Getting the Playroom Organized

We have an extra room in our house that has been commandeered by our son.  It does serve multi uses and eventually I would love to add some sort of space saving pull out couch/bed.  But keeping this space organized and just clean in general is kind of a pain.  I think, number one reason is because it has so many uses and becomes the catch all room most days.  Its like the room version of the junk drawer.

So, I have a mission to give this room some purpose and organization.  Not too long ago we had a really sweet friend give us some unused shelves she had - they were the perfect thing for adding some  organization space in this room. (Here is a quick before pic) Eventually I would love to paint them, but that is just not on the top of my list of must do projects right now.

We gathered up all of the bins we had around the house and began to work on getting all of those toys, games, etc corralled. {I really think someone needs to get Silas another car.}   This helped, but it still wasn't quite working....see overflowing bins above.  And because it wasn't working, we were not as diligent as keeping it up.  I have really found that taking your time with putting together a space is important.  You find out what works, what doesn't and what the space is really being used for.  

Sometimes organizing can seem expensive.  I love all of those beautifully organized spaces I find on pinterest but after doing a quick look at prices on organizational items, you get quickly discouraged.  For me, that's where patience and waiting a space out is important. Use what you have for a while until you discover what works and then slowly pic up the pieces that will really pull it all together.  A few weeks ago I was able to grab a few more bins for the space - and they were on sale!  Patience paid off. 

Silas really loved helping sort everything out and was such a great help!  Getting the kids involved in the process seems to help them keep the process going!  Another thing I did was walk around my house and find a few bins that weren't really being that utilized that I could move to this room.  I found a matching white bin right in my own house that worked great.

Let me just say, these fabric storage cubes from Target are awesome - they hold so much!  Plus now the shelves are beginning to have some uniformity - which I like.

I thought about labels on the bins but honestly Silas is really great at knowing what goes where.  After getting more organized in his spaces has spurred me on to make a little chore chart for him to work on everyday.  Its not huge but gives him some responsibility.  He looooves it.  He can't wait to do chores. I will enjoy every second of this.  I know it will be short-lived.

There is still much to do in the space but little by little its becoming more cohesive and organized.  Next up is hanging the curtains I have had for over a year!