Shelf measurements for toy closet

amother

Thu, Feb 10 2022, 5:11 pm

People who are good at this stuff please help asap... we just built playroom closets and the contractor is ready to put in shelves. We're going basic, this is not going to be adjustable like my previous beloved ikea bookshelves that don't fit in the basement playroom because the ceiling is lower. So we need to tell him how high to make the first shelf and how much space to put between the shelves. I have no idea what will be practical.

We have a lot of games and puzzles in the boxes they came in of all different sizes, some things in plastic shoebox-sized bins, and a bunch of things that used to be in drawers that I guess I'll have to find something new to put them in - funny shaped things like remote control cars, bop-it, etc.

Please advise!

challahchallah

Thu, Feb 10 2022, 6:05 pm

If you can put adjustable, I really recommend it. We use pilaster strips, and it’s super cheap and durable:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Style.....aw.ds

If you really can’t do adjustable, I’d put the bottom shelf high enough up for whatever your largest and heaviest bin is. You can put smaller things on higher shelves.

SingALong

Thu, Feb 10 2022, 8:23 pm

Another vote for the first shelf high enough for the large boxes to go on the floor. I did that. I like how my kids can just slide the heavy box of duplo out of the closet to the room to play. The rest of the shelves are about 18” height. I can fit 1 medium box of toys or two flatter ones stacked n top of each other. My smaller shoebox bins I also stack one on top of the other and fit side side. So 4 shoe box boxes Fit in the space of 1 large box.

If you have containers you are planning to use, measure the height, And then give yourself a couple of extra inches.

amother

Thu, Feb 10 2022, 9:04 pm

challahchallah wrote:

Can you explain how the pilaster works? I followed your link and I don't really get it. It talks about needing clips but doesn't link to what kind of clips that means, and how do I know it will hold the weight of a shelf?

To be honest, I do love the IDEA that my ikea shelves are adjustable, but in ten years I haven't really needed to adjust them. I put them where it seemed to make sense in the first place and that was that. The only thing I needed to adjust was one of the bookshelves to hold larger hardcover kids' books.

challahchallah

Thu, Feb 10 2022, 9:17 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

The pilaster works by you put two of those strips on each side of where the shelves go (one in the front one in the back on each side), and then you put in clips in so each shelf is supported by 4 clips. They are very strong. We have this system everywhere in our house from the pantry to our kitchen shelves to our toy closet. Here is a link to the clips:
Knape & Vogt 256P-ZC Shelf Support - 24 piece https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B.....psc=1

While I don’t adjust my shelf heights super often, I have done it a couple of times in each place and that has been really helpful. In relation to the toys, I’ve had to adjust things as we have different toys for different ages. I’ve also added shelves over time. I am in the position of needing to maximize storage space though. I think if you can afford to waste a little space, then just making the spacing a bit more generous than you need would be fine.