Friday, July 1, 2011

85 Apartment Guide “Smart Storage Solutions: Control the Clutter” Blogger Challenge: Crossing the Finish Line!

Whew!  Sorry for the late post today.  The hubs and I have off today and literally just finished hanging up the last spice rack bookshelf in the boy's bedroom, thanks to the project sponsored by Apartment Guide!

That's right, as you may recall, I am partnering up with Apartment Guide as part of their "Control the Clutter" Blogger Challenge, in which they offered up a $150 American Express Gift card to get a space under control.


I quickly chose the boy's bedroom, since they were completely lacking in any sort of storage and items were beginning to pile.  Gasp.


The kiddos desperately needed smart storage solutions for their itty bitty living space.  I couldn't wait to get started.  Here is a look at my initial plan:


As with any project, things get switched up and don't always go as originally planned.  This happens to me almost each and every time, and as long as the end outcome is either equally as great or better than originally anticipated, I am down for rolling with the changes!

Things changed instantly when I got to work on the first project, which was the kiddo's art caddy.  Instead of a tray and pails, a utensil caddy ultimately made more sense, and budget wise, was less so it was the first win.



The rest of things pretty much went as planned.  Remember that old dresser that was taking up WAY too much space?


The dresser was removed and the kid's clothes are now stored in their new closet.  Instead of sending the dresser off to never never land, I decided to re-purpose those old dresser drawers, as under the bed storage, using these as inspiration:




I started out by giving all four drawers a fresh coat of chalkboard paint around the entire outside of the drawer:


The the hubs got all dusty playing with the saw:


Cutting down wood to use to reinforce the casters he was about to screw into the bottoms...



Once the casters were on, I popped the original drawer pulls back onto the fronts, and filled them up with toys!!



I found a couple of shallow itso bins on sale at Target, which I knew would be a great solution for dividing out the toys within the drawers:


The bins actually couldn't have been more perfect, they fit like a glove!


And the chalkboard fronts make labeling the contents easy, yet versatile!


We used all four drawers, two under each bed.  Check out ALL the puzzles that we fit into another:


Imagine the space that would have been taken up by keeping all those puzzles in their original boxes.  They definitely wouldn't have had a place to call home in this bedroom!  Ziploc baggies work wonders!

Total cost for the drawers: $20!! 
  • Drawers:  Already Owned
  • Pulls:  Already Owned
  • Chalkboard Paint:  Already Owned
  • Casters:  $20 for 16 {found at Home Depot}
To gain the same amount of storage from the drawers I originally had picked out, I would have had to purchase a total of 8 at $18/piece for a total of $144.  That's a big savings!

Moving on, so much more to see!

We ended up going with the cabinet and the extension that we always planned on purchasing, for in-between the boy's beds.  However, we splurged out of our own pockets on a door to conceal some of the storage and make it a little easier on the ol' eyeballs.


You know me.  I typically wallpaper a bookcase backing, or do something crazy with it.  This time was no different.


I painted it out the same red as the frames above the boy's bed.


It just added a special touch of color, instead of leaving the backing a blah white.  For corralling a couple of games and toys on the shelves, I decided to go with some chrome storage baskets vs, rattan, both for durability and to better match with the theme of the room:


We also stayed with the plan of adding some sconces right to the sides of the bookcase, to give the boys some light for reading.


The cords dangling down weren't going to work for me though, so we also installed a couple of cord covers to streamline the look a bit.


The hubs lined up the top of the cord cover where he wanted it, made sure it was all level, and THEN pulled off the tape behind the cover to affix it, while still holding it against the bookcase.  Unlike me, who originally tried pulling off the tape first... yeah, don't do that.

The lights are super easy for the boys to turn on an off, just with the pull of a string:


And I adore that they each have their own lighting option, so one can read while the other rests...



{Peyton was at a summer program in which he got to completely tattoo himself, pretty cool eh?}

Total Cost for the Cabinet w/Storage and Lighting: $165
  • Cabinet:  $35
  • Cabinet Extension:  $15
  • Cabinet Door: $40
  • Cabinet Door Pull: Already Owned
  • Red Paint:  Already Owned
  • Wall Sconces {x2}:  $30
  • Cord Covers {x2}:  $10
  • Wire Storage Baskets {x2}: $23
  • Art Caddy: $12
You would think we could be done now with ALL of the insane amounts of storage we had already added, but I had one more project up my sleeve {how does that work when it's 90 degrees and I am wearing a tank?}

Remember the Pinterest inspiration I had found to use spice racks as bookshelves?


Yeah, we did that too!  Only I just had to paint ours with more of the leftover red paint I had been using everywhere else in the room!


The hubs ensured he used drywall anchors when installing them:


And a level:


Little helpers are fun to keep around too....



