Love California Closets, but quite expensive!! We have a combination of Pax wardrobes from Ikea and Closetmaid system from Home Depot. I'm offically out of hanging space so am thinking of taking out the dresser to place add'l hanging space on back wall. (DH says I just need to get rid of all the things I don't wear...I guess there's some truth to that! Left side has shelving for sweaters + hang space and right-siis mostly double-hang space + section for dresses etc. (Pic taken before everything got piled back in! Add'l storage hidden in these pics) I keep all casual T-shirts etc in Pax wardrobe in DH closet + space in 2 spare rooms...yes, it's time to re-organize so perhaps this thread will motivate me to do it! I would love to have everything including storage for shoes in 1 spot, but this closet simply isn't large enough! What is lacking in my closet is space for shoes...they are all over the place and something that I would certainly want to address for any 'do-overs'!

No time to read through previous responses so hope this is not too redundant. DD is 3 if it helps you assess these thoughts, and we've been in our new kitchen about 15 months. 1) Cooktop controls back on the counter, not at front of the stove. Ours run sideways from back to front of counter. 2) We haven't felt the need of a learning tower, though I seriously considered buying one of the collapsible ones-- one small stable single stepstool is plenty (DD is tall, but they have to be kind of tall before you want them doing much cooking). She steps up and can reach to stir, pour, etc. 3) Everything stored below the counter is safe for kids to bang around or wear if they must-- pots, colanders, trays, canned goods, silverware, measuring cups, pyrex, pans. Everything dangerous (glassware, cleaning supplies, knives, dish and DW soap, vitamins) is in uppers or pantry (which DD can't access without adult getting her through gate). It was so worth it to design this way. No need for latches and annoying locks on everything. Much lower anxiety level as my only main safety focus is the oven and stovetop. 4) Keep the microwave above the counter-- too dangerous for fire if it's low and you don't notice that it was turned on empty. 5) Lots of ways to store knives besides drawers below counters-- ours are in block in far back corner of counter (furthest from floor) and some will be on magnetic strip one of these days (currently sticking out of random Tupperware near knife block). 6) DD's own plates and cups are below counter for her easy access (and "help" unloading DW, though I usually do it while she's eating at the counter). 7) I was surprised by how young DD was when she was perfectly capable of climbing up and down into her own swivel counter-height stool to sit at the kitchen counter. 8) Great small, wooden Ikea toy kitchen nearby for DD to cook along with me that way, too. 9) We use the kitchen timer on the oven to time things for DD (3 minutes to bedtime! 5 minutes to dinner time!) Occasionally we now have a problem because a) she turns it off at our request but uses the general "off" button instead of the kitchen timer and turns off something that was cooking in the oven or b) she just randomly turns off the kitchen timer that someone was cooking with, and the cook is later surprised to discover that the timer and perhaps oven are off. If you have to have an outlet cover in the side of an island or whatever, they make ones with a slide-aside safety part that is easier to maintain and use than little plastic plugs. Good luck. I have gotten so much joy from cooking with DD-- it is not yet her favorite thing to do, but it's growing on her.

I have Elfa ventilated shelves (and some drawers) in my pantry and laundry room both. I love them BUT I use liners so I don't have the wobbly issue going on. That would drive me crazy. Elfa's ventilated shelves, unlike what you can find at Lowe's, HD or Ikea, have the wires a lot closer together. They also "lock" into place so the wire part is sitting really firmly in the bracket - not just a piece of wood sitting on top of the shelf bracket. As far as organizing little things, Elfa has "shelf baskets" that you can put dividers in and stack stuff in if need be. In the pic below, I have one of those on the immediate left (3 shelves up) and above the counter top oven in the back. I use it for bags of baking stuff like chocolate chips, coconut, etc on the left and treats in the back. And I absolutely love their big drawers. Container Store's return policy is great too - anytime with a receipt and the best Elfa sales is 30% off all Elfa products. It starts Dec. 24th and goes through the end of January typically. There is one in the fall that isn't as good - 25% of Elfa Shelving. (No, I don't work for Container Store, I am just a big fan and will be buying some more Elfa stuff during their Dec. sale.) Here's a picture of our new pantry.

I have an 8,9 and 12 yo. A few items to add to already great advice... KIds seem to create copious amounts of artwork. We used to string clothesline and clothespins in the garage and the hall to the laundry room. They could hang up and take down the art themselves. You can display a ton of stuff very easily and take it down with no fuss or damage. The cubbies I see in most mudrooms are too small to hold shoes. Especially as my girls love Uggs and they take up a lot of space! Make sure you allow enough space for shoes AND boots in the mudroom. I don't like a chest of drawers in a kid's rooms. They are never closed! If possible, put inexpensive ikea chests or even just shelves, inside the closet so keep the mess in there. Every day before dinner they pick up any scattered toys/books/stuff and they go in a large basket --- Friday night they have to empty that basket and put the items back in their respective rooms. Anything left Saturday morning goes to Goodwill (never happened). No after school snack until your shoes coat and backpack are put away. I don't know if you are remodelling but very soon you will want to have established places for the following 1 Where do they use the computer? We strictly limit screentime of any kind, so we have one MAC desktop for them and it is visible from the kitchen and family room. 2 Where do they watch TV? We don't want to make it easy to watch TV (it is too easy already), so we only have one. 3 Where can they do crafts? We were able to devote a room to this, and my kids have always just wondered in there when they have free time and busied themselves. 4 Where can they do homework? You need both quite spaces where they are out of the mainstream, and places where they can work while you oversee.