AD: Getting organised for back to school with an IKEA hallway makeover

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I’m still in a state of disbelief that come September my youngest starts school. For the first time since becoming a mother almost 8 years ago, both my children will be in ‘full time’ childcare 9am-3pm each day. It’s such a milestone and I’m both excited and apprehensive. With big changes happening in our lives, it’s a perfect time to make some small changes at home to help us adapt to our new routines. As a busy mam of two children, with a part-time job and a business to run I know it’s going to be essential to be as organised as possible when I have two kids in school and have two sets of homework, dress down days, school trips and letters from school etc to keep on top of.

A key way to keep morning madness to a minimum is involving everyone in the home.  When the home is set up so that the kids don’t need constant help, it’s so much easier. We already have coat pegs and shoe racks at a level so they can get those themselves. We also have IKEA Stuva wardrobes and drawers in their bedrooms so they can reach their clothes and dress themselves without much assistance.

But this summer, I headed back to IKEA to get some more affordable pieces to make our lives easier as we transition to our new routine. There is literally nowhere better for getting great pieces for small spaces organised than IKEA and that’s probably why there isn’t a room in our home that doesn’t already have IKEA furniture in it. Read on to find out how we plan on getting organised for back to school with an IKEA hallway makeover…

IKEA hallway makeover

The key area where drama happens in our house on a busy school/work morning is in our long narrow hallway, where we seem to struggle to physically get out the door. Please tell me I’m not alone here? This is where voices end up being raised, shoes/coats/bags/bottles etc go missing and everyone is in and out about 50 times as they forget things or need to check things.

For almost 8 years we have had a pram/stroller living in our hallway as this is the only space we have for it. It’s meant that we haven’t had any room to put anything else in there. Now that my 4-year-old is starting school though we feel it’s time to say goodbye to our beloved buggy (now that’s the end of an era, where will I store all the bags and snacks now?!). So this frees up some space finally and I had concrete plans for how to make the space more functional with the help of IKEA.

TRONES cabinets

Firstly, we have purchased two TRONES shoe cabinets (£22 each) to attach to our hallway wall by the front door. These are perfect for our narrow hallway as they are only 18cm deep so don’t protrude out much into the corridor saving us some much needed space. Each TRONES has 2 drawers that tilt outwards so two TRONES gives each member of our family of four a slot.

Importantly the children’s slots will be at a height that they can reach. My plan is that that’s where all the things they need for their school day will go. For example, bag, water bottle, letters, caps and gloves. We already have a hallway cupboard where shoes and coats are stored (again at heights they can reach). Papa Ginge and I can use our slots for our letters, keys and the things we need (or often can’t find) as we are heading out of the door.

I’ve also picked up some decorative pieces to pop on top of the TRONES to make them look that little bit more stylish and homely. I got the VINDFLÄKT gold tealight holder (£10) and FEJKA artificial succulents (£4).

NISSEDAL MIRROR

I’ve lost count of how many times we are on the school run and realise the kids have toothpaste on their faces. Or how many times I go to put my shoes on as we leave the house and can’t see if my shoes match my outfit (of course I ask Papa Ginge who says, ‘how would I know’ so I have to run up two flights of stairs to our full-length mirror to check). I thought this would be the perfect time to introduce the IKEA NISSEDAL mirror (£25) to our hallway so we can check ourselves properly before we leave the house. This means I can tell the children to check and wipe their own faces and they can do this more easily by themselves, freeing me up to do the tasks that only I can do. I can also do a quick double-check that I’m not committing any major fashion faux pas too.

SKÅDIS pegboard and accessories

Finally, to complete the IKEA hallway makeover, I’ve bought an IKEA SKÅDIS pegboard (£15) and some small accessories to go on it. My idea is this can be the organisational hub for the household.

We have two SKÅDIS letter holders (£1.50 each) which we will slot incoming/outgoing post in. The SKÅDIS roll holder (£1.50) will be used to hang our sellotapes and washi tapes on for easy access. We will use the SKÅDIS three-pack of containers with lids (£7) to house our Blutac, pins and measuring tape. The SKÅDIS shelf (£3) will be used to safely store Glasses/sunglasses so no one has an excuse for not being able to find them as we are leaving the house. We will use the SKÅDIS container (£2) for storing all the pens as nobody ever seems to be able to find one when they need them. The SKÅDIS clips (£1.50 for a pack of 2) will allow the kids to clip school letters to the pegboard. Us adults can clip other notices we need to remember on it too. This plan will work, right?

Basically, all the bits and bobs that people struggle to find when they need them are going to be right there where they can seem – and importantly, reach them!

I love how multifunctional the SKÅDIS is (and how affordable). I’ve seen it used inside wardrobe doors, in kitchens, in bathrooms. If we wanted to stop using it in the hallway, it’s great that we could find an abundance of other uses throughout the house for it. Now that I’ve got one and can see how versatile it is I think I’ll get several more for use on the inside of several of our doors to help us get organised in a way that saves space.

I’m feeling much more positive and organised about Lena starting school and Arlo going back to school from making these small but significant changes to make our space more functional for our changing lives. Sometimes you just need to make some practical preparations to feel more prepared mentally too. Will these changes help us get out the door more quickly in the mornings? Only time will tell!

How do you think it looks? Have you got any IKEA organisation hacks or storage tips? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like this previous post:

• 21 ideas for gifts for teachers
• 10 tips for parents with children about to start school
• AD: Taking back control of mornings for only £51.75 with IKEA organisation hacks
• AD: Creating an after school wind down area with IKEA

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