Playroom ideas and pics

[gelfnrach]

We have decided to convert our guest room into a playroom for DS. What do you have in it in terms of tv, couch, tables, etc...
Also, If anyone has any pics of their playrooms, please post them. Thanks!!

[emschwar]

How funny! I'm working on the playroom now! It's going to have a daybed in it, some shelf cube thingies with baskets from target, a big old mural (what I'm working on this weekend) and lots of toys! I'll post pics when it's done.

[BooeyJ2]

Same here!! :)

We need to paint (I believe we are doing a sagey green color), but we already have a futon (that has been sat on maybe 5 times ever LOL (it was in hubby's office), small flat screen TV (not heavy in case she somehow ever manages to pull it down on herself) and an area rug from Crate & Barrel. We just need to find some storage cubes or shelves and a TV stand of some sort. We will most likely start on this next weekend (our daughter is being baptized today, so we've been busy this past weekend)....although there isn't a huge rush since she just turned 4 months old yesterday, so she's not crawling or anything yet anyway ;)

[Candy]

We just bought a new house and plan to convert the living room into a playroom. We close in 13 days, so I haven't started on it yet.

I'll be back later to post my ideas.

[emschwar]

Booey - Target has lots of storage cubes. If you'd like, I can take a picture of the ones we have.

[Orange]

We did this. We still use it as a guest room on the occasion we have people overnight, but it's pretty much a playroom. We have a futon in there to sit on while DD's playing or to read stories, etc. We have a TV and fish tank that are on a big sturdy sofa table. We have 2 bookshelves: one has baskets with toys and the other has books, puzzles and a few toys. DD just got a play fridge and stove for her birthday, so we have those in there as well. In the middle of the room, we put a toddler-sized table and chairs for her to color and play at. Finally, we have one of those PlayHut things in the corner for her to hide out in. We have sort of a fish theme in the room and got a cheap area rug that matched the colors. We haven't painted the walls yet, but intend to paint them yellow. We got blue curtains for the windows and a taupe cover for the futon.

I have to say this was probably the best thing we have done in our house! It was getting crazy having all the toys in the living room!

[gelfnrach]

Thanks so much for the replies! I am going to hit Target for some storage ideas. I think I want to do some sort of transportation theme, in primary colors.
Cant wait to see pics. Do you think the TV has to be on a low stand, or is the likelihood of it being pulled over the same if its on a regular sized one? I am also going to go with a futon in case we have overnight guests at some point. Plus I can sit down comfortably.
What I am not sure about is the floor. I sort of want to do those puzzle mat things but they seem hard still...Maybe a rug would be better. We have hardwood floors in there.
BTW, EMSCHWAR, My dad is a Hodgekins Lymphoma survivor (who currently has breast CA but thats another story), and I think its great that you are participating in a cause to help.

[emschwar]

gelfnrach - thanks. My dad had multiple myeloma, which he actually beat, but the chemo killed his immune system and he got pneumonia. I hope your dad beats his cancer!

I'm about halfway done with the playroom mural. I'll post a pic when it's finished.

[wagsgirl]

Subscribing to get ideas :)

[Candy]

Can't wait to see the mural Em.

I'm going to use the Elongate to gate off the play room since the Play room and dining room are connected.
This is the elongate:
http://i19.ebayimg.com/04/i/04/7f/6e/69_1_b.JPG

Since the room is ceramic tile, I'm going to use the foam letters to cover the floor:
http://i6.ebayimg.com/04/i/04/79/50/fb_1_b.JPG
I want to find one in primary colors.

Anyway have a toybox they recommend?

[sublime311]

Drive by posting! I thought this was a super cute playroom:

http://images.snapfish.com/3444966%3B23232%7Ffp47%3Dot%3E2334%3D48%3A%3D425%3 DXROQDF%3E23239756%3A4736ot1lsi

[emschwar]

I thought about getting a toybox, but decided to get one of these instead:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000CEJWZ.16._AA260_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
My experience with toyboxes is that all the toys get thrown in and you can't find the toy you want to play with.

[Phen]

That is a seriously cute playroom!! Okay, I am almost embarassed to post my playroom photos now, but...

Here's one end of the playroom (we converted the garage into a playroom/family room). The wall with windows is where the garage door used to be, and we have our computers (in computer armoires) in the corners.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d932b3127cce929297a4963300000026108QZN2TNm4bQ

This is taken with my back to the windows in the previous photo. We've got a toybox behind the tent and a window, more storage, and TV armoire against the wall to the right, and a daybed and recliner on the wall to the left.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d932b3127cce9292946bd66500000016108QZN2TNm4bQ

I just have to order the letters (from Woodland Manuf. or somewhere similar) to put up on either side of the monkey clock....they'll say something like "Let's Play!" or "Play Time" or something.

