Share your home storage hacks with IKEA - £300 IKEA voucher to be won

[JustineBMumsnet]

Despite their size, children manage to take up more space in a home than many parents ever bargain for, making ample storage space an even more precious commodity than it was before children for many parents. With this in mind, IKEA would like to hear about the ways you make the most out of your storage spaces and how it’s made your life easier.

Here’s what IKEA has to say: “The house can often feel crowded after the festive period but a few small changes can make a big difference. Adding hooks and storage solutions at a lower height gives children the freedom to tidy things up by themselves. Remember children love spending time where you are so a small kitchen trolley can make a perfect mobile Art & Craft or play station that can be moved tidied away quickly.”

Maybe you have a creative way for storing lunchboxes or tips for fitting more into cupboards without them overflowing? Perhaps you swear by hangers on doors, boxes inside drawers or folding your clothes in a specific way? How have you used IKEA furniture or accessories to make the most of your space?

Whatever your home storage hacks, share them on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 IKEA voucher.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

[getyourarseoffthequattro]

we have used the spice racks to put books in in our sons room. They dont stick out far from the wall so save space, but hold quite a few thin kids books at a time. Love them!

[Spirael]

We use an Ikea Billy bookcase near the front door for storing shoes! Each member of the household gets a couple of shelves and there's a larger section at the bottom for boots. Relatively cheap and easy to set up, but it makes it much simpler to find what you need and to tidy shoes away.

[GoldenCrunchMunch]

Expedit- is it kallax now?- for all the toys. Low down coat hooks so they can hang up their own coats. Ruthless decluttering.

[pinkflump2020]

We live in a new build town house and have hardly any storage space, not even a loft as we have a flat roof! To combat this, we have knocked a doorway through, boarded out and made use of the space under the stairs between the middle and top floors. Its beyond me why the developers didn't think of this as a selling point but the space under those stairs is huge (staircase goes up the middle of the building) and has created a fantastic space for storing old toys, Christmas decorations etc - all the stuff you would usually store in a loft space!

[Jematron]

I have Ikea items throughout the house, the baby's room has kallax, usefully with or without draws for books, sheets and towels.
I added large tubs (also ikea) to Gulliva changing station for snowsuits, blankets and toys.
I use the rashult trolly for baby changing essentials, top is nappies, cream and wipes. Middle is a change of clothes for massive poos! Bottom is extra muslins and bibs. So useful to have it all on one movable item.

[Nomummyonlyzuul]

We have kallax in all different sizes in most rooms, they're so versatile and changeable they look nice anywhere! We have the pax system wardrobes as again, you can customise everything about them and adapt them so they grow with your family. And of course, the good old billy bookcase that's moved 4 times with me and is still going strong!

[HoHoHolly]

There are a lot of mid-century style sofas around at the moment. Use the space underneath them for cuddly toys, puzzles etc. Use an underbed drawer such as Vardo if there's enough height underneath. If not, use underbed storage hacks such as a Riba frame on castors or a big Samla lid upside down. Quick and easy tidy-up, plus children can see the toys they have available without having to rifle through boxes. We even use the tiny gap under our more modern sofa for a jigsaw board.

[Frariedeamin]

Dismantle a frost airer into two and cable tie to your bannister over the stairs. You can dry clothes without taking up any floor space !

[Alanna1]

We use lots of kallax but - not suggested here yet - I highly recommend a billy bookcase with many more shelves than it comes with for family shoe storage. Works a dream and you can readily alter the shelf heights for boots over sandals over trainers. Great depth too for children from 5 to adults 50 plus.

[CointreauVersial]

In our bedroom we had to get a joiner to custom-build fitted low-height MDF wardrobes into the eaves; the sloping ceiling meant we couldn't use anything off-the-peg.

But I had the bright idea of getting him to make the internal dimensions/width of each of the wardrobes exactly the same as PAX. So we were able to use all the KOMPLEMENT fittings - rails, racks, pull-out baskets, storage cubes etc. The joiner just drilled holes into the wardrobes where required. It worked brilliantly.

I have a GRUNDTAL wall rack above a radiator in the utility room with a load of S-hooks hanging on the bars - great for shirts.

[Namechangeforthis123]

Kallax! So versatile. I'm a huge fan of it you don't use it chuck it out so that helps. We're looking at a lift up bed currently so sheet and bedding storage.

[OnTheEdgeOfTheNight]

I have bought several Expedit units over the years, and the wicker and fabric boxes that fit in them. They are really useful in any room, but I think I discovered a new use for them...

