I've always had the idea in my mind that a playroom is wasted space. I don't know if it was because I felt like I could utilize it better or simply because kids grow out of things so quickly it wouldn't be worth it but about 2 months into living in our current home, I desperately needed a space designated to Drake and Emery.
The upstairs loft was an additional "family room" to the downstairs one with the old furniture from our previous home and it housed the xbox, wii, Andrew's music items and all our movies and books. Somewhere after those 2 months of having settled into a routine, we hadn't used the space once to watch a movie, play the xbox... you name it. It was going without an ounce of love and was only collecting dust.
It was also around this time Emery began walking and my fool proof work days of having her chill in her saucer, playing was dwindling because home girl wanted to explore and nothing would stop her. That's the light bulb moment and I told Andrew we needed to do something to make the space more toddler/preteen friendly while giving them an awesome area in the house to bring friends and relax.
It opens to the entire upstairs and the downstairs dining room so decor wise, I wanted to use a lot of what we had as resources but add in color. I'm basically allergic to color in my wardrobe and almost the entire rest of the home so I had to make an impact with something fun. I just had to.
Our couches are totally cozy and nothing is wrong with them (although the color isn't my favorite any longer) so we kept them, added some curtains, a few layered rugs, bright pillow accents, the typical bins and chest for storage and shelving for books decorative pieces and ta-da! A vibrant, yet eclectic space that both a 10 year old and 1 year old can enjoy. I do want to swap the fan for this pendant light but all in time... a fan is so logical in AZ so it might stay and just be painted white.
Thus far, they've used it every single day. We've already had friends and family over and all the kiddos head straight there and it's been perfect! Why I didn't do it sooner blows my mind but I'm sure happy we have something fun now!
toy chest- The Land of Nod | tent- Ashley Gabby Designs | cowhide metallic rug- Rugs USA | multi color rug- Rugs USA | blue watercolor rug- Rugs USA | mermaid blanket- Madly Wish | curtains- Anthropologie | pink pillow- The Woven Home | gold metallic pillow- Homegoods | silver bins- Serena & Lily | shelving unit- IKEA | book ledges- The Land of Nod | large bear- Costco | pom pom garland- The Blushing Fig | animal heads (1, 2, 3)- Anthropologie | throw pillows- Target | open frames- Hobby Lobby | heart print- Minted | IG prints- Fox Print | stuffed animals- The Land of Nod | books- Amazon | wood sign- Kinch Design Co (my sister in-law's new company; she made this custom!)
I T E M S S H O W N I N R O O M
