Hello! You've probably caught glimpses of Lou's room in several past posts, and perhaps noticed some changes, even since our most recent update, in August. The big change is the bed. We added the final piece of Lou's bed, transforming it from toddler to big girl. I also, finally, painted the damn thing white. Then we spent a lot of time evaluating what Lou needed, donating what we didn't, organizing what we had, and then doing it all again the wake of Christmas. Then, my sisterAlex moved back in, and we moved her in with Lou. Alex sleeps on the bed, and Lou sleeps on the floor, on a deep pile of rugs and cushions. Before you get too upset, Lou sleeps on the floor anyway, so she's not really displaced. But I did displace some of her stuff, to make room for my sister's stuff. I figured all the childcare she provides warranted at least a drawer or two.
I thought it was time for a visual tour, and to highlight some of the ways we maximized this tiny space to fit two young ladies and all their stuff snugly inside, in a room brimming with personality and beauty. Warning: there are a ton of picture in this post.
Tip #1: Use the walls
The library-style bookshelves above the bed are a long-standing feature. You can check out how we made them from rain gutters, and see how many we started with, here. But using the walls doesn't have to be some big affair; even this tiny IKEA spice rack is doing an awesome job holding art supplies in a way that reduces clutter and makes for a nice, clear, creation space.
Tip #2: Make your furniture pull double duty
These hand-me-down metal lockers, finally given a coat of white paint, have proven to be so useful. Their metal sides mean they offer more than just internal storage, and I've been using the sides with gusto. I bought a few packs of 50-pound-rated magnetic hooks, and I use them on both sides to hold baskets and hooks, which in turn hold Lou's workbooks, camera, and beads (aka giant can of choking hazards that she's not allowed to open again for at least a year). (A note of caution: these magnets are super strong, and can pinch you if you're not careful. I lost a little flesh the first time I opened a pack).
Here's the other side of the same locker. I'm using a basket for Alex's eye care supplies, and another file holder to hold her reading material. Lou's Sleep Sheep hangs out on a hook here, accessible but out of the way during the day. If you don't have magnetic furniture, consider hooks and baskets on the sides of your bookshelves. You can drill right in - no fear of losing your deposit! - or use Command hooks for lighter-weight gear (we used Command hooks here). Perfect for nighttime stuff and reading material, but also to hang art, reminders, hooks for hats, jammies, and anything that needs a spot.
We also use a bed with incredible storage. My dad built this bed out of three of these large storage units; these IKEA baskets fit perfectly in each cubby. If you don't have a custom carpenter at your disposal, these aren't hard to make using bookshelves, or bed risers and under bed storage boxes. There's pretty much no reason not to make use of underbed storage. I support it.
Tip #4: Use the door
You're using the walls, you've stashed seasonal stuff under the bed. Next up: the door. I talked a lot about this in our last apartment, which was even smaller and more lacking for storage than this place. Like under-bed space, the space on the back of your door is just there, and largely wasted if you don't use it. In both our last place and this one, I've used over-the-door hooks to hang Louisa's collapsible baby doll gear up and out of the way. It's bulky and strangely sized, so it would be hard to find a tidy place to store it, and there's no room to leave it all out, uncollapsed. So, it stays on the door 'til Lou wants it, and then we get it down for her. You can see we also store her broom and mop on Command hooks here. The back of a kid's door would be perfect for a small dress up collection, pajamas and robes, a Washi-taped art display, or perhaps, a giant pirate flag.
Tip #5: Be creative with your use of materials
The rain gutter shelves and spice rack art storage are all over pinterest, and it's nice that it's so common for people to look outside the box. For Christmas, Lou got a few American Girl dolls, and a ton of accoutrements. What to do with all those? Not buy a fancy doll closet, that was for sure. I looked over a lot of options and settled on this office cabinet from IKEA. It's on wheels, so it's easy to move around, and the little drawers are perfect for doll accessories. I also like that it creates limits; we're only holding onto the amount of doll stuff that fits in here.
Tip #6: Make the room sing
My little lady has some personality. I mean, they all do, no? So I worked hard to make this an area she could thrive in. First came the purple. Then came the pirate flag. That's from my main man Bridget, who's also responsible for the GATO pillow and Dreamer poster. Louisa loves each of these things with an abiding passion, so here they are. (I happen to love them all too, so that's nice). On the left wall is our gallery wall collection.
Meaningful Gallery Wall
I think we've been over the gallery wall a little bit before. I don't think every room needs a gallery, though you'd be forgiven for thinking that I do, given their prominence in my house. But I love this little gallery. I love the handmade stuff, including the pencil sketch of Lou at about Westley's age, in which she looks precisely like Westley, and the colored-pencil zebra by a local artist. My very favorite of all is the gussied-up rhino.
I've posted other ways to display kid's artwork, but this is the simplest: Command hooks, twine, and clothes pins. Lou's art can move straight from assembly line to display. And it is an assembly line. That little artist is prolific. Having her art so easily displayed and rotated is for the big, fat, win.
Tip #7: Work in some education
The globe is awesome. It's from a Chinese market, so doubly edifying. The clock is from IKEA, and how cool is it? You can customize its chalkboard surface. Lou will come out and announce that it's dinner time. And bed time. Woot.
So that's the little tour of the little room, and some ideas for squeezing every last drop of utility from your small space, without squeezing out the joy. If you missed it, or want a refresher, check out where we started, and our transition to purple. This room has been a challenge, and I finally feel like we've really, truly met it. Just in time for a big change. We're thinking about switching Lou and West's rooms.
Sigh. It wasn't even my idea this time! Next week, I'll show you West's room, and you'll understand. And maybe help me decide. Okay-- thanks for checking in!