I'm not sure if this is widely known, but the Dronas fabric boxes are just the right size for a load of laundry. I have two Dronas boxes in a bathroom cupboard - one for colours, one for whites. No more guessing whether the dirty laundry basket is equivalent to a half load or full load of washing. When the Dronas box is full I know that's a full load for the washing machine. (I think it's a 7kg drum).

[Ruu]

Two of our best IKEA storage hacks are:
Using the three drawer Stuva unit in the hall - the top drawer holds a usb charger unit for phones and tablets, the second for stationery and the the third divided into our winter accessories; hats, gloves etc.

• 6 peg boards joined together on my son's bedroom wall. He puts anything and everything on it including his hockey stick and his piggy bank!

[giggly]

I use the door pocket thingies with 16 pockets on the back of the kitchen door to store the endless reusable water bottles and flasks. One for each pocket along with its straw and lid. Even better it’s a nylon type material so can put them in not fully dry after washing upside down and they dry off without taking up endless room on the draining board.

[ilovemyrednosedaymug]

I have loads of Really Useful boxes that stack on top of each other. I have long ones that fit under the beds. I put them on top of wardrobes, the utility room, everywhere.

I have never been to an Ikea or bought anything from one, but now there is one near us I may take a visit and look at the living room furniture as I like the combination things that hold the TV and have a cabinet/book case etc, but it is finding the right thing, as I don't want stark white or black everywhere.

[mynameisntlouise]

My teen step-son has a loft bed in the box room; we use the fabric hanging storage attached underneath the bed slats to store his clothes rather than having a chest of drawers or wardrobe taking up floor space.

[Chaosonthehorizon]

Kallax’s everywhere (buying another v soon), two kura beds hacked to form a mid sleeper with another bunk underneath, billy bookcases, trofast toy storage making the steps for the ‘bunk beds’ and a myriad of other items from washing octopuses to spare bed cover to protect it from the cats. Literally would struggle without Ikea and we have more children on the way!

[MeMeMeYou]

Just one word: TROFAST

Seriously, all my trofasts contain our toy mountain so well it’s made a huge difference. It helped us sell our house I’m sure as it looked less cluttered. Now I just need some kallax and a couple of billy bookcases and my life will be complete!

[sleepyhead]

Picture books stored face out on IKEA picture ledges.

Easier to see them for choosing at bedtime and makes use of the space under wall cabinets and over radiators.

[ShePersisted]

We keep toddler mattresses stowed underneath our girls bunk beds - perfect for sleep overs, or when the older wants to be closer to her younger sister.,

[yummyscummymummy01]

Kallax units absolutely everywhere! I think we have one in every room.

My husband frequently tells me off as I'm always telling him 'it's in the Kallax' and he's always like 'which of the 100 Kallaxs do mean darling?'

We also converted one of the Gonatt cots into a side sleeper when my twins were born. It meant they were right next to me and each other which I think they found really comforting

[lornz]

Our home is like an Ikea catalogue 🙈😂

We use trofast units for the play room. And kallax units for washing (means the clothes can be sorted when dirty to save me a job!!) and kallax and storage shelves dotted all over 😂

We do love a trip to Ikea.

[Boredbumhead]

I recently moved into a bijou house after a breakup. All the kids clothes and school uniforms are stored in the FRIHETEN sofa bed integral storage. It works like a dream. They are easy to move from dryer straight to under sofa storage, and the kids quickly know where to find their uniforms in the morning. Perfect!

[HoneysuckIejasmine]

Kallax everywhere of course. We also use grejig shoe racks inside kitchen cupboards as an extra shelf, and this weekend will be converting our trusty Gulliver changing table in to two toddler tables.

Kids both have a pax 50x56cm wardrobe unit with rail and four drawers. Plenty of space.

Also have a large shoe rack in the cupboard and coat rack to keep it all tidy.

[BuffyFanGirl]

Every room in our house has something. Ikea in it. Bedrooms all have Pax wardrobes outfitted with various pull out rails, hanging rails, shelves and drawers.

Bought a Latt table, fixed a rail across like side of it like the Kungsfors but the older one (had it years) and then hung the plastic buckets off it so he has room for pens and pencils and things right there at the table.

Just flipped his Kura bed over so he's sleeping on the "top bunk" and got the trofast next to it to be used as stairs up to the bed as well as storage and Kallax underneath with books in. He loves it!