Toys and Baskets!

Before

After

After - New Location

A 90min work session kicked off a transition for an inefficient toy room today.  My client’s goal was to create a more practical and cohesive play area for their children while reestablishing an adult project work space as well as making it comfortable for grandparents to enjoy with the grandkids.

During the evaluation, she did not have a clear direction on how best to transition into a more organized space, but like most of my clients, she knew what she wanted; she just didn’t know what questions to ask to get the answers needed for the TODO list.  That is where I was able to help.

I suggest a method that starts by taking up spare mental time.    

Begin by sitting in the room and looking at each area; the walls, the doors, and the windows.  Measure a few things and jot them down on a piece of paper that you keep near you as knowing the answer to "will it fit" will help the process keep moving.  This should not take long if it is a familiar space. 

Then walk away from it…

In your spare mental time, start asking and answering questions about the room and stuff in the room.

What is owned, what will be kept, and what will be removed. 

How is it currently used and who uses it; what needs to be accessed quickly, repeatedly, or not at all. Make sure to consider the person that needs to get to it – it will help in final design placement.

This process can be mulled over for as long or as little time as one has before actually acting on it; I will often roll these types of changes over in my head while doing dishes or laundry but my favorite is over a glass of wine after the kids go down - it’s a little embarrassing I know, but it is true.  By taking the mental time to review options before the day of action, pitfalls can often be avoided or solutions can be planned in advance thus reducing the work session length and eliminating delays.

During an evaluation with a client, I combine these steps but don’t necessarily complete them. I make sure to discuss how things could move and how placement could be changed to create a cleaner look and often come up with a rough idea of how the space can transition.  Once the final design is agreed on, I will follow up with a list of homework tasks to accomplish prior to a session that the for the most part is about getting supplies and tools prepared for the session itself. 

For this client, the room was not so much in disorder, but rather inefficient. She had stopped using her work table as the toys below it eliminated having a chair and although the shelves and bins were organized – more than my own children’s bins – the inconsistency in the bins made the shelves look cluttered and distracting.

My client’s homework consisted of raising the work table to a standing height, purchasing matching bins for the shelves and 2 additional shelves to fit the bins on, and moving the children’s height chart to the side of the shelf that would be seen once re-positioned. 

Our work session included adjusting the under the worktable storage, shifting furniture along walls to allow for future seating location, and changing the 5 shelf bookcase into a 7 shelf bookcase; which allowed for reasonably sized bins to be filled without overwhelming the bins or the shelves. 

As we wrapped up, her homework list is small and fun – labeling the bins, moving art, and finding the last bit of additional furniture she wants for the space.  The limitations on any additional components needed to complete the room are now apparent after the currently owned objects were rearranged so my client has a much clearer picture of what she will be able incorporate into the space consider the project finished.

In the end, the visual of the bookcase was cleaned up, the bins are more user friendly, and her standing worktable has already seen use.

Before

After

Space for new furniture still to be chosen