A House of Prim Playroom Overhaul…On A Budget
I’m sure most of you feel like I do: TOYS. ARE. EVERYWHERE.
Especially through quarantine 2020. Having to be at home and constantly inside because of weather, it felt impossible to have any sort of order and was really making me go crazy. At the same time, we were all in survival mode, and it felt too hard to keep kid stuff in its proper place AND adhere to the color coded schedule of ever changing zoom calls for my 3 new “bosses” (!). Their learning took priority over making sure the house was picked up and organized.
We have a finished basement that was being using as a playroom. The boys are at an age where they still want to be close to us (sweeties!), the kitchen, SNACKS and would bring all of their toys upstairs with them, which then made the whole house a playroom…and drove me INSANE.
My unfurnished formal dining room had essentially become the “Amazon Package Landing Zone,” and I thought it would be smarter use of space for now if turned into a kids lounge and play area. I’m a firm believer in make your house into what works for YOU and your lifestyle at this station in life—if you don’t host a ton of formal dinner parties, maybe your big kitchen table works for right now and you can utilize your space in a smarter way.
I knew that the boys would want to stay in the room if it was comfortable, utilitarian, and pleasant. Their biggest pushback with playing downstairs is that it wasn’t “nice” (Umm. Maybe because you throw your Magna-tiles like ninja stars and leave them there for the magic fairy to whisk back into place?? See last slide below for reference). This told me that:
We had accumulated TOO MUCH STUFF, because really they were referring to clutter when it all was out on the floor, and,
I needed to edit down and keep the items that were actually played with, and say goodbye to the others.
I didn’t have the budget to spend a lot on a transitionary kids area, nor should any of us that will be used and abused for the next 3-5 years. My priority was looking for pieces that would be durable but affordable, easily hide stains, and be a quick cleanup. Also, not make me flip out if someone drew on/got gum on/spilled a popsicle on something (that all actually happened on day 1).
Before
where I put my focus and dollars:
Storage
Storage was key.
I have a basket/bin obsession. I also know my kids, and know that they are little destructors, so it had to be something hearty. IKEA was a great solution for us: their KALLAX unit offers an easy, well priced solution with perfect fitting bins for quick and easy to clean up (and affordable enough to have a few extras around when someone drops it and breaks it).
I used the KUGGIS bins from IKEA which are made of durable plastic, and a few clear open front bins from MDesign to mix up the overall look. My favorite part: the KALLAX bottle inserts, which fit their cars perfectly (and I used iDESIGN Linus Deep Drawer Organizers from The Container Store to house Blaze and the Paw Patrol Characters). I picked up some big woven baskets for larger items to keep in the corner; these are from Home Goods, but you can find lots in my links below (the Serena and Lily ones are gorgeous).
The smaller 1 level KALLAX unit (under the window) acts as both storage and bench….my little guy Fitz rides the bus to his preschool, in the winter we wait inside and read at that window—this will be perfect for “bus spotting” once I add a seat cushion (in Teflon fabric).
And OF COURSE, Labels. This is an absolute must if you want to keep your playroom in any type of order—since I edited down our toys and gave each category a “home,” cleanup is easy peasy (vinyl labels made with love by yours truly). Loving this more modern font—we’ve been seeing SO much script the past few years organization wise—feels fresh to have something really clean, right?
Lounge Chairs & Rug
Loungers & rug
Not just a playroom, I wanted this to be a spot where the kids could go to watch a movie and hang out. They are growing, and needed their own space (so that the adults could also have their own space, too).
My kids have lived in their PBK anywhere chairs. Truly, this was a great piece for the first 5 years of their life. My 7 year old was starting to look like a giant man child in his chair, so it was time for an updated version. Xavier, Jude, and Fitz are all really active and “bouncy,” so I liked the idea of a beanbag/lounger type of piece that would also act as sensory input for their growing systems.
Lots of research later, I went with an indoor/outdoor lounger in blue, and they have been such a hit! (The one I ordered from Amazon is not available in blue right now, but I’m linking a few others below that look great in the same price range). They fit the light, bright beachy vibe I was going for….. let’s be honest…I was also doing this room for me (maybe a LOT for me). We are all happier walking by an organized room that also looks great! My boys love these chairs; they have been jumped on daily and I’m happy to report they are holding up well—I imagine many a beanbag lounger is made to take a beating.
Time will tell if this was my most utilitarian choice, but it was important to me to have something bright against the dark floor. Its white, gray, and blue and easily blends those mystery stains that are harder to get out (and is called the Bungalow Rose Swaney Rug). The boys love it because its comfortable to play on; I’m happy because it gives such a pretty base and is at a decent price point.
Lego Storage and Display
One of life’s unanswered questions: HOW DOES ONE STORE LEGOS?
I knew I had to make it easy and not too granular organization wise—love a good color coded system, but that wouldn’t be realistic for my crew. They love to “free build” and take apart creations to make new ones, and I want to encourage that thinking outside the box mindset.
I love these SmartStore Containers. The SmartStore products are great; modular systems where you can have containers within containers, and keep things in order very easily. My oldest has been using the tall inserts to hold the numbered bag parts with each LEGO set that he is building—that way, he doesn’t lose them if he has to stop.
For a work surface, I used the LACK table from IKEA. This is the larger size and $50—perfect for a playroom (and has withstood many a jumping contest). One issue we ran into as a family of 3 siblings---little hands liked to play with cool big brother creations. The matching LACK wall shelf displays all of the LEGO creations perfectly!
Walls & Art
FINISHING TOUCHES = HUGE IMPACT
So, the organizing part was done. To me, and anything I do for House of PRIM, aesthetics carry equal weight. The room needed to feel FUN but also have the same flow as the rest of my house, with veins of blue, white, pops of green and natural elements.
First thing I changed: wall color. There is great natural light in this room, and the original yellowish-beige color was stealing the happy and bright. We washed the entire room in Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White. And I. LOVE. IT. Amazing white if you are looking for something crisp and clean.
To add in the fun part, I used these Watercolor Wall Dot Decals I found on Amazon. I wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but it absolutely made the room! Beyond easy to use, you literally stick onto the wall and can move them around if you want (no residue). When the boys outgrow this room in a few years, no biggie to say farewell.
Art is really important to me. I wanted something original but still interesting and youthful (as you walk into the playroom off our entry, the paintings are the first things you see). My old friend and extremely talented artist, Kristin Gaudio Endsley, has so many special pieces and I was thrilled she had a few still available from one of my favorite series. These two pieces are from her Palm Series- How gorgeous do her pieces look in this room??
I have a blank wall that I’m waiting to fill with some of her new work that is coming out this fall. Her pictures make me feel so happy each time I walk into the house and look into the playroom!
Below, you can find all of the links to the products I used. This project was so much fun to work on, I loved every minute! If you’d like help making your playroom into space that works better for your children AND for you, please get in touch—we are here to help!
xx Meredith
Toy Organizing
Lego Storage
Loungers & More
Walls
*Disclosure: While every single product here is personally selected, battered by my children, and suggested by me, House of Prim may earn a small commission if you purchase an item through some of these links