Design the Perfect Playroom Step-by-Step: 2 Different Ways
Part I: Neutral Playroom Design
Real Postbox Project: Neutral Playroom Makeover
Hi Guys! I have been excited to share this Playroom Makeover with you all for awhile now! Recently I have been doing a LOT of Kid’s Playroom Designs, Homework Centers, and Hang-out spaces. And with so many of us having open floor plans we want our kid spaces to flow into the rest of our homes. It is important to balance having a kid’s space that is fun and whimsical while still blending in with surrounding grown-up furniture. And you want a functional, organized space…that is also fun. What’ a parent to do? Well, read on!
Furthermore, when you have multiple kids sharing the space, you need a Playroom design that can work for different ages and genders. As was the case with this Real Postbox Project. This mom came to me wanting some help with her Playroom that is shared by her son and daughter. It is also an open space at the top of the stairs, so she wanted it to flow with the overall style of her home. And I have to admit it guys-this has been one of my favorite projects to work on! The Mom had fabulous taste and I spent forever drooling over all of the beautiful images in her Pinterest board she created for me.
Playroom Design: Two Ways
For all of my clients I always create two different designs that are meant to be mixed-and-matched. For today’s Part I on creating the perfect playroom, I’m sharing Version #1 with you guys! For Version #1 we went very neutral, and with Version #2 (which I’m going to share with you in Part II) we added some pops of (gender neutral) colors and more pattern.
Use Kid’s Furniture for a Grown-Up Look
One item that was a “Must Have” was this cute-beyond-words mini Chesterfield sofa (#1). Is this not the sweetest thing you ever did see? You can find it over at Pottery Barn Kids. I used this sofa along with some whimsical, neutral throw pillows (#7 and #8) to create a little reading nook. On one side I put this oversized woven basket (#10) for books and blankets, with this PB Kids table (#19) on the other side. This oversized, soft sisal rug was placed in the middle of the room for a play area and to help pull the different spaces together in the room. In front of the sofa I placed this short table (#9) that can double up as a coffee table and activity center (with drawers for craft supplies).
Create Different Centers in Your Playroom Design
While the sofa and coffee table created a reading nook, the table also doubles up as a craft/activity table. These sweet gingham poufs (#14) can be pulled over to the table for extra seating. And lidded baskets on the table’s bottom shelf, hide not-so-cute items (#12).
Another center that was requested, was a tea party area for her daughter. My client found this gorgeous set from Restoration Hardware (#5)-while it is kid sized, it is beautiful enough to fit into the style of her traditional home. If you love this set, it comes in a variety of styles and colors-you can even mix-and-match like in the Mood Board. And she can put the dollhouse that Mom used as a child nearby (#13).
Create an Organized Playroom Design
Another center we created was a spot to hold all of the kid’s toys and books. As a designer AND Mom:
Having toy organization that actually works should be your No.1 priority in a Playroom!
Because it doesn’t matter how beautifully you decorate your Playroom, if it is covered with a mess of toys, it doesn’t work! I’m a huge fan of the Pottery Barn Kids Cameron storage units. I have used them before, and happily my client already owned it. You can create dozens of different looks and combinations with it. For my client we used a combination of drawers, cubbies, and added an optional art center on top (you can see that in Version #2).
Drawers work well for games or odd-shaped toys. Then I always love to add bins or baskets to corral similar type toys. Honestly, I have three kids and I don’t get too picky. But having a loose system of a “dolls” bin, or “cars” bin seems to be a happy medium for both kids and parents. My client wanted to leave half of the cubbies empty for books. And the rest we filled up with these adorable striped bins from Land of Nod (#11). Old fashioned plastic bins from Pottery Barn Kids works well for craft or art supplies (#26) on top of the unit.
HINT: If you have itty bitties, sometimes having these items up high prevents disasters while you turn your back for just a moment! Or also perfect if your space is being shared by “big” and “little” kids!
Girly Girl Dress-Up Station
Another mini center we created was specifically for her daughter. Mom already had a beautiful dress-up center for her. A tiny nook by the stairs was the perfect spot to squeeze it in. But to make it feel more purposeful I found this simple Etsy gold heart print (#24) and charming felt ball garland (#28) that pulled in the same repeating colors throughout the room.
Lego Table that Does Double Duty
The final center we created was for her son. I added a Lego table (#27)-a model like this has a top that can flip over for multiple uses and comes with oodles of storage. I paired it up with two poufs (#23) for extra seating.
Kid’s Playroom Decor that Works for Grown-Ups Too
Fun and whimiscal touches like this beaded chandelier (#22), giant pencil art (#20) felt ball garland from Etsy (#28) and oversized ruler (#18) remind us that it IS a Playroom for kids! And kid decor should be fun! But by keeping a neutral, soft palette it still works for Mom and Dad as well.
I also created an Elevation Drawing that showed my client a possible to-scale arrangement of how to create this Gallery Wall over her Pottery Barn cubby built-ins:
But…Where to put everything?
Even if you have the perfect items picked out, HOW you lay them all out makes a huge different. Some rooms are so big and open, it is hard to figure out how to create groupings in it. Some rooms are strange shapes so having the right floor plan makes it flow. In this case, this Playroom is also a “transition” space from the staircase into the kid’s bedrooms. So I wanted to keep a good traffic flow in the room, along with creating mini-centers within the larger space.
This was the Floor Plan with notes I included in my client’s Postbox:
A Neutral Playroom Design Come to Life
And finally, this client purchased my Room Package that included the 3D rendering. I have to say, this is my FAVORITE part about a Postbox! I created Mood Boards, Floor Plans, Elevations, and Shopping Lists for my client. But the 3D rendering is truly how you can envision your space. I put in all of her chosen items, and showed her how I would lay out her new dream Playroom. I think in this Playroom the showstopper is this gorgeous wallpaper! It is full of charm but it’s soft, muted colors just blend everything together.
And guess what? That is only Part I! After I finish Version #1 for my clients, I send them a copy of the design over email. I get their feedback and thoughts on that version and what they would like to see differently in Version #2. While this mama loved this version, in the next Playroom design, she wanted to see some more color, and some more touches for her son.
Be sure to come back for Part II of How to Design the Perfect Playroom and see an entirely new version of this kid’s space!
In the meantime, I have been doing tons of fun Playrooms and Kid Spaces, all with unique looks and budgets. You can check them out (along with all of my other projects) in my Postbox Projects section on my site.
And speaking of kid’s spaces, I also just unveiled my One Room Challenge: Boy’s Adventure Bedroom Makeover for my very own eight year old son. I (finally) re-did his toddler room into a Woodland/Adventure big guy room. You can check out the entire makeover HERE, but I also created weekly Design Freebies to go along with each week’s theme. You can find all of FREE Mood Boards, Shopping Lists, Guides and more in my Free Resource Library!
Thanks for hanging out with me today friends! And check back from Part II of How to Design the Perfect Playroom in just a few days! Get some ideas for your own kid’s Playroom, Homework Station, or Bedroom Design…
Cheers,
Kristin
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