallish stuff - this is similar to something I use.

I have a set of five separate A4 sized drawers, that are stacked on top of each other, one for paper, one for felt tips, one for non-felt tips i.e crayons pencils erasers etc, and two that have slightly random crafty stuff, stickers, glitter etc - they sit neatly inside a cupboard, when dc want craft stuff the take a drawer out and use what is in the drawer, it is very easy to put away because it is self contained and yet portable for my dc(who were older than your child when I started using them).

Mine cost about £2.50 each and they are made from something like chipboard (maybe), but painted white, with different patterns on the drawer front.

For bigger stuff you might want something lidded, that you can just scoop things into - like a storage bench maybe - it can double up as extra seating too.

I would go to ikea, if I didn't live so far away from a shop, and my house is so tiny it is hard to find storage that will fit in.