Sustainable Parenting: Furniture That Grows With Your Child
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My clients with young children often ask me for help with toy storage and kid’s furniture. They need advice on how best to categorize and organize toys in a way their child can maintain. All too often, I see toy storage solutions that make it difficult for children to access their toys without digging through and eventually throwing an entire bin of toys onto the floor.
Adding to the challenge is how quickly children outgrow toy storage and furniture. The toy storage that was appropriate for a baby is no longer sufficient for a toddler, and the storage that was right for a toddler is inadequate for an older child. And by the time they are pre-teens and teens, their storage needs have evolved once again!
I advise my clients to consider sustainability when choosing furniture for your child. Instead of replacing furniture every few years, consider the option of purchasing something that will adapt to their needs as they grow.
This can be challenging for parents, however, because more sustainable furniture tends to cost more in the short-term. But you’ll save money over time since you won’t have to spend more money on new storage down the road.
Why do kids need sustainable furniture?
Every year, Americans throw out over 12 million TONS of furniture (source), and because so much of it cannot be recycled, it ends up adding volume to our overflowing landfills. Also, budget-friendly furniture is designed and manufactured to last about 5 years (source), so even if your child hasn’t outgrown their storage, it might be showing significant signs of wear, or it may even be falling apart.
When your child is young and just beginning to need storage furniture, or when it’s time to replace what has been outgrown or broken, you have an opportunity to invest in something higher-quality that will be more adaptable to changes as your child grows up. Choosing higher-quality pieces keeps furniture out of landfills, allows you to use the furniture for longer and for multiple purposes, and lets you pass it down in your family or give it away to a friend or neighbor.
What Makes Furniture Sustainable?
When I’m shopping for storage furniture for my clients, I look at its composition. I look to see if it’s made of solid wood, quality metal, or thick durable plastic instead of particle board or anything flimsy. I look for durable finishes that can be easily cleaned and colors that can adapt to a wide range of tastes and styles. Nothing that screams, “I’m for a baby!” I look for a neutral style so the piece can be easily relocated, repurposed, redecorated, or moved into your child’s own residence someday.
I look for pieces that are adjustable such as variable-height tables or shelving with moveable shelves. I also look for pieces that are modular that can be added to or separated. This provides a degree of functionality that is crucial for growing children and teens. The more versatile and functional a piece of furniture is, the less likely it is to end up in a landfill.
My Picks!
Here are products I love that meet my criteria for sustainable kid’s furniture and storage:
Modular Shelving Systems
Modular storage units are fantastic for children’s rooms and play rooms because they stack, connect, or join to a desk or drawers so you can add to them as needed. Whether you start small with just one piece for a baby’s room, or you buy an entire wall unit, you can always add to or separate pieces when you need to reconfigure a space. Pottery Barn Teen and Pottery Barn Kids have an incredible selection of quality modular storage units in a variety of styles.
From Baby/Toddler: Here is the Stack-Me-Up Modular Storage System from PBTeen in a great configuration for a baby’s, toddler’s, or kid’s room. They come in 2 finishes.
The Stack-Me-Up Modular Storage System from Pottery Barn Teen has smaller components that can be added to and stacked as your child grows. The cubby-based storage accommodates toy bins easily and transitions into a stylish bookcase for your teen. You can even add drawers, a media center, a desk, or a mini-fridge to the design.
To Teen/Adult: Here is the Stack-Me-Up Modular Storage System from PBTeen configured for a teen or adult.
From Baby/Toddler: Here is the Cameron system from Pottery Barn Kids. It has deep low drawers for large toy storage, cubbies for bins of toys, and a display-style bookshelf to help kids see what they want to read. Because the drawers are longer than the shelves, there is a play surface on top!
To Teen/Adult: And here is the Cameron System styled for a teen or adult! I love the addition of the top cabinets! This is perfect for a craft room or for a teen’s items.
You can find additional styles and selections of modular and convertible kid’s storage furniture at Crate and Barrel Kids (check out the Rue storage collection for mid-century bookcases and cubbies that are equally at home in a baby’s room and a living room). Restoration Hardware has gorgeous modular pieces as does Room and Board.
Convertible Toy Storage
When I’m shopping for furniture to store toys, I look for something that serves at least one other purpose, or something that can be converted to another use once a child no longer needs toy storage. Here are some of my picks for convertible toy storage:
Activity Tables: The Laguna Small Activity Table comes in a 2-drawer and a 3-drawer configuration and provides a large surface for your child to play, solve puzzles, and set up trains or Legos.
The Laguna Activity Table becomes a coffee table for your teen’s hangout space and still provides plenty of essential storage for games, puzzles, and large items.
Bins: I love bins that are open in the front. This helps your child see what’s inside and allows them to stick to an organizing scheme more easily. When choosing bins for your child’s room, opt for neutral colors, versatile shapes, and high quality materials like these metal bins from Crate and Barrel. If you go with plastic, try to buy them in-person rather than online so you can assess the quality. Look for a thick, sturdy plastic so it will last long enough to keep your child organized all the way through college and beyond. I’m a fan of the Linus Bins from The Container Store. They are thick plastic and high quality. Another option is these closet bins from MDesign and the Brightroom clear bins from Target.
Toy dispenser! This adorable, creative idea from PBKids will serve as a soft toy, cars, or small figurine dispenser for your child, and as an arts and crafts or trinket dispenser for your older children. Think of lining these up along a wall and color-coding your Legos!
Book Storage: A book rack is a great way to display your child’s books so they can easily see the covers. These shelves can transition from baby books to activity and coloring books. Once your child is a teen, they can display comic books, magazines, vinyl, or framed photographs. Shown is the Square Stock Display Shelf from RH Baby and Child.
You can also use a wall-mounted brochure or magazine rack like this one to display your child’s books. I wish they styled this one with children’s books, but I guess they haven’t thought of that use yet!
Storage and Convertible Beds
I LOVE a storage bed, and I LOVE a convertible bed! This beauty from RHTeen goes from crib to toddler bed, to daybed and it’s built to last.
The Larkin 4-in-1 Convertible Storage Crib is an incredible bit of design and engineering from PBKids. By purchasing a conversion kit, this crib will go from a nursery essential, to a toddler bed with side rails, to a headboard, to a full bed with storage.
A full-size bed for your teen or guest room! The storage drawers will provide essential under-bed storage through every stage of life. Check out the Rory Storage Crib for another storage convertible option.
Wrap-Up
I hope you’ve enjoyed my top picks for convertible, changeable, and versatile furniture and storage solutions for your child. I’m always here to help you furnish your nursery or child’s room - whether you’re in San Francisco, Atlanta, or anywhere via Zoom! Think sustainably; save money; and create a calm space for your child to grow and thrive!
