DUMBO — Brooklyn mom Andrea Soto has created a comfy solution for the lack of space in small city apartments.
The idea came to her as she sat with a friend pondering what to do with all the stuff packed into her storage-deficient space.
"I was sitting on a beanbag wondering what to do with all of my bedding and linens and the idea hit me," she said. "The next day I got a designer and we developed the Storage Beanbag."
Soto's beanbag chair is filled with organic Styrofoam beans on top, and has storage space underneath. The bottom compartment is meant for cushy items such as seasonal clothes, bedding and stuffed animals.
And although kids love the cozy seats, they also work for adults.
"I want people to know that I was really thinking about the parents when I created this project," she said. "These beanbags are high quality and look just as good in an adult living room as they do in the kids' room."
The Storage Beanbag is not Soto's first big idea. The innovative mom often comes up with ideas designed to makes parents' lives easier. She usually consults with her father-in-law, a patent lawyer, on her creative schemes.
"He generally says, 'Nah,' when I tell him my ideas," she said. "But this time he actually stopped and told me it sounded like a great idea."
Soto's beanbag chairs are currently pending a patent, and already the response has been positive.
"People love the idea," she said. "They think the bags are not only functional but also beautiful."
Soto's beanbag chairs are on sale at Amazon and Wayfair, and she plans to show them at upcoming trade shows.
To find out more visit her website.
