As a parent, encouraging your child's imagination and creativity is so essential, yet keeping all the art supplies and craft materials organized to foster this can be very overwhelming. Sometimes, letting the kids make the mess outside the home feels easier. I often felt the same way until I had the opportunity to create this beautiful and inviting art space for a mom with young kids. The project was so much fun, and I wanted to share some details about this kid's art space so you can replicate it at home.

As a homeschool mom, my client was inspired by Megan Schiller's book The Art Playroom. Megan focuses on "invitations to create," which is all about the process of exploring art materials with no intended outcome. She designs spaces that ensure art materials are accessible yet calming and fun through the use of color.

Here is how I took inspiration from Megan's book to create the ideal kid's art space for my client:

Planning the Layout

For this project, the client had materials the kids needed to access as well as materials that needed to be stored out of reach. We needed space to store bulk paper and a drying rack for art projects. The ELFA system from Container Store was a perfect fit, allowing for infrequently used and "adult only" craft materials to be stored up on higher shelves. We made sure the bottom shelf was high enough to accommodate the paper storage & drying rack as well as an IKEA KALLAX to be stored underneath. The IKEA KALLAX served as a convenient storage solution, creating a "tabletop" for easy-to-reach supplies. The client's favorite blue colors were incorporated into the plan, along with craft material colors, to create a visually appealing space.

Make it Accessible

The IKEA KALLAX in this space is a key feature, holding all frequently used art supplies. The kids can easily reach into the bins and grab what they need. These teal bins from the Container Store held maker space materials, while book bins held paper and coloring books. Adorable pails containing coloring tools and glue/tape were placed on top of the KALLAX, making it easy for kids to carry materials over to the table. Target canisters put embellishments on display, inspiring the kids. To facilitate lesson preparation, we added plastic trays and a pizza tray holder. Now, the kids can easily access their watercolor materials and put away the activity, making cleanup a breeze.

The Right Products

A great addition to the space was this MultiDrawer cabinet from Bisley. The cabinet is durable and high quality, with several drawers to store craft supplies. The drawers are removable, so my client can take out a drawer and pull it down to the table for the activity (beads, dry erase, stamps). Bisley offers the desktop version featured here and a larger filing cabinet. The MultiDrawer Cabinets come in various colors so you can match your office decor and liven up your space with a beautiful and quality storage solution!