Shop on houzz for toy chests, toy benches. Also, think about units that would normally go in a dining room, long low cabinets.

Framing in closets w/shelving inside is inexpensive. No amount of cabinetry purchased will hold as much, be more versatile, or be less expensive, or be easier to maintain on a daily clean up basis.. Draw the room........post it. Add dimensions of course, windows doors etc.

I like Jan’s idea. I think you’d get more storage for your money and, depending on your home’s layout, you might be able to call this a bedroom for resale/appraisal purposes and increase value. If not that, the Pax idea is solid.

Thanks for your input. Here's a drawing of the room. I've been hesitating to frame in closets because we're on a tight timeframe and my town has a reputation for being very strict on permits, so it sounds like a huge headache, but maybe I should really just live with it. Where would you recommend putting them, given the room layout?

Or any other ideas?

Trunks for toys and bookshelves for books and games. I never kept my toys in the closet - trunks/chests and open shelves were far more accessible. Small children are small and don't have much reach, so they wouldn't be able to utilize most of a closet or wardrobe anyway.

My house, purchased recently, came with some abandoned furniture, with one item being a PAX wardrobe. I hated it because it was incredibly imposing in the room it was in. Also heavy - doors would not have been easily operable by young children, even if they could reach the handles. Sold it off on Craigslist in short order.

PAX can definitely be imposing and overwhelming—if you went this direction, you may want to consider the 14” depth instead of the 23” depth. That might be a more practical depth for toys and games anyway.

Ease of operation of the doors might depend on whether the doors are sliding vs hinged, material and style, etc. I’m sure some are heavy and difficult, although mine (hinged) are not. I actually wish mine were harder for my 11 month old to open, but sadly he has this obsession with opening and shutting doors and won’t leave my Pax alone. Someday he’s going to pinch his fingers.

At my last house (which also had Pax) we didn’t have much space for doors so we mounted thin curtain rods along the top of the units and hung simple linen curtains on rings. It worked and looked better than I had expected and would be easy for kids to operate.

Not a Pro.

Do you want a playroom, or do you want a playroom that can convert to a sitting room for adults at night?

Ikea maybe able to give you what you need.

Do you need a building permit?

In my city, the short answer is "if you pound a nail, you need a permit". The permit fee is based on the cost of the project, so the fee to build a closet would be minimal. It only takes a phone call to find out for sure.

I would probably be inclined to build closets along the 19' wall on the left, from the patio door to the top wall (if there is room between the wall and the window). Part of the closet can be standard hanging space and shelving, for jackets and gardening shoes. The rest can be shelving for toys, games, puzzles, etc. It might also be a handy place to store things like a card table and folding chairs.

Good luck with your project!

PAX Closet system from IKEA

I find the toys get used the most when they are easily accessible, close to the ground, and can be shoved back into their spaces instead of having to be carefully arranged. Out of sight is sometimes out of mind with toys too. For all of these reasons I would stay away from a closet and go for low cabinets, and big bins that stuff can be chucked into.