As you guys know, Corey and I like a good Ikea Hack! We've used Ikea items throughout our house as the basis for projects because they're inexpensive and versatile.
Now that Rudy is almost walking, she needs a space to play outside of her bedroom. I've never been a fan of clutter and (as my friends with older children warned me) good storage for her toys is the key to keeping our house relatively neat. Since I love arts and crafts so much, there's a good chance Rudy will be the same and I've often wondered how on earth we could squeeze a little table and chair in our little house. Living in a small house definitely calls for some creativity. Then, I had an idea...
Corey and I purchased two Trofast Storage Systems and set them up leaving space for a chair in the middle. Then, we purchased a shelf from the hardware store and Corey measured and cut it to join the two storage towers before screwing it together and nailing it to the wall. He then ran a bead of silicone along the edges of the shelf to ensure there was no space for little crayons (or tiny fingers) to get stuck before affixing the shelves to the walls. We chose a Sundvik Chair to complete the look and we added a Ribba Picture Ledge just above the desk for added storage.
I then purchased some colourful wall decals for the storage bins and the chair to make it look more fun and playful! For the seat of the chair, I purchased some batting from the craft store and some colourful bird fabric (She loves birds!) to cover the seat with some extra cushion. Normally, I'd use staples to secure the fabric but I didn't want to risk them coming out with a curious toddler picking at them so we secured the fabric with a (less ideal) plan B: hot glue! Although tightening the fabric while using glue was a challenge, and the seat came out just a tiny bit lumpy, it felt like the safer choice! Using clamps, we were able to screw the seat back on.
Our finished product is a space for toys, exploration and arts and crafts that any toddler would be excited about!
