Tan France Transformed Blank Walls into “Gorgeous” Shelves for His Sons
Queer Eye star and style expert Tan France finished his Tudor-style dream house in Salt Lake City, Utah, just a little over a year ago with his husband, Rob. And while it had all the trappings of a well-appointed and super-personal space — custom wall murals, gorgeous built-ins, a separate spice kitchen for cooking! — the storage situation was lacking, at least in his two young sons’ bedrooms.
“We built our home from the ground up, and it was meticulously designed,” France says. “But to be fair, I didn’t really consider function when it came to storage [for our kids]. We have cribs, a changing table, dressers — but other than that, I didn’t think about exactly how I’d store and display their clothes and things.”
France’s sons Ismail, 3 and a half, and Isaac, 20 months, both had spacious, whimsical rooms, each decorated with sweet yet somewhat sophisticated wall coverings and classic furniture. The square footage just wasn’t being used to its full potential. So France turned to one of his happy places, The Container Store, for some bespoke storage solutions, namely the brand’s newest Decor+ by Elfa system.
“Both rooms had closets, but we needed proper storage for this stage,” France says. “We wanted to separate out our eldest son’s pants from his socks and his sweaters — and give him a place to access his toys and books. And babies come with a lot of things, so we wanted storage that would look pretty but could also grow along with Isaac.”
France acknowledged they could have put together a hodgepodge of multiple dressers or freestanding wardrobes. But having a mix of open and closed storage was key, and in baby Isaac’s room in particular, they were working with a sloped roof line, which would limit their search for pieces. To truly work the walls in a methodical, streamlined, and safe for little kiddos way, custom wall-mount Decor+ by Elfa systems would allow them to get the height of each storage unit just right, have a mixture of open shelving and drawers, and even potentially tweak the configuration and placement of certain shelves and compartments down the line, as their sons’ needs would change.
For baby Isaac’s room, France went with a low-profile full-extension drawer and shelf combo unit in a white finish, which fits under the sloped roofline like a glove. Though the piece has a modern look overall, the white finish ties nicely into the room’s cottagey blue and white wallpaper, while the brass knobs provide a bit of warmth and British charm that echoes the finishes and fixtures used throughout the rest of the home.
The top of the drawers is the perfect place to display favorite toys and stuffed animals, while the shelves to the right keep books handy. Each of the drawers is tricked out with clear drawer organizers, which France calls the “GOAT” of storing clothing and accessories. “I like containers to house individual things and drawer dividers,” France says. “I love things to be well-laid-out. When I open a drawer, I want it to look gorgeous.”
Ismail’s room had a bit more height to work with, so France picked a taller Decor+ by Elfa configuration with a mixture of adjustable shelving above a run of drawers. For this room, he selected a birch veneer finish, which ties into the finish of Ismail’s crib (which will turn into a bed for his tween and teen years). Darker knobs provide an extra pop of warmth here, too.
The best thing about Ismail’s unit, though, is that all of the shelves can be repositioned on demand. “We did have a small shelving unit here, but Ismail was never going to use it,” France says. “Now, he gravitates towards this piece because he can see his things and even reach some of them. He can grab his water and toys, and he even chooses his own clothes sometimes. It’s so much better than just blah shelves.”
Each of the units is also stocked with plenty of cute baskets and bins, which allows for the boys’ things to be within arm’s reach — but also out of sight. From rope totes and cotton boxes to metal Schoolhouse style bins, these pieces also provide a pop of playful color and texture to the kid-friendly, wall-mounted units. (You can shop the rest of France’s picks, too).
These bins have also been helpful for France, who is teaching his kids to clean up after themselves. “I’m loving it because my son chooses which bin he wants to bring down to play before bed, “ France says. “And then when it’s time to sleep, I say, ‘Clean up, clean up, everybody clean up,’ and he now knows what to do.”
Further Reading
Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture
