Playroom Makeover: Four Kids | One Room

$500
2 Weeks
Easy
First and foremost, let me start by saying that I absolutely love children! The creativity and imagination they possess is magical. That being said, anyone with children can relate to the amount of clutter they create. Toys, books, school projects, art supplies...the list goes on and on. If not carefully tended to, this clutter will take over your life (you're probably nodding your head in agreement as you're reading this right?)
Now picture your life and child-realted clutter with four small children in your house. They need a place to play, you need organization. Question is: how can we create a play room that is organized and easy to clean-up at the end of the day, while also offering visual appeal to both the adults and children in the home? This was the overarching question that home owner Cheryl and I asked ourselves during an initial brainstorm session.
The client had about $500 to work with and wanted to give a completely new look and feel to the space. More than anything, Cheryl wanted three things:
1) A space that was easy to clean-up at the end of the day when everyone is exhausted
2) A space where all four children know exactly where their toys are
3) A space for the children to play, read and create
So - here is what we came up with when it was all said and done...
BUT - to appreciate this room...you MUST see the before and understand what we started with...
THE PLAY ROOM BEFORE


When I first saw the playroom it was bursting at the seams. You could sense right away how much use this room gets and how much the kids genuinely love playing in it. There was art and shopping carts, books and strollers, trucks and dolls, etc. Cheryl told me that she loves color so she painted the bottom half of the walls a bright orange.
She also told me that although the space was small, she wished there was an area where her twin toddlers could sit and play, maybe picture walk through their favorite books. She also noted that her older two like to sit and draw and play with a variety of toys they've gathered over the years. There was actually a lot of stuff that Cheryl noted is no longer played with.
The entire vision of the play room makeover started with four fabric selections that I fell in love with...I just had to use these colors and patterns...
The fabrics were partly going to be used for a reading/storage bench. You can see photos of this below and a link to the DIY instructions here:


http://www.theuniquenest.com/2014/02/toy-bench.html
This bench turned out to be my favorite part of the make over!
Envelope pillows make removal and cleaning a breeze!
Crate paper and spray painted clearance frames make these portraits fun and eye-catching!
Leftover materials scraps from the pillows made a perfect quilt-pattern window valence
AFTER


Ta-da!!! Now who would've thought that painting a play room gray would actually make it seem brighter and more fun? The owner wanted to see bright pops of color, but they were so overpowered by the wall color and clutter in the room, that it was being lost all together...
The room now looks larger and there is a space for everything to go. I try to live by the mantra: "A place for everything, and everything in it's place."


The walls are left with plenty of space for the children's art and other items they wish to display in the future. The client and her family were quite pleased with the outcome and they didn't have to break the bank to address this space that once was the biggest problem room in the home :)
The Unique Nest/Laura Leigh Designs
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Valerie Marek Valerie Marek on Jun 23, 2014
    I would have never thought to put those patterns together, but they really look great! The serene wall color is wonderful too. Just looking at the after photo, makes me feel relaxed. Much more balanced now. Super job!
  • Denise M Denise M on Jun 23, 2014
    If it were mine, I would no change a thing! Great redo on a budget! Could you share the cost to make the bench with storage underneath? Just love it!
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