Meet the Schwartz Family
Real Homes » The Schwartz Family
THE CHALLENGE
TOYS EVERYWHERE
Shaindy contacted me to solve her toy problem with a smart design. The toys were being shlepped all over the house as her kids followed her around all afternoon, from the playroom to the kitchen to the living room. Dolls draped all over the couch, magna tiles sprinkled down the hallway, games in the living room…Where could she store the toys that would allow for minimum mess and easy clean up?
Let’s fix this!
MY ASSESSMENT
I don’t believe that a successful long-term solution involves forcing family members to do something unnatural for them. The first question I ask when deciding where to store something is – where does this activity naturally take place. If the layout of the home dictates that the children are playing in the living room to be near Mommy, so then that is where the toys should be stored. We can’t expect 5-year-olds to stay downstairs in the far-away playroom and we certainly can’t assume they will bring back all the toys they schlepped upstairs. Shaindy agreed.
THE DESIGN SOLUTION
I took detailed measurements, lots of pictures, and asked lots questions about how the Schwartz family lived in the space. Back at my desk, the fun began. I mapped out the space in my 3D modeling program, labeling each area with its belongings and purpose as I worked. After a few weeks of meetings I designed her built-in bookcase to include deeper storage units on the bottom for toys, easily accessible to children, while the sefarim shelves began above toddler dumping height. Clean-up no longer involved schlepping toys across the home, it was a simple toss into the box and then place the box in the cabinet right next to them. Clean-up became more manageable for the kids and it was so convenient that even Sarah didn’t mind finishing up the job for them! Both stunning and serviceable. The perfect solution for toy storage in a living room.
