Fun Ways To Design Your Children's Closet

Designing a children's closet system is one of the most challenging and important undertakings in custom storage design. A well-designed child's storage space has doors, drawers, and other components that make clothing, toys and learning supplies very easy to access and put away. A child's closet design must also continue to ideally suit his or her needs, without requiring new construction or furniture, as the child grows out of one stage of development and into the next.

As your child grows from baby to toddler, to elementary school student, to teen, certain storage components need to be easily adaptable. The same closet must accommodate different items for a changed routine of entirely new activities. Here are some tips for meeting these unique challenges in designing a children's closet.

Children's Storage Needs Through Every Growth Stage

As your child grows, cubbie storages previously used for baby's diaper-changing supplies can become spaces for a toddler's toys, and later for elementary school books and supplies. Still later, the same cubbie spaces can accommodate teen technologies and sports equipment. Including some essential design components can ensure effortless transitions through the stages from baby's to teen's closet.

• Compartmentalize Your Design Plan. — First, lay out your design to include all components required to meet your child's storage needs. Then, you can arrange the components for the most practical organization and access. Finally, you can choose finishes and storage accessories to personalize the storage space for your child.
  • Designate Spaces for All Items. — Set up a storage system in which clothing, coats, shoes, toys, games, books, and school supplies all have their spaces so that your child can understand where everything goes after he or she is finished using the items.
  • Add Labels — Use attractive labels for bins and baskets, to make contents easy for your child (and you) to find. As a teen, your child may still appreciate the benefits of such an organizational system.
• Closed Drawers — Having items concealed in drawers and cabinets can make them a little harder to locate, but you will still want to be able to store items such as baby socks, pacifiers, bibs, etc., in a drawer. Later, these compartments prove perfect for small items like hair clips, socks, gloves, school and art supplies, etc., that don't store well on open shelves or in baskets.
• Tiers — Use a 3-tier arrangement of removable closet rods for hanging baby clothes. Place the rods so that the middle rod can be removed, leaving the lower rod to be used for clothes you want your toddler to be able to access for daily use, and the higher placed rod can be used for occasional clothing that you want to keep out of his/her immediate reach. Later, your teen can use the higher rod for shirts and the lower one for hanging pants.
• Adjustable Shelving — Closet shelves should also be adjustable to allow for changing heights to accommodate different uses over the coming years. Shelves for baby can be used for your easy access to sleepwear and supplies for infant care. Later, the shelf heights can be changed, to allow your child easily accessible toy storage.
• Cubbies — Cubbie storages are perfect for stacking diapers, diaper cloths, and various other baby supplies. Later the same cubbies can be used for your child's clothes, shoes, books and school supplies. Teens may enjoy using cubbies to display their favorite collections, adding a unique personally meaningful design feature to their rooms.
• Baskets — Openly exposed plastic or wire pull-out baskets are ideal for baby items, such as blankets and small toys. Later, your toddler can take the baskets filled with small toys from shelves and dump toys from them onto the floor during play time. Then, the baskets can be easily tucked away afterward. Baskets are also very helpful for storing clothing items, allowing children to find what they want to use, without searching through drawers.
• Ensure Accessibility — The children's closet configuration should ensure that your child can access items, especially those needed for getting dressed, without help.
  • Place clothing, socks, shoes, coats, scarves, hats, gloves, and other items that you want your child to be able to choose for daily wear at levels that are within his or her reach.
  • Later, for your teen, you can change the arrangement to make shirts available in one space, pants in another, and so on by categories of items, instead of by daily outfits.
• Design to Promote Your Child's Success — Set up a study and homework space that is simple and easy to use.
  • Just provide basics, including seating, lighting, paper, pencils, pens, and a laptop (if applicable) in the study space.
  • Streamline the storage space by designating locations for backpacks, books, coats, boots, scarves, lunch boxes, sports equipment, and other items in an entryway closet or mudroom, instead of in your child's bedroom closet.
• Allow for Technology — Consider incorporating a charging station into your child's closet system design.
  • For a baby, this may seem unnecessary. But later, facilitating the use of a tablet or other devices may be more convenient for your child and the entire family, by providing for these future needs in the original design of the storage space.
  • Besides the practicality of including a charging station, having his/her own designated tech station, including charging for devices, may help a teen feel more grown-up.
• Include Teens in Simple Design Modifications — You may decide to make some simple aesthetic changes to your child's closet space as he or she becomes a teenager. Involve your teen in the process, to help in developing a sense of greater independence in making choices about his or her personal living space.
  • You may opt to change doors or drawers, to update the look for an older child.
  • Or, just replace hardware on doors and drawers, an inexpensive way to give the space an exciting new look.
  • Adding some inexpensive closet accessories, such as hooks for hanging hats, handbags, sports and decorative items can help teens start to feel a sense of ownership. This may promote greater interest in maintaining his or her space.
• Shelving — Position shelving high enough so that floor space below can be utilized for additional storage, such as a chest of drawers, bins, shoe storage, or sports equipment storage space.
• Closet Doors — Generally, it is recommended to provide the option for shutting doors to hide clothes and toys out of sight.
  • Instead of a door, you may opt for an attractive, child-themed curtain with tie back. Use either a center divider or tie to one side, for easy accessibility and to add a design element.
  • Or, you may even choose to eliminate the closet covering altogether, if you evaluate your closet design and organization, and find that your child's stored items and your closet interior are an attractive contribution to the larger bedroom or playroom décor.
• Provide Privacy — As your child gets a little older, he or she may desire more privacy.
  • Provide cabinets or drawers for use as storage for personal items, so that your child won't sense the need to hide items around the room.
  • Slab Drawers — Slab door and drawer fronts provide privacy and a modern look in children's closets.

