As you can see plain white walls. (let’s pretend they don’t look pink in the picture) Toys just scattered about. The kids playroom is in the basement and even though it does get a lot of sunlight from the window it is still a basement and that always has a “creepy” feel to me, but since the basement is fully finished and accounts for 1/2 the square footage of the house I really wanted the playroom to be as cheerful and welcoming as any other room in the house. So the walls got a fresh coat of paint in a pale earthy green. (with a small splash of white as an accent above the wall to wall shelf)
Yes those are kids in Pajamas, (yes Jude’s pajama’s are 3 sizes too small have you ever tired to tell a 4 year old he has out grown something?) yes that was also improved in the “after” picture where they are fully dressed. The new curtains and removal of the cardboard moving boxes as toy storage were a huge improvement right off the bat.
Now all the toys are stored neatly away in bins, dolls went in a new toy box, baby toys were stored away and toys they no longer play with or broke were thrown away or donated. (I think we got rid of half their toys in the process it was good 🙂 The closet has floor to ceiling cubbies that store all of their books (sorry no pictures of the closet) The closet also stores the large play-sets (other than the doll house) that can be pulled out when in use and put away when they are done. So here are the details:
I used my silhouette machine A LOT I went a little vinyl happy, but it was fun and I like the outcome. I created labels for all the drawers so they clearly knows what belongs where. It also helps learn reading along the way which is a plus. I put the alphabet on the wall just above their slide, and I put their names above their desks to clearly mark their workplace.
One side of the room is their art and creating side. We hung a wall to wall shelf. I cut out vehicle shapes using the silhouette, I just cut them from colored cardstock and stuck them on to a piece of white paper. Stuck them in some frames and placed them layered on the shelf. We hung a wire with clips just below the shelf so they could hang their art. (as soon as it was hung Jude filled it up with art) That is also where I hung the sight words, which we work on at the desks. On the shelf I also added a cross stitch picture I made from one of my kids favorite books “Mary had a little Ham” I sketched it out from a drawing in the book. I may share a tutorial on that someday but I made this one long before the blog was around.
So in the end I had one goal in mind for the playroom, a place my kids could create, play, and learn. I wanted it to be bright, colorful and inviting. Since it is now one of the most favorite rooms in the house (by everyone) I would say it was a success. Thanks for letting me share the playroom!
Tutorials from Playroom Series:
Butterfly Pillow
Beetle Pillow
Sight Words Printables
Wall Mural
Jane@Buzzmills
It looks great!! I really like the idea of having the dollhouse up on top of the little trofast storage unit…makes it easier to get to…
nest full of eggs
I bet everyone is happier now that everything is organized !
ppags
Great makeover! I love the storage bin you have. Can you share where you got that from? I would love to have that for my kids' playroom as the pull out drawers seem much better suited for their purpose. Thanks!
Shauna@shwinandshwin
Nearly everything in the room is from Ikea, the storage bins and holders, the shelves, the hanging line, the slide, the table, chairs and curtains… I kind of love Ikea 🙂
Heather Green
Love love love it!! It's so wonderful! I want it for my kids!! 🙂
Amy Thayer
It's so bright and happy! Great job! The butterflies and the bold "Be Nice" really made the room perfect. LOVE!
Tara
Wow, it looks great! I totally want to play in there too. I wish I felt like I had the skills/means to pull something like that off, but I think it is beyond me. Lol. Can you come decorate and organize my life too please?
mjb
Love it! Great job, my favorite is the butterflies:)
NurseBrandy
Thank you so much for sharing – I LOVE LOVE LOVE the transformation!!!
Neldajay
WOW! that looks awesome! I wish I can make like that for my kids…I am a horrible designer! Thanks for sharing you did a fantastic job!
youandmie
This looks AMAZING!! You did a fantastic job – your kids are so fortunate!
shantel
I love that slide! Where did you get it?
Shauna@shwinandshwin
The slide was from Ikea, I think I loved it as much as the kids.
Domestic Debbie
Great job! Very inspiring 🙂
Kellapwl
I LOVE this!! Do you know the name of the green paint? I would like to use something similar to it. Beautifully done!!
Rita Vogt
where is the slide from. room looks great very inspiring
Shauna
The slide is from Ikea, not sure if they still sell it but it is a great slide!