The Brick Show

LEGO Storage and Organization – Some Tips and Photos to Inspire You

Let’s face it: perhaps the most daunting task of being a LEGO fan is when it all comes down to that point where you’re simply lost on how to give order among that chaos of bricks and pieces. There is nothing more troublesome than a disorganized collection that can easily dampen your motivation in pushing through with your next big MOC. So how do we go around in this business of LEGO storage and organization, and making sense of this sea of bricks?

Reality check: the internet is riddled with much good-intentioned advice on how to organize your rainbow-colored abyss of plastic bricks. But truth be told, there is no single, most effective way of LEGO storage and organization. The possibilities are endless and when you think you struck gold in discovering what works for you, humbly bear in mind that it may not be the best for that next-door neighbor who is now pulling his hair for stepping into that 2×4 brick for the nth time.

However, not having a gold standard for putting things in order doesn’t mean that we don’t have to start somewhere. Jennifer at TheBrothersBrick understands this very well. She gives five practical tips that will make life easier for you and for those around you who share the house with a LEGO fanatic. Check out these useful tips. Some of these may also feature affiliate links, so clicking and making a purchase through these links can help us a lot.

Tip #1: Use containers.

Using containers is one of the simplest and most effective ways to keep your LEGO bricks organized. You can use transparent bins or drawers to easily see and access your bricks. Dividing your bricks into different containers based on their size, color, or type can help you quickly find what you need. For instance, you could use one bin for flat bricks, another for slopes, and a third for minifigures. These storage cabinets from Akro-Mils may just be the storage solution that you need.

Tip #2: Label these containers.

Labeling your containers will make it easier to identify what’s inside each one. You can use labels or stickers to indicate the contents of each bin or drawer. Labeling your containers will save you time when you need to find a specific brick, and it will also help you keep your collection organized over the long term. If you need an ideal labeling solution to go with your LEGO bins, then you may want to take a look at Avery’s removable labels.

Tip #3: Don’t procrastinate.

Procrastination is the enemy of organization. When you’re finished building, make sure to put your bricks away in their designated containers right away. Don’t let them pile up on your work surface or in a corner of the room. By taking care of your bricks immediately, you’ll prevent clutter from accumulating and make it easier to find what you need the next time you want to build.

Tip #4: Create some ‘white noise’ while sorting.

Sorting your LEGO bricks can be a tedious task, but it doesn’t have to be boring. You can make the process more enjoyable by listening to music or a podcast while you work. By creating some background noise, you’ll stay focused on the task at hand and make the time fly by.

Tip #5: Fine-tune your LEGO storage and organization system.

Your LEGO storage and organization system should be customized to meet your unique needs. If you find that one system isn’t working for you, don’t be afraid to switch things up. Experiment with different containers, labels, and sorting methods until you find a system that works well for you. You may also find Tom Alphin’s comprehensive LEGO Storage Guide very helpful at this point.

Inspiration to Get You Started

If these tips are not enough to roll up your sleeves and start that brick-picking work, sometimes the best way to push yourself is to be inspired by those who made it. Take a look at these 7 glorious examples of LEGO workspaces that will hopefully challenge you to do the same, without turning green out of envy. And if you like what you see here, please do our brick heroes a favor by following their Flickr page as well.

Now, if I can just find the vacuum cleaner…

Jeff VW (LEGO Panorama)

Gary McIntire (My Workbench)

Joel Finch (The Wall)

Mark Kelso (Storage and Sorting)

Chris Maddison (Sorted!)

Fred Beck (LEGO Room Build)

Matt De Lanoy (LEGO Room 2015)

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared last March 14, 2016, and has since then, been updated. Banner image courtesy of Chris Giddens.

First LEGO IKEA BYGGLEK Storage Solutions Appears in Germany

Back in 2018, LEGO and Netherlands-based furniture/storage company IKEA have partnered together to offer innovative storage solutions that are both practical and inventive at the same time. Eventually dubbed as IKEA BYGGLEK, we now get to see this line’s initial offerings.

Promobricks have shared several images of the LEGO IKEA BYGGLEK line of storage solutions, plus a LEGO BYGGLEK (40357) set that goes with the storage boxes nicely. The LEGO IKEA BYGGLEK storage boxes come in three sizes, all in a white color scheme: A Small Box (26x18x12 cm), A Large Box (35x26x12 cm), and a 3-in-1 Combi Box.