Children's Playroom Storage Spaces

In addition to a closet for clothes, shoes, etc., children need a play space storage in the home, whether it is created under a stairway, or in an attic or basement, spare room, or in a corner of the living room, family room, dining room, or in his or her bedroom. This storage should be simple in design, provide maximum organization, and be easy for children to use.

Here are some basic elements for a well-functioning storage for toys, art supplies, reading materials, and miscellaneous items in children's recreational space at home.

• Cabinets — Floating cabinets provide additional storage and conceal toys, and can be finished with fun colors to add to the playful atmosphere of the play space.
• Media Center — A child-friendly media system, securely affixed to the floor and walls, with integrated toy and book storage spaces allows convenient organization and quick clean-up after playtime.
• Window-Seat Shelving and Trunk Storage — A window seat can serve multiple purposes as a reading nook, dedicated project workspace, and trunk storage below. Shelves in or around the window seat can store books, technologies, and toys.
• Small Storage Areas and Cubbies — Provide abundant variations of smaller-sized plastic storage boxes, to ensure that small dolls, building blocks, figurines and other small toys and learning tools can be put in designated places.
• Closet Bench — A long closet with accordion doors may offer space for a bench to provide seating while doors are open, and to use as designated space for working on projects. After playtime, the bench can do double-duty as a storage shelf for project materials and supplies.
• Push-to-Open — Easy-to-use door and drawer hardware allow for smooth use by children.
• Finishes — Classic white wall finish provides a light, neutral background in the storage space for the attractive array of youthful colors of children's clothes, toys that will fill the space, and the colorful storage baskets, bins, and drawer and door covers that may be used to organize it.
• Lighting — Use pleasant, full-space lighting for safety and to provide a cheerful atmosphere.

Artisan Custom Closets

The artisan creates custom closets and other storage spaces for our customers throughout the greater Atlanta area, including home closets, office storages, garages, pantries, laundry rooms, and much more. We offer a vast range of options to fit your functional storage needs, aesthetic tastes, and budget. We provide our limited lifetime guarantee. To discuss having a custom storage space created for your child, contact Artisan at 770-790-5368 to schedule a complimentary design consultation.