Playroom Reveal
There are a couple rooms in our home that have left me stumped and taken longer than I’d like to admit to get “right”. The girls’ awkwardly-long shared room being one, this playroom being the other. And to me, a great playroom isn’t just the thing that houses all things plastic and primary-colored. It’s a whimsical space where little imaginations run wild. And it can be as aesthetically pleasing as I damn well like!
If I had to choose my all-time favorite thing about our home it wouldn’t be our master bathroom (although, it’s DREAMY) or the French Doors leading to my office (swoon). It would be our layout. The coveted main-floor playroom, directly off the kitchen is the the thing this mom-of-almost-three dreams of. With that prime location, comes a lot of responsibility, though. You see – in today’s age – no one uses the front door. Everyone comes through the side door…walking directly into…you guessed it, our playroom.
Pressure. Was. On. I wasn’t working with a lot of space, since we opted to squeeze a second main-floor powder room into the square footage as well. But a small playroom within ear’s shot of where I’d be washing dishes at the sink was more appealing than one that required me hiking up the stairs every time there was an argument over whose turn it was to wear the Cinderella dress.
The Goal: a whimsical space that blends well with our main-floor living spaces. Ample storage for ALL THE THINGS. A playroom where imaginations run wild and make-believe trumps any and all “devices”.
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Our Playroom
Playroom Storage Solution
As much as I love baskets (and Lord knows, I do), a playrooms calls for next-level storage. These side-by-side bookcases have been on my list since we moved in more than 2.5 years ago. Without them, the room was just a lot of little things (baskets, toys, storage bench) – which is my biggest design pet peeve of all. A room needs some weight. These bookcases ultimately provided that weight and houses each and every toy that I don’t want on display when we have company over.
Tips when styling bookcases:
Use a variety of items: books, baskets, frames, greenery, etc. Be sure to vary size + texture.
Place larger items first. In this case, it was the baskets. I also needed these to be practical for the kids to reach – therefore, all baskets are on the first two shelves. I’ll also note that it was CRUCIAL for me to have some drawer storage. These bookcases look like they have four small drawers at the bottom, but in reality – those are two large drawers, allowing me to shove so much dress-up and plastic out of view.
Layer with smaller items like frames, stuffed animals, little mementos (e.g. outgrown ballet slippers).
Tweak, tweak + tweak. Unless you hire a designer with the sole purpose of devoting several hours to styling shelves – do not expect to knock out this design project with one trip to Target or Home Goods. This is something that takes time, tweaking over days….weeks, even. I still pop into this room occassionally and move things around.
In short: 1. Always include baskets for tucking away small, but necessary items. 2. Be sure to have items of various material, height + size. 3. Do not overcrowd or clutter shelves. You can spend thousands of dollars on the PERFECT bookcase and completely lose all of its beauty by using it as resting place for anything and everything. 4. Tweak, tweak, tweak!
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Displaying Artwork
Let’s just cut to the chase – there is literally no way to display every piece of artwork your small human creates unless you own a museum. Choose your favorites and come up with a great storage solution for the others. At the moment, I have three of these boxes in my office holding 50 million half-finished coloring sheets.
For me, designating a wall and choosing large bulletin boards is the best way to do this. I’m not a huge fan of the twine + clothes pin thing – it’s just a bit overwhelming to the eye. If a picture is EXTRA special, you better believe I mount and frame that sucker. Bauer did a portrait of Baby Crichton that is framed in his nursery. It’s the best thing, ever.
Toys that Last
I’m a big believer in investing in a few big-ticket items for the playroom (I’m looking at you over-priced Pottery Barn Kitchen set). Here’s the thing: this is a toy that entertains them for YEARS. Spread that out over three kids and it’s well worth the investment to purchase something pretty AND durable. Our kitchen set, play table + chairs and white castle (currently in our piano room) are three examples of splurges. But, they’ll be in our home, on display, for 5-7 years and then I’ll tuck them away to pass on when the kids are grown.
Adding Character
Shortly after Bauer was born we visited a local antique market with my parents and my Dad scooped up an old (and rusty), vintage carousel horse. It sat in our garage for a couple years, until I knew it was finally time to give the little guy new life. Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities like this to add something one-of-a-kind and unique to your space.
A Reading Nook
Confession: I was about 24 hours away from selling our white glider on Facebook Marketplace. I had something different in mind for Crichton’s nursery and love a good purge. I’m so thankful sentimental thoughts got the best of me, and I asked Kelly to carry it down to our playroom to test the waters, first. This chair has gotten more use in the last month in our playroom, than it has in four years. It’s a comfy place for me to sit and watch the girls play and the girls love to curl up with a good book. I’m all for anything that encourages more reading!
Prior to this re-design, this room was a hodge-podge of things we’ve accumulated over the years, with no real plan. My favorite rooms are well-thought out and curated with love. I love peeking my head around the door and seeing the girls’ imaginations run wild in this space – I know they appreciate it’s beauty as much as I do!
Memories captured by Alea Moore Photography.
SHOP THE ROOM
Dome Pendant (sold out, similar linked)
Diana Pilat says
This is truly the most beautiful room I’ve ever seen! Plenty of rooms have features that I’ve loved but this one is perfection at every turn! Great job!
Meghan Basinger says
Thank you so so much, Diana!