Here they are in all their red glory on the blue striped walls:



And all filled up!



Total Cost for the Spice Rack Bookcases: $16
  • Spice Racks {x4}:  $16
  • Red Paint:  Already Owned
Because we had already been slightly over the $150 gift budget plus the door we forked out for, we decided to forgo the red strapping basket for the boys stuffed animals, and find something we already had instead:



Although I know I would have loved how that red would have popped {and maybe will either spray paint the current basket or just splurge on the other}, gotta do what you gotta do to keep a budget!

So now for all the fun before and afters?  Are you still with me after enduring THE LONGEST POST EVER?


I just love what this picture says:


Such an organized clutter free fun place for two little boys!

A HUGE thank you to Apartment Guide for offering up so many organizing tips and for helping us fund the oodles of storage that was created in this space!  It's so wonderful that everything has a "home" and that the clutter is now neatly tucked away.  This mom's heart sure is smiling big!

I also announced the winner to the $50 Container Store Gift card, one of you will now have access to the best containerizing store to control your clutter as well!!  Is it you?


Apartment Guide is owned by Consumer Source, Inc. Apartment Guide partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in its “Smart Storage Solutions: Control the Clutter” Blogger Challenge.  As part of that program, I received compensation.  They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used for the “Smart Storage Solutions: Control the Clutter” Blogger Challenge. Apartment Guide and Consumer Source believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

85 comments:

  1. Dear lord, I wish you did house calls to Seattle! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your ideas!!!

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  2. Wondering...do you rent out your handy hubby? Come to think of it...I NEED you BOTH ... HERE ... RIGHT NOW!

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  3. Love your ideas! Especially like the drawer idea. What a great job!

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  4. I LOVE it! Utilizing under the bed storage is my absolute fave!

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  5. Where did you buy the spice racks from..so want tO do that in my little girls room.

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  6. Wow, this post has really inspired me to rethink what I have going on in my boys' rooms and what I might have on hand to make them better. I'm curious about your sconces...it looks as though you mounted them on the Billy bookcase. Did that splinter the wood at all? And, are they just plugged into the wall? Thanks for this post!

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  7. Nice changes! Why not put the piggy banks on a shelf higher so they can be seen through the glass instead of games??

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  8. @Sandhya, here is a link to the spice racks: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40070185

    @Sara, the hubs actually pre-drilled all of the holes for the sconces {right into the side of the billy bookcase}, he was pretty careful and finicky about ensuring the screws went in just far enough that they didn't pop through onto the inside.

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  9. WOW! That's all I have to say. :)

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  10. This makes me kind of wish my girls shared a room! So many great ideas, I'm definitely bookmarking this post!!!

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  11. this room is amazing! i just LOVE it!!! job well done - what lucky boys! :)

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  12. oh wow the room looks amazing! Fantastic job :)

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  13. It actually feels like a while since you did one of your fabulously inspiring, long, project filled posts, and.........I LOVE IT!!!
    I love seeing the way your mind ticks over through each image :o)
    liliana876 has a nice point, moving the piggies up so they can peer through the glass would be a great 'tweak'. I have to say, I kinda miss the pop of red from the lamp you had in there, but you could either tweak the new shades later, or leave it cos you love it :oD
    I can't wait to do some bookshelves like that, I've been wanting to make them more accessible so that my 4yr old can grab one on a whim!
    Thanks for another inspiring post Jen xox

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  14. Out of curiosity...since you aren't using the dresser for clothes anymore, how are you storing socks/undies/pj's in the closet?? I am about to have my 3rd kiddo (2nd boy so they get to share a room) and I've been trying to figure out the best way to free up space and get all clothing items into the closet without having a huge mixed-up mess on my hands.

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  15. Oh and I am insanely jealous of how awesome your boys' room has turned out. =)

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  16. Love, love, love! As always, I am in awe of your creativity and energy!
    Jo-Anna

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  17. Love the photos! I used the same cabinet for my daughter's room, but added 4 drawers instead since girls have so much more small stuff, it helped organize her toys and when she gets older, she can use it for clothes. Thanks for sharing the photos!

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  18. Super cute! I'm on vacation with my sister's family and I made her come to the computer to check it out b/c she has two boys that share a room. She loves it and I think you found a new follower :)

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  19. I love it!!! You have given me lots of inspiration for my son's big boy room. Love all the little pops of red.

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  20. Red, White, & Blue - perfect timing for 4th of July! Great job of organization is such a small space! And I have to say, "Yeah for the handy hubbies!" (mine is too!)

    I love the use of vertical space. I like the cord-cover idea for the wall lamps (I'm going to have to do that for my kids' room w/the wall lamps I just put above their beds). I always get tons of inspiration ideas from your site!

    I think my favorite thing are the potatoe heads & toys coralled it the wire basket (reminds me of Toy Story 3!). What is the pail on the top shelf next to the red clock used for?

    The only thing I would add is crown moulding at the top of the bookcase to the ceiling to make it look like a "built-in".

    Great job!

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  21. Fabulous! I luv it all. I have to say one of my favorite parts from the original makeover is the coordinating pillows on their beds. The practical side of me has to ask- don't they just end up on the floor- do they make their beds in the a.m. Or do u have a place for them to tuck them away?

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  22. It all looks fantastic! I LOVE your book racks. They look great painted red. I SO wish we had an IKEA... the closest one is 6 hours away. Sigh... I'm trying to convince the hubby that we should go on a weekend vacation to Dallas just so I can go to IKEA. I don't think he gets why that would be completely awesome. Maybe I can convince him that we should rent a U-Haul for our vacation vehicle? :) Thanks for all the inspiration!

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  23. OH MY GOSH...cool ideas! I love love love the idea of reusing the drawers to hide the toys and the chalkboard paint was pure genius. I had been stalking...oops I mean *reading* your blog a lot lately because your boys rooms inspired me to try the stripes on my oldest sons wall, and I loved the red accents. Thanks for the cool posts very very inspiring! Good job. :)

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  24. I love all of this. especially the spice racks turned bookshelves, the sconces on the side of the bookcase, and the painting of the back of the cabinet. AWESOME.

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  25. this must be the best boys room I've seen in a while!
    Well done!

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  26. Oh my god! I leed you to come to my house and give me ideas for my girls room! It's tiny and they have like a million toys, have already tossen out like twenty millions!

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  27. Oh my gosh! That looks amazing! Ya'll did a great job!!!!

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  28. I LOVE it all!! The door on the shelving unit was worth it.

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  29. This is a blog with creativity and inspiration. I am posting recommended blog posts this weekend for my readers on Ducks n a Row and this will definitely be one of them! You are a talented lady!

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  30. OK, this post could have been twice as long and I would have remained enthralled. What a beautiful room! I'd love to try those stripes somewhere in my house...

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  31. Gorgeous! I'm seriously in awe. You're an inspiration to the organizationally-challenged like me.

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  33. Fabulous ideas! I love the drawer organizers, the metal bins & the tall bookcase. Great job!

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  34. This is such a great idea!!! Thank you for sharing.
    Kelly

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  35. Oh Jen, this is amazing! Love everything about it! I went to my local T's looking for those utensil caddies, but had no luck:( what a great idea!

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  36. Adore the photos and it's so cute that this was a family organizing project. The boys are absolutely adorable!

    L
    adventuresofoldandnew.blogspot.com

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  37. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! Oh how I wish I lived near an IKEA (the spice rack shelves are adorable). You are truly talented. :)

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  38. Just curious, how big is their room? My girls share a 10x10 room and wondering if I could do something like this....

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  39. The room looks great! And I LOVE the spice rack/book shelf idea. In fact, I picked some up at Ikea yesterday for my daughter's room.

    I'm just wondering how high you mounted them on the wall and how far apart? Was there a reason behind the spacing or just so they'd sit nicely in the stripes? I'm just terrible at making decisions like that!

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  40. @Anonymous: The room is actually 12 1/2 by 9. Pretty little! :)

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  41. @Kate, we actually centered them on each stripe because I have OCD tendencies about that kind of thing, however, I did hold books up as we were mounting them to make sure they would actually still be functional! :)

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  42. Great ideas!!! I love the under the bed storage and the spice rack bookshelves!!!

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  43. I have been drooling over this room since you posted! My 2 boys also share a room and it is such a challenge to make things work! I especially loooove the closet!!! I love it so much that I begged my hubby to help me pull something like it off in our boys' room! hehe. Check out the post, and of course I linked up to yours to show my WONDERFUL inspiration!

    http://reallifehomelife.blogspot.com/2011/07/1100-boys-closet-redo.html

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  44. IHeart your idea to reuse dresser drawers for under-the-bed storage! Fabulous!

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  45. Wow! Those are some amazing ideas, and they were executed very well! I especially love the under-the-bed drawers, so creative! I'm currently in the middle of changing apartments, so I'm too busy to do anything, but once everything is settled, I will certainly be trying out these ideas! Thanks!

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  46. Love the room, I've been looking for navy bedding with the sripes pillows, can you tell me where you found it.
    Thanks so much, your blog is fabulous

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  47. LOVE this room!! Did you ever find the box springs & raise the mattresses like you wanted to do when you first got the beds???

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  48. @jennifer - sure did. A reader actually had a spare one that she so generously gave me, and we purchased a second one.