The best decision, btw, we made about the whole playroom thing is the carpet. The one we got has a low enough pile so that wheeled toys will roll without trouble on it, and it's also a mostly non-synthetic weave that doesn't cause rug burn (important when you've got kiddos crawling or rolling on it all day long). Plus because the room was formerly the garage, we got extra padding.

~ Phen

[emschwar]

I just have to order the letters (from Woodland Manuf. or somewhere similar) to put up on either side of the monkey clock....they'll say something like "Let's Play!" or "Play Time" or something.
What about "Daytime is Playtime"? I saw that on a pooh rub-on at home depot.com and loved it, but the colors were all wrong for our playroom.

[vjel]

We turned our study downstairs into a playroom for DD. We also have the Elongate to keep in the room. These are pics from when we first finished it(I'll try to take better pics tomorrow). Unfortunately now, there are MORE toys and is always a MESS! :rolleyes: The room is approx. 11x11.

looking into the room:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d939b3127cce9356c131ebd700000016108AbMWbJu2Zs0

to the right:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d939b3127cce9356c121ebc700000016108AbMWbJu2Zs0

to the left: (we now have the Pottery Barn Anywhere chair where the toy bin is and a basket full of her books next to it. pushed the toy bin to the corner towards the green wall)
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d939b3127cce9356c1ea6a3c00000016108AbMWbJu2Zs0

[NicoleWisconsin]

Just a note about toy boxes... If you have one with a lid, toddlers can get their head trapped between the lid and the box and strangle themselves. Not trying to be dark or morbid, just a warning.

[emschwar]

Most of the toyboxes built now (well, all of them should have them) have safety hinges that won't close unless you push the lid down, so the stranglation problem is greatly reduced.

[Phen]

Our toybox is a Little Tykes deal with sliding doors on it (no longer made) that my guys can already work.

ooh, I like that rhyme, em! Thanks!

vjel, I love the colors in your room. Ooh pretty.

~ Phen

[tinkerbelljenny]

I love this thread! Keep coming with the ideas! Great pictures of your playrooms, I love them. We are still working on our playroom and I would love to get more ideas.

(EMSCHWAR...My father passed away from MM too. Two of my relatives also have it.)

[dana b]

i'm such a loser, i've been meaning to work on the playroom for months now. right now it's called the 'junky room', b/c it's filled with junk! i need to find some kind of inspiration or starting point, i can't even figure out which colors to use. eventually we plan on having -- a tv and dvd player in an armoire, a toybox that we already have, some type of bin storage for small toys and larger toys on top, a chair rail closer to the ceiling with a saying from wonderful grafitti (http://wonderfulgraffiti.com/index_f.html) (i'm looking for something from a children's book), a loveseat for adult seating, a couple of low comfy chairs for kids, a table and chairs set, an easel, a wooden kitchen set and maybe one of these
http://www.landofnod.com/landofnod/images/1103413_regular.jpg
other stuff i like
http://www.landofnod.com/landofnod/images/1107011g_regular.jpg
http://www.landofnod.com/landofnod/images/Kitchen_regular.jpg
http://www.landofnod.com/landofnod/images/girlsplayroom_regular.jpg
http://www.landofnod.com/landofnod/images/041012_List.jpg

phen where did you get those little blue chairs, they look so comfy. they look like they fold, too, perfect for traveling. i wish i had room for that tent, it looks like so much fun.

[gelfnrach]

YAY! Keep the ideas coming~!!
We just got the bins like Dana b just posted--in primary blue...
I also ordered a book box from ebay with the PBK transportation theme painted on it.
FLOORING--??? I dont know if I want to do carpet or mats...Mats would be cheaper but I think harder. I am going to go check out Home Depot today and see what they have.
Phen great room! Love the little house with the tunnel! your little guys must have a blast in that.

[emschwar]

Phen - here's the link to the home depot thingies, just in case you're interested - http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTTYPE=PROD_META&CNTKEY=misc%2fsearchResults.jsp&BV_SessionID=@@@@1272566709.1121776979@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccchaddfekjfmglcgelceffdfgidgjj.0&MID=9876
(Were it a regular stencil, I would have gotten it for our playroom, but they're rub ons :( )
And I got it wrong - it's Daytime means playtime.

[vjel]

thanks phen !

I also wanted to add that its a good idea to have adult seating in the playroom if you have room for it. As much as it is a kids playroom, I spend a lot of time in the playroom as well. I personally can do w/o adult seating BUT when we've had people over, somehow an adult (particularly MEN) end up sitting in dd's Anywhere Chair. :mad: NOT a good idea since the chair is foam. Her poor chair is getting lopsided.

