Creating a fun space for my kids was probably more my dream than theirs. They were perfectly happy with their big room full of cluttered toys that displayed their childhood with beautiful, colorful mess. I craved a space that would grow right along with them. I envisioned how they would use it as older kids up until their teenage years. Having a love for hosting, I hoped that eventually our house would be the cool hang-out spot for their friends, and look forward to the many memories to come.
Designing your dream play space is easy. If you’re the type of parent who likes an aesthetic, like myself, a design is something to think about. I’ve had the vision for the room for a while, but it was always pushed back on the project list until this year. My big kids are new siblings to 3-month-old twin sisters, so a little surprise seemed perfectly timed. Here are a few steps and hacks that helped me with my playroom process:
- Choose your color palette. Though I wouldn't label myself "a beige mom," I settled on a black and white color palette to allow the room to grow as they do. As much as I would have loved a bright-colored space, I didn’t want to have to re-invest in a new design as the kids matured. We also have multipurpose for the finished basement with a large sectional + TV, so a neutral color scheme allowed for a cleaner, more modern look that wouldn’t quickly fade with their interests. My daughter calls it “the zebra room.”
- Choose your toy storage. Before my playroom revamp, I had the open toy storage shelving that didn’t hold as many toys and also constantly looked cluttered. It drove my OCD up a wall. I purchased simple cubicle storage shelves from Amazon with black + white storage cubes. It hides the cluttered look while still offering organization. Since my kiddos can’t read yet, I’ll be printing toy labels with the toy photos to match to make clean-up time easier.
- Choose your vibe. Recently having twin girls, I know that I will be entertaining littles for the next decade. When it came time to select the “vibe” of the playroom, I thought about what I wanted and that was for my kids to be able to have a safe, cool hang-out spot where their little imaginations, and energy levels to match, could run wild. Toddlers and little kids love to climb, jump, shout, color, and test their limits. Naturally, a ball pit, slide, foam cushions, and rock-climbing wall were all necessary!
The Rock Wall! I’ve been eyeing these up on Pinterest on other Playroom Instagram accounts for a while and figured, “How hard could it be?” If you’ve got a plan and a man (or very strong person), it’s totally do-able. Bless my husband, who made this dream a reality for me. We purchased plywood at Home Depot, and he used his circular saw to scale to size. We purchased peg board that made it easy to line up the rocks. The rocks were purchased on Amazon. We painted the wall white and with a little mechanics, we were able to drill it to the playroom wall. I’d recommend foam puzzle flooring and cushions for safety – oh, and make sure all kids who come over sign a waiver! Haha.
- Allow room for mess and creativity. My kids and I love arts and crafts, they’re a huge part of our lifestyle. As much as I would love an Instagram-staged home, I’ve come to accept that there will almost always be an unfinished project on the kitchen counter, paint on the table, and party supplies for our ever-lasting birthday party plans. In the playroom, I created one special corner just for our art. We have our easel and art cart (which I wish was kept more organized than it is) and a working table just for the kids. I try to foster art in our everyday life and know that by allowing them that freedom to make mistakes and messes, they’re growing and learning.
- Decor. We’ve all seen the popular circular ABC rug and this is what I used on the art table. I also found this adorable road rug in black and white that they love to use for toy cars. The play space is full of inspirational quotes and play encouragement and almost everything was found on Amazon or Etsy. The rustic basketball hoop was definitely a hit with my son, who has big dreams of becoming the next MJ. All and all I think the neutral colors worked well for our play space.
DIY and home design is always a big love of mine. My twin pregnancy restricted my usual physical mobility for a while, so it was nice to get back to my typical Monica-from-Friends energy levels and pick up a new project.