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  49. Love the boys room! My husband recently built my boys a set of bunk beds and naturally the oldest wanted them painted 2 different colors and I went with Navy blue and red. Well i need to repaint the walls and have been having the hardest time finding colors that are not white, grey, beige or to Easter egg blue. While I am not planning on stripes I am defiantly leaning toward your one of your two shades. Beautiful job in their rooms!

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  50. Love the room! I have a question, did the spice racks hold up to the weight of the books? I've been wanting to try that but my son has a LOT of books and some of them are pretty heavy so I'm wondering if they'll hold up or not..

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    1. They seem really strong. I would like to believe that my boys have treated it perfectly, but my guess is that they have been hard on them from time to time and they still are standing strong. We only use them for all of our soft cover books though since I keep our nice hardcovers in our living room bookcase.

      xoxo!
      Jen

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  51. Any other place to buy the unfinished spice racks? Great post and blog!

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  52. Hmmmm... not that I have seen, especially for that price!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  53. Wow...we live in a teeny-tiny house and have three boys, 4, 2, and 8 months..who are all going to be sharing a room. that gave me some great ideas, thanks...

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  54. Love your boys' room - just so put together and lovely! Question - when you painted the backing of the Billy bookcase, did you have any problems with the cardboard backing buckling? I'm getting ready to paint mine and am afraid of them buckling...

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    1. Hi Kristie!

      Nope, no problem at all! Have fun! <3

      xoxo,
      Jen

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  55. What do you use for clothes baskets amd where do you keep them?

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    1. We use a small bin at the bottom of their closet and just empty it into the washer each day.

      xo!
      Jen

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  56. Where did you buy the shelving unit with optional door for the boys bedroom? I looked on Ikea and did not see it.

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    1. It's actually part of the BILLY line, it should pop up {the door and frame} if you do a simple search for BILLY on the site.

      xoxo,
      Jen

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  57. i stumbled upon your site the other day, and WOW!! I have a question though, how do you organise yoru boys sporting equipment? i also have 3 boys, so i have bats and balls etc lying EVERYWHERE!
    thanks in advance!

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  58. This looks awesome!!! I live in a small apartment and it makes me wonder how I can add more storage to my kid's rooms. Beautifully done!

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  59. Love your boys' room! I have twin boys and they share a tiny bedroom too! I am doing the Ikea spice racks and was wondering if you primed them before you painted them?

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    1. Nope, they are unfinished so I just slapped two coats of paint on them and they turned out great! :)

      xoxo,
      Jen

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  60. Replies
    1. They were from IKEA, I don't believe they carry them any longer. You can find how we updated them here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2012/06/boys-bedroom-upholstered-headboards.html

      xo,
      Jen

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  61. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  62. I have been searching everywhere for those fit-to-the-wall-book-storage-things and now I see they are IKEA spice racks! Love them! I need to grab some when I go to IKEA.
    Thanks for showing us that storage can be pretty and cheap too!

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  63. So mean: I just visited our IKEA website (the Netherlands), and they don't have these spice racks! I was already putting them on the inside of my kitchen cabinet doors. But no, apperently IKEA thinks that's not an item we, Europeans, want.

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  64. I know this was a while ago, but by any chance do you remember the blue paint color name?

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    1. Thank you! The walls are painted in Behr's Windsurf and Pittsburgh Paints Cityscape.

      xo,
      Jen

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  65. So cute and creative! I was wondering though, how did you attach the spice racks to the wall? I saw the drywall anchor picture, but did you attach picture hangers to the sides of the rack or what? (Or did they come ready to be hung?)

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    1. Those spice racks come ready to be hung. They have hangers embedded into the back of them.

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  66. I love this. I have not come across anything of yours that isn't fantastic. I wish you could come decorate my home! My son's bedroom is ABC themed and I really like the blue and white stripes with red accents in the room. Perfect for his new room when we move! Thanks for the great ideas.
    You are very special!

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  67. These look great, but practically speaking- how are the boys supposed to reach the books in the higher racks? I don't see how this would work in a room with little ones. I think having lower shelves for accessibility would be the most useful to encourage the little ones to grab their own books. Great colors!

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    1. We have a stool in their room which they have used for years, and have always been big enough to reach without problems. Best part about this project is that the racks can be placed at any height that works best for you and your kiddos. :)

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  68. Where are these beds from Jen? I love them!

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  69. I have been meaning to ask this forever! What are the brightly colored toys next to the lincoln logs? I love the theme of this room!
    Angela

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    1. Hi Angela!

      They were a clippy block I found many years ago at Target - they were made by the Circo brand.

      xo!

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  70. hey - where did you get the red old-fashioned alarm clock? I have been DYING to find one of those for my 3-yr old son's bedroom, and they are remarkably difficult to find! Thanks!

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    1. I believe I found it at Pottery Barn Kids, but it was many, many years ago. :)

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