[dana b]

gelfnrach i'm going to use an area rug that we already have, it's going down on hardwood, so i'm thinking of going to a carpet store and getting a square of carpet padding to go underneath, you could put something like that under the mats.

vjel i've been wondering about the quality of the pb everywhere chair. i think they're so perfect to drag from room to room, but they always look so worn out in the store. i really want 2 of those for kids to sit on.

[vjel]

dana : the PB Anywhere chair is really cozy and of course, cute! :p for the money, you could prob find something more solid/sturdy. fortunately, i found the chair at the PB outlet for $30 and got the cover for $29 (it was priced wrong) instead of $49.

If I move it to the family room, I typically will put the chair against the side table or ottoman so that if dd decides to climb on it, it doesn't tip backwards. I think part of why it looks worn is b/c the slip cover gets stretched out but hopefully a wash will fix that?

eta: i saw a kids recliner at Costco for around $90. cute and sturdier than the PB chairs, but maybe not easy to move from room to room. just thought i'd mention it.

[Candy]

Em I really like your storage containers for the toys. I'm going to buy that for our playroom. You made a good point about the toys on the bottom. I didn't even think of that.

[Phen]

dana b Those are some gorgeous playroom items you found. ooh that castle alone is making me drool. Our blue papasans came from Target (their summertime line -- only $13 apiece!). They come in pink, too.

gelfnrach, our nanny gave the boys that tent/tunnel combo. She found it at Toys R Us ($30 or something?). The boys think it is the best toy ever....well, since they learned how to climb into the toybox, anyhow.

Thanks for the link, em. I am going to check that out!

I totally agree on the adult seating thing, vjel. We have the room set up so that there's an obvious kids' toys area and then there's an adults' toys (i.e., computers, TV, DVD, etc.) area. My DH is planning on getting one of those poker table tops that fit onto a card table to go out in the playroom, too, and then he'll have Poker Night, too. We spend most of our days in the playroom, so it's definitely a plus to have comfy adult seating in there, too.

This thread has gotten me fired up to finish the playroom and last night I decided I want to paint a growth chart on one wall. You know, so we can stand the boys against the wall and mark how tall they are each month? But to have forever. :)

~ Phen

[emschwar]

Phen - would you paint it directly on the wall, or on wood, then attach it to the wall? I thought of painting one on the wall, but we'll move some day, and I wouldn't want to leave it behind. :(

BTW, I'm quickly becoming an expert on painting on walls, what with this mural project I've got going on.

[gelfnrach]

dana b great idea about the padding. I am actually going to check out the local carpet stores and see if I can find a good remnant, and if not I will go for mats with padding under them.
phenI cant believe that was only $30! I am so glad that DS isnt ready for big stuff yet or this would be one expensive project!!lol!

[BooeyJ2]

*bump* :)

[gelfnrach]

I made some cute pics to hang on the wall of the playroom. I will try and post a pic. We also decided on vinyl covered gym mats for the floor. ...

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y182/rskulnik930/133-3375_IMG.jpg

http://store1.yimg.com/I/childrensfurniture_1854_20574677

[Phen]

Are those cross-stitch or illustrations, gelfnrach? I can't quite tell, but they are amazing.

em, I'm not sure what to do about the growth chart. DH doesn't like the idea, after all. He's a grouch.

I saw a really fabulous playroom wall decor idea in the brand-new (August '05) issue of Southern Living. Can you see this?
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d903b3127cce92a0c9f0d65d00000016108QZN2TNm4bQ

They're wall letters, but they're made to look like Scrabble letters! Not so much a baby playroom idea, but it would work well as the kiddos grow up.

~ Phen

[gelfnrach]

Phen what a cool idea for the wall lettering. The pictures are printed graphics from my computer. I did some for DS's bedroom too and they came out great. I love being able to do exactly what I want, and pick out the mat/frames, etc...

[emschwar]

Phen - What about some other kind of growth chart? Maybe the grouch would approve of something else? Maybe an Oscar the Grouch one? ;) I found a cool jungle growth chart that I'm (eventually) going to order for Noah's room. If you froogle, you can find tons. I know a couple of cute monkey ones...

[onomatopoeia]

Phen, I LOVE those scrabble wall letters!!!

:)

Does it say in the magazine where to get those?

