Ask a Designer: Embrace your inner sports parent

Ask a Designer: Embrace your inner sports parent It starts with a lacrosse stick and cleats by the front door. If a room is "going to be filled with uniforms, cleats and gear, I run with the preppy theme by bringing in vintage wire baskets, plaid bowling bags, school banners and vintage schoolhouse pieces to play it up," Flynn says. His favorite creative solution, he says, "always solicits an 'Are you kidding?' response. "I usually pick up pre-fab kitchen cabinets from big box retailers, then fit them as storage solutions for kids' rooms," Flynn says. Schuneman agrees: "Hooks are essential. Give everybody their own hook with their initial on them to make the process go smoothly. All three designers suggest seeking out vintage school lockers or gym lockers, which can be found online at eBay and elsewhere. "In a bedroom redesign I did for two young sisters in Atlanta, I had a window seat outfitted with deep drawers, which can hold everything the girls need," Flynn says, including tennis gear. Schuneman hunts for vintage trunks to use this way. "If you have multiple items or sports, and want them separate, try getting smaller square trunks in varying shades and place them next to each other. Can we get through the spring and summer sports seasons without our homes ending up in total disarray? Interior designer Betsy Burnham, founder of Burnham Design in Los Angeles, says nearly every home remodeling project she works on these days includes a mudroom with one priority: storing and organizing sports equipment. Here, she and interior design experts Brian Patrick Flynn of decordemon and Kyle Schuneman of Live Well Designs offer tips on handling all this gear without sacrificing style, even when you don't have a mudroom. Your system for handling sports clothing, says Schuneman, may be as simple as "two color-coded baskets by the back door or the laundry room: one for dirty, one for clean. "Once it's out of the wash, you fold it and put it in the clean basket," instead of putting it away with other clothing in a bedroom. Each kid can have a locker and even the parents, too!". For a dose of style, use colorful woven baskets instead of typical plastic hampers or laundry bins. "Once you train your self to this habit, it will be a natural," Schuneman says, and the stress of looking for a team jersey before a game will be history. Or spend a Saturday cleaning out an entryway closet, then add hooks and baskets for sports items. There are many storage options designed specifically for sporting goods and kids' items. All three designers suggest investing in seating with built-in storage, like a bench with cubbies underneath. Sometimes, celebrating the presence of all this gear is better than hiding it. Any spot works: "It can be a little area under the stairs or one area of your entryway," as long as it's dedicated to sports stuff. "A vintage barrel or ceramic pot," he says, can "house your tall items, like baseball bats, tennis racquets and lacrosse sticks, next to the bench. The summer sports season "can be a great reason to give your garage a facelift," Burnham says, using storage that is sturdy but attractive. Ask a Designer: Embrace your inner sports parent Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 10/04/2012