I recently finished a Playroom Redesign for a client with 4 children, ranging in age from 4 months to 10 years old. She wanted to create a playroom that was fun & functional for all 4 of her children while also flowing with the decor in the rest of her charming home and staying super budget-friendly.
The client's space is long and narrow, which can often be tricky to decorate. The best way to tackle long rooms like this one is to decide how the room will be used and divide it into 'areas.' For this playroom, I divided it into 3 zones: a reading area, a play area, and a homework/art area.
Then I created the following inspiration board to make the 'zones' come to life.
The first zone was the Reading Area, which is located at one end of the room under a large window. The client expressed that she wanted the look of a built-in window bench without 'building it in,' so I suggested that she do a knock-off version of
Pottery Barn's Stratton Daybed (by following plans from
Ana White) because its dimensions would fit
perfectly under her window.
For the narrow bookcases to flank the window and daybed, I chose Ikea's narrow Hemnes bookcases in white.
To bring some color and pattern into the space and to provide comfort for reading, I chose a variety of throw pillows to sit atop the daybed.
For the walls, I suggested she go with a light, yet playful, blue (Benjamin Moore's Spring Sky).
To meet the needs of kids with varying ages, I suggested she place two small desks at the opposite end of the room in the Homework/Art Area. Both desks are the Micke Desks from Ikea, but one is a little larger so that it can hold the older kids' computer.
To give the desks a little more personality, I suggested adding some decorative knobs, like these Glass Daisy Knobs from Hobby Lobby.
Here is a virtual rendering of what the Homework/Art Area could look like.
To help with storage and to keep the desk organized, I hung Ikea's Lack Shelves above both desks and used various bins and baskets to store papers and other supplies. Above the desk on the left side, I hung Ikea's Fintorp Cutlery Caddies to hold the kiddos' art supplies.
Above the right-hand desk, I hung a display rail (tack strip) to hold important papers or artwork.
In lieu of traditional rolling desk chairs, I opted for stools because they take up less space and can be pushed all the way under the desk when not in use. These stools are the Ingolf Stools from Ikea.
For those of you who have experience with kids, you know they create a lot of art. To display some of her kids' art, I suggested she create a rotating art gallery on a wall in the Homework/Art Area. This can be done by purchasing some frames at a thrift store, spray painting the frames, removing the glass and replacing it with corkboard.
I also thought it would be fun for the little ones if a chalkboard was added to the wall under the art gallery.
The inspiration behind my design for this space was this Handmade Avant-Garde Serenity Ivory Rug from Overstock.com.
Not only do the colors flow great with the colors in the rest of the client's home, but it also has a touch of whimsy and creates a great anchor for the 'Play Area'.
The best way to keep a playroom organized is to provide enough storage for toys. To help with this, I suggested the client go with the Expedit bookcases from Ikea for housing baskets to fill with toys and hold the TV.
The map art above the entertainment unit was found on Etsy.com,
while the 'Fun is Good' print is a free printable from
Paper Coterie.
And last, to provide a little comfort in the 'Play Area', I selected a blue & white chevron striped pouf from Etsy.
So, there you have it.
A multi-age, budget-friendly playroom, whimsical playroom.
