Family Furniture: Playful and Practical Storage Solutions for Your Kid’s Room

Stylish homeware the kids will love…

We’re all too familiar with the small spaces and tight corners that make our homes so typically ‘Hong Kong’. And as all mamas know, small spaces and small children combine to make a mess like no other. Needless to say, all their “stuff” can clutter up pretty fast – but smart storage doesn’t mean giving up smart styles. Stay on top of the mess and keep spaces neat and tidy with these quirky out-of-the-box storage solutions!

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This laundry basket ($250) is a subtle answer to any untidy room. With a striking monochrome design, the piece is suitable for all interiors and can be used for storing almost anything! Whether it’s laundry or toys, you can scatter these storage solutions everywhere from the bedroom to the bathroom. Plus, they come in a good staple size, 40cm x 50cm, which means you can happily store bigger items (like shoes, oversized stuff toys and loose magazines).

As a special bonus to Sassy Mama readers, Dottyakachan is giving us a 10% discount. Simply use the code “Laundry10” at checkout before the end of November to redeem!

Dottyakachan, available online at www.dottyakachan.com

Bringing wonderful textures and textiles sourced from around the world to busy HK, Thorn & Burrow is the spot for creative and colourful storage solutions. From a carefully curated selection of handmade homewares, it offers customised storage baskets for just $80. Woven with sustainable natural fibres from Vietnam by a group of talented female artisans, the basket comes with different colour accents and you can even add your little one’s name on it!

Thorn & Burrow, 1/F, 30 High Street, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong, 2559 9338, www.thornandburrow.com

Scandinavian interiors are loved for the clean lines and elegant finish – and now your child bedroom can look like that too! The house will look polished and minimilaist in no time! Flexa creates Scandinavian inspired interiors for little ones which aim to help stimulate creativity in children. While we’re loving these simple and colourful storage boxes, you should definitely check out the Play Storage Bench. The storage trunk doubles up as cosy seating area, giving your littles a creative way to store toys and extra trimmings.

Flexa (Shatin), Shop 302, Level 3, HomeSquare, 138 Shatin Rural Committee Road, New Territories, Shatin. Various other Flexa locations around Hong Kong. 2688 2339, www.flexaworld.com

If you find yourself stepping over your kids’ toys every night before bed, its time to take a look at Ta Da!’s storage options. Ta Da sources unique and one-of-a-kind home accessories from around the world, aiming to find fun and creatives solution to all parent’s problems. The Play & Go bag is one of our favourites. Clear away any toy trails with one simple tug (ta-da!) which also doubles as an effective solution to encourage your littles to clean up after themselves. The bag is also portable, so it acts as a hard-wearing play mat.

Ta-Da!, L111A, 1/F, Eslite Spectrum, Cityplaza, 18 Taikoo Shing Road, Taikoo, Hong Kong (Another location in Kwun Tong!) , 3568 9492, www.ta-da.com.hk 

Quick, cheap and convenient. Words rarely said when looking for furniture in the 852. If your home is in need of quick clean-up with more clutter than floor space, we recommend hopping over to Japan Home Center for an extensive selection of reliable and reasonably priced storage spaces. Who doesn’t love a good old 3-tier drawer stack?  But this time we’re particularly on the lookout for the Lego storage bricks. Shaped and coloured like original lego pieces (life-sized!), it has drawer spaces beneath and comes in a set of three or four. Our favourite part? You can even stack them up together like REAL lego!

Japan Home Centre, 328 Queen’s Road Central. Various other JHC locations in Hong Kong.  2805 2756, www.jhc.com.hk

(Editor’s note: Land of Nod has now closed and has been replaced by Crate & Barrel Kids). The Land of Nod is one of our ultimate favourites. It stocks the cutest homeware items for kids, and even offers items that make great special treats for birthdays (check out the adorable playhouses and teepees). For an alternative, space-conscious storage solution, the pegboard and shelves has got you covered. The exclusive ‘On the Pegboard Shelving System’ (from $495 to 579) lets you design your wall storage any way you and your kid want it, giving your little mess-maker easy access to all their loot.

The Land of Nod, available online with shipping to Hong Kong, www.landofnod.com/on-the-pegboard-and-shelves

Call off the search for storage spaces that both you and your child will love because we’ve found one that will hide the mess and fit stylishly into your little one’s room. iDecorate provides high-quality, trendy decor that is functional and kid-friendly.  Keep your eye out for the animal storage box series ($1,800) . Made of light wood, the box is decorated with animal sketches and fun phrases. The storage comes with wheels (wheels!). So, roll those boxes along kids, there’s no excuse for tidying up now!

iDecorate, Shop 926, Level 9, Times Square, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, 3421 1279, www.idecorateshop.com

Indigo Kids was set up 7 years ago with the sole purpose of creating quality furniture and home accessories for children. A large range of the products are made with a simple wooden and white finish that can be easily incorporated into any home. We found a cheerful storage piece that kids are bound to love. The large Happy Camper Box at $1,190 (also comes in a Princess Castle Version!) is an adorable, practical storage compartment that can easily collapse for easy storage itself. Designed with child’s play in mind, this box will quickly become a home essential for all your child’s favourite treasures.