What is also common in all three offerings is that they all come with studded top covers that also doubles as a sort of baseplate. I can already imagine several ways on how this can be useful in terms of storing your LEGO bricks and pieces. Each side of the storage boxes, particularly the Small and Large ones, also features a 6-stud wide recessed portion, while the Combi Box features a 4-stud wide space. This is particularly helpful if you want to add a bit of personality to your LEGO IKEA BYGGLEK storage box, or simply labeling your box by putting the appropriate LEGO piece right in that space. A rough Google translation offers us the following product description for this collection of storage solutions.

“This is not just a simple box with a lid, it is a treasure chest full of tempting game ideas; a house that you can furnish; a staircase, a kit for creative people. And much more if you want.”

This initial offering also includes the LEGO BYGGLEK (40357) set that comes in at 201 pieces. The set features several LEGO pieces and two minifigures to kickstart your creative play with the LEGO IKEA BYGGLEK storage line. What is neat about this set is that the minifigs feature the iconic minifigure face print that older LEGO fans will enjoy.

According to the personnel of the IKEA store where these storage solutions were found, an official release date may be slated sometime next month, or in October at the most. However, as of to date, these offerings are not yet listed at the IKEA US online store so will probably need to wait a bit longer.

More Details on the IKEA BYGGLEK Line Revealed

Around this same month last year, IKEA has announced a working partnership with the LEGO Group to come up with storage solutions that are practical, while promoting creative play at the same time. Information was a bit sparse back then on how this partnership will specifically look like, and after more than a year, IKEA has shed light on what to expect from their collaboration with LEGO. To be clear, they haven’t revealed any specific product or storage line yet that is specifically made for LEGO, save for the fact that it will be dubbed as a BYGGLEK line of LEGO-inspired products. Thankfully, the press release below will somehow point us to the direction where these developments will take IKEA and LEGO. Read on for more details about this IKEA BYGGLEK line which will launch sometime next year, 2020.

IKEA and LEGO Group to Introduce BYGGLEK for More “Yes” to Play

Playing is crucial for the well-being of both adults and children. Together, LEGO Group and IKEA explore and develop solutions to stimulate play all around the home. The collaboration will result in BYGGLEK.

One year ago, IKEA and LEGO Group partnered up to be creative, exchange knowledge and experiment together with the ambition to develop new solutions to facilitate play in every corner of the home. Research from IKEA and LEGO Group has shown that there’s a demand among children for more playtime with their parents. At the same time, parents believe that playing is essential to their children’s well-being and happiness. Despite this, children and adults encounter several barriers and challenges when it comes to making play happen. Busy schedules and homework are a couple of obstacles, other restrictions like finding the space to play are more evident for adults than for children.

“There’s a conflict between how grown-ups look at organising and how children look at the creative play. Every grown-up has stepped on a LEGO brick at night time. But organising LEGO bricks the grown-up way also means ending the play sometimes. Adults sort by typology – socks going into one drawer and belts into another. Kids sort by story, clustering it into different pieces, where you can have a half-built space ship. And in that, you can find the one piece that you need. What if we could turn that perceived mess into something wonderful?”, says Rasmus Buch Løgstrup, designer at LEGO Group.

The different perspectives might lead to that children experience rules, carried out by their parents, stops them from being as creative and playful as they wish. Parents, on the other hand, feel that playing can be a bit too messy at home, making it harder to fulfil other commitments of the everyday. The overlaying ambition between the collaboration between LEGO Group and IKEA is to overcome these kinds of obstacles. The hope is to move away from “no” to “yes” to play, and at the same time show respect to duties of the everyday.

“To do this, systematic thinking becomes key. We know that children continue the story building in their minds long after they have stopped playing with their toys. So we asked ourselves, couldn’t pause and play be a way to enable quick play? We know that children are playing with screens because it’s easy to get started. So what if we could make the LEGO play continue? That would make quick play easier and then build on the play that is continuing in the child’s mind anyway”, says Andreas Fredriksson, designer at IKEA.

To enable playing throughout the home with pauses, a solution across generations is needed. Also, different rooms need different solutions that can change after different phases in life.

“Bringing people together over play and enable more play are things that are key for both us and LEGO Group based on our respective visions, missions and values. That is why we want to explore what can happen when we work together, trying to get more of the many people to say yes to play”, says Andreas Fredriksson, designer at IKEA.

The aim is to sale start the first BYGGLEK products during 2020.