Kids Playroom Makeover

Our basement is largely unfinished aside from a good sized bonus room. The previous owners left a ginormous play structure behind in it and when we bought the house I envisioned the kids spending endless hours romping around and playing in their own space. But that didn’t happen. They rarely went down there unless friends were over and it soon became a dumping ground for discarded and outgrown toys. Poor lighting, a washing machine mishap that seeped water into the carpet, a few Madi-girl accidents and a year later the room was anything but a welcoming space. And smelly.

I wanted a light and bright space where the kids could spread out projects, dance around and spend hours getting lost in imaginative play during the rainy winter months.

So a couple Saturdays ago I started ripping up the carpet, gathering paint swatches and somehow convinced Jason to install a new floor and commit a weekend to Home Depot runs. And since I’ve watched one too many HGTV shows I was determined to complete the room in 48 hours.

I wanted the space to allow for activities the kids enjoy most:
– A table to spread out art projects, build with Legos or play board games
– A big open space to dance, build forts or just run around
– A place to relax and read books
– Race cars, build train tracks and block cities
– Play “house” and dolls
– Dress up and creative play

Before:

After:

Both Hadley and Carson gave their input to the design. Carson has always wanted to paint a room orange, so he chose the pumpkin walls, and Hadley of course wanted pink, so I painted an accent wall a bright magenta.

We set up our old kitchen table with easily accessible art supplies.

A wire strung with clips makes it easy to display and dry artwork:

A cozy corner is dedicated to snuggling and reading books {or jumping around and pillow fights, as the case may be}:

Costumes and dress up clothes line a wall awaiting imaginations:

Large framed photos give a personal touch and sense of ownership to their space:

Lighting:
Lighting made a huge difference. Thanks to IKEA a “cloud” pendant light over the table, a fun ceiling light and modern floor lamp by the reading nook make the space bright and welcoming.

Mirrors:
Large mirrors hung horizontally on one end of the room make the space feel larger {and the kids love practicing their dance moves in front of it}

Floors:
Jason installed an inexpensive wood laminate from Lumber Liquidators. With the pre-attached underlayment and snap-together installation it took him one afternoon. Colorful and moveable rugs make the space flexible for whatever the kids dream up.

I love how the space turned out  – and now it’s the first place the kids want to go when they come home.