Indigo Kids (Central), 221 – 224 Landmark Prince’s, 10 Chater Road (Other locations around HK here!) , 2801 5512, www.indigo-living.com

Run by an aunt and niece duo from Australia, The Indi Co offers a stylish collection of functional homeware curated from a range of brands that are eco-friendly, handmade or organic. Better yet? everything is done online! We’re especially looking out for the Pom Pom Belly Basket by Olli Ella ($365). Large, spacious and easily fitting for any room, this basket will be your helping hand in hiding the clutter, whilst also keeping a fresh sense of style. Plus, who doesn’t love pom poms? Check out the luggy baskets on wheels for a fresh, convenient alternative.

The Indi Co, www.theindico.net

Sleek may not be the first quality that comes to mind when talking about storage solutions since HK apartments demand us to pack as much as possible into boxes. But simple may just be your one-stop solution to declutter the home. Franc Franc offers quick storage solutions that can fit into whatever style your home is currently repping. We’re keeping an eye out for the Armo Shelf collection (from $3500). Made in a neutral brown with lots of accessible shelves, you can see what you’ve got and only keep exactly what you need. It’s important to remember to drill bookshelves into the wall as an extra safety measure!

Franc Franc, Shop 3 – 7, Level 1, Nan Fung Place, 173 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong, check out various Franc Franc locations around Hong Kong, www.francfranc.com.hk, 3425 4828

Every homeowners favourite spot, it comes without explanation that Ikea is the one to count on when to comes to affordable and durable furniture. While we’re a fan of Ikea’s extensive range of  easy storage options, the Släkting ($80) catches our eye the most. Perfect for anything from stuffed toys to clothing items, the Släkting is a five-part compartment hanging basket that can be simply hung up anywhere in the house. Easy-peasy!

Ikea, Upper Basement, Parklane Hotel, 310 Gloucester Road, various other Ikea locations around Hong Kong. 3125 0888, www.ikea.com/hk

Petit Bazaar offers stylish and chic storage options that are guaranteed to blend beautifully into your home. We recommend the Oeuf Toy Store Birch ($4,465) – a three-tier storage bin that will, not only, clear up your floor space but will also be the perfect opportunity to teach the kids to pick up after themselves. Easily accessible, the fun storage solution can be positioned flat or tilted with customisable bin sizes that can fit anything from lego to oversized stuffed animals!

Petit Bazaar, 9 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong (another location in Wan Chai!), 2544 2255, www.petit-bazaar.com

With a unique collection of home interior furnishings sourced from around the world, there’s no doubt that Mirth has a quirky storage solution to offer. These gold wire baskets ($365) are on our radar. Simple, sleek and available in a range of sizes, don’t underestimate their ability to clear out the mess and replace it with a bit of sass. With your home now cleared, why not check out Mirth’s range of interior accessories and maybe bring a few pieces home while you’re at it?

Mirth, m/F, B T Centre, 23 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong (Another location in Sai Kung), 2553 9811, www.mirthhome.com

If you’re an eco-mummy who likes to incorporate natural wood into furniture, Tree is your answer. Tree carries a selection of clean, contemporary homeware that is made with reclaimed, recycled wood and sure to add a touch of comfort (and tidiness!) into any home. The Dolly Treasure Box ( $6,950) is created using a rough, textured wood and resembles a treasure chest – the perfect storage solution for any adventurous littles!

Tree, 28/F, Horizon Plaza, Ap Lei Chau, 2870 1582, www.tree.com.hk

For modern furniture that will last you a lifetime, head to BoConcept. This spot offers a range of sleek and modern designs that will never go out of style! While it may seem a tad mature for a children storage solution, the Como bookcase ($3,719) not only allows you to put your all child’s favourite treasures always on display but will also avoid you the headache of changing out furniture once they start growing older. Or, simply pop it in the living room for the whole family to use!

BoConcept, 73 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong, 2668 0027, www.boconcept.com

For affordable, elegant styles, Zara Home has a range of storage options that will transform your home into a stylish space in an instant. Choose from a range of baskets, boxes and stands but we particularly love this elephant shaped basket ($559). What better way to hide the mess? This cute home ornament is the modern alternative to sweeping the dust under the rug!

Zara Home, Shop GW3205-6, Level 3, Harbour City Gateway Arcade, 25 Canton Road. Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon (Other locations at Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong), 2880 5068, www.zarahome.com/hk