IKEA Has An Affordable Multi-Use Solution For Kids' Bedroom Storage

A child's bedroom is a magical place, but it can also be a mess if you lack the right storage solutions. Enter the IKEA SUNNERSTA, a reasonably-priced, wall-mounted rack with hooks and hanging containers that can corral your kids' chaotic space into something orderly. Thanks to the vertical design of this storage system, it keeps floors clear for children to play on, but can be mounted at an appropriate height for easy access. There are also a number of hacks worth trying that make the SUNNERSTA even more dynamic.

If you're on a tight budget, you'll be happy to know the SUNNERSTA is only $4.99. The rail system comes standard with four hooks and two hanging bins, so there is plenty of space to suspend a variety of items. Use the hooks to hold clothing or accessories for your young children or pair them with fabric bags where they can hold toys like building blocks and farm animals. The containers can house hair bows or small items that go missing on the regular, too. If you have a budding artist in the family, the SUNNERSTA offers spots to hold scissors, crayons, markers, and other creative tools.

If you like the idea of this IKEA storage solution to help keep your kids' space organized, wait until you see some ways that families have upgraded or hacked their SUNNERSTA systems. One idea is to couple the IKEA LÄTT Children's table ($49.99) with the rail system. Since you can screw the hardware directly into the wooden sides of the table, this hack comes together quickly. When you're done, you can outfit the rail with more containers for crayons and tempera paint sticks. A similar concept is to cover the top of a LÄTT table with flat LEGO foundation pieces, then mount a SUNNERSTA rail on either side of the table and fill the containers with various LEGO building bricks. If you don't own the IKEA children's table, you can absolutely use another old table you have lingering in the basement. 

While the SUNNERSTA is great for kids' bedrooms, this creative IKEA storage hack can save major space in the bathroom. When mounted on a wall near the sink, you could hang brushes and combs from the hooks. Meanwhile, storing toothbrushes and toothpaste in the containers will keep counters clear and prevent drawers from getting overfilled or disorganized. To personalize the SUNNERSTA even more, play around with the containers' colors. Children love brightly colored items, so picking the blue-gray or bright orange containers ($0.99 at IKEA) instead of all white could delight them.

The SUNNERSTA is one of the best IKEA storage solutions under $50, praised for its performance and ease of installation. In fact, 83% of buyers have rated the system as 5-stars. One reviewer writes, "We put it up in our grandchild's playroom to hold coloring supplies. We (and she) love it!" Another says that they use theirs for LEGO brick, "It allows us to give the kids more space on the ground to play and to sort them with more detail so they can find things faster and have fun building."

While the SUNNERSTA receives high marks for ease of assembly and installation, you should follow the right steps to get yours set up. Since IKEA doesn't include the mounting hardware with their hanging products, you'll have to purchase appropriate ones in advance. Remember to use an electrical stud finder to avoid hitting any electrical wires hidden within the walls. Self-drilling wall anchors will make mounting the SUNNERSTA straightforward and using a level will help give you a perfect installation. Lastly, it's important to not overload the storage system. Each SUNNERSTA hook has a 9-pound weight limit, while the containers each top out at 4 pounds of weight capacity. That being said, you should not exceed more than 36 pounds of total weight with the unit.