Little Book Cart

This is the first part of my organization series. Living in Manhattan with two kids poses organizational challenges no matter how large or small your apartment is. As my children grow, so do the size and breadth of their toy collection. It takes over their playroom, spills into their nursery and out into the living room. I am constantly stepping on small puzzle pieces and putting toy train tracks away. While I want my home to be an accessible space for everyone in the family, I also want it to feel like there is some sense of order and design.

I was desperately searching for a way to store the stacks of books that were vastly expanding, once I realized my kids had an interest in stories. The teacher and reading specialist in me wanted a place for Bryce and Brody to access these books during play time, so they could interact with the pictures and the words, aside from hearing them read aloud before bed. I wanted them to learn how to select a story and recognize their favorite authors and characters.

Putting them on the top shelf in the playroom, while orderly, wasn’t practical. Since the playroom was already bursting with toys, floor and wall space were limited. I decided I needed a piece for the living room that looked stylish enough to blend in with the design, yet functional enough to be used every day.

A book wagon was my solution.

I love multi-purposing furniture – a stool used as a table sits appropriately next to the arm chair in my living room. This wooden and steel wagon was no exception. The books can be lined up in my wonderfully obsessive height order, and it sits neatly on the ground, within reach of my children, yet discretely in the corner. I love all things Restoration Hardware Baby & Child for the nursery, but this piece was actually sleek and modern enough to sit outside of their bedroom.

I kind of think it would work well as a bar cart too 😉