[emschwar]

Our playroom is this close to being finished. Here's some pics:
the mural (damn, that took forever) - it's from a kit from www.wallnutz.com, before you all go thinking I'm some incredible artist:
http://images.costcophotocenter.com/344979%3B923232%7Ffp4%3Enu%3D3235%3E33%3B%3E437%3E WSNRCG%3D32323%3B6966587nu0mrj

curtains (red gingham from walmart :)):
http://images.costcophotocenter.com/344979%3B923232%7Ffp5%3Enu%3D3235%3E33%3B%3E437%3E WSNRCG%3D32323%3B696658%3Anu0mrj

toy storage (and crap that needs to leave the room before it's official breaking in):
http://images.costcophotocenter.com/344979%3B923232%7Ffp5%3Enu%3D3235%3E33%3B%3E437%3E WSNRCG%3D32323%3B696493%3Cnu0mrj

[gelfnrach]

LOVE that wall!! wow!! It looks so great!

[Pink_Converse]

I'm only 6 weeks pregnant, but I'm trying to reserve a space in our house for a playroom and mapping out space for where our room and the baby's room is going to be. Those of you that have 2 story houses, is your playroom upstairs or down. And for all the moms, do you get a lot of use out of them?

[Candy]

Emily, the play room & mural look great!

[dzmattie]

Do any of you use the main family room as a play room? We are moving in December - we will have a den/office and a family room. The family room is pretty good size (17x20) so I think we will spend our time there and we won't really have anywhere else to designate as the play room. So - anyone want to share pictures of your family rooms/play rooms? I am really trying to think of good ideas that will look nice but can be used as storage or seating too. We don't have ANYTHING for this room yet so it is completely a blank slate. :eek:

[dana b]

pink converse definitely downstairs. my dd's room is upstairs and she's never in there. my sil/bil have their playroom upstairs and it gets very little use, all the kids toys are in the living room downstairs.

[MtySheera]

We have a 2 story house, and rarely go upstairs during the day, so we did make a play area on the first story. Here is the room when we first moved in:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3da23b3127cce9ea9ed4c273200000016108EbN2LZs0Z4
This is the play area in front of the bookshelf now (it usually isn't this messy, but this was right after my DS's birthday party)
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5ce39b3127cce94f8a4007b2a00000016108EbN2LZs0Z4

We have tile floor, so I bought the foam matts on Ebay. We also put a gate around the area so that my DS wouldn't hurt himself by falling on the tile that wasn't covered by the matts. I'll try to take a better picture of the entire area tonight.

[Pink_Converse]

I think I will make our current first floor bedroom the playroom. With a baby gate over the door and the door open you can see into it from the kitchen so that will be helpful and it's very close to the living room. Even tho our baby won't use it for a long time I can use it for naps and changing during the day while I'm downstairs or for our friends kids to come over and play w/o our hyper dog bothering them.

[kirstyjoanne]

I will have to come back later, as we are just a few weeks away from getting into our new house (we settle mid-Dec). But here's what I WANT to do for DS's playroom:

Since we are building and we decided it made most sense to use our formal living room as a playroom, we added french doors at both entryways (to the foyer and to the dining room). The room is about 11'x12' (give or take a few inches) and I plan to decorate in a castle, medieval, robin hood theme. All the way around the room, up to where chair rail would be, I want what looks like castle wall. I found a mural/wallpaper to do this, which would save on painting it. Above that, on all four walls and ceiling, I want blue skies and clouds. On one wall that doesn't have any doors or windows, I'm hoping a friend will help me paint a mural. I've envisioning hilly, grass area with a castle (preferably Nottingham Castle) in the background and a large oak tree on one side (to be the major oak from Sherwood forest, UK) and maybe a creek, path or something leading the eye to the distance. I have a few other ideas and decorating details to add to this concept, but not completely sure yet till it's getting done.

I have a toy box (from when I was a kid) that we are using right now, but I'd like to come up with another storage sollution (we may use some bookcase we have that have no other place to go in the new place, and will just add bins or baskets). We are hoping to get DS a train table for Xmas, so I'm sure that will be featured either in the center of the room or by the window.

I don't have plans for adult seating, mainly b/c I don't know what to do yet.

But here are some pics I had in mind as far as murals go:
What I'm hoping to put around the bottom of all the walls:
http://www.creativewallcovering.com/Merchant2/img/products/1isb4577m_md.png

Something along these lines are what I'm thinking of creating for the mural:
http://www.creativewallcovering.com/Merchant2/img/products/17kam-5814960_md.png
(w/o the castle wall - b/c it will already be below chairrail, and w/o the knight and dragon)

http://www.creativewallcovering.com/Merchant2/img/products/17kam-5814880_md.png
(not the characters, but the tree to the side and the landscaping behind it)

http://www.creativewallcovering.com/Merchant2/img/roomset/17kam-5814960_lg.png

[dzmattie]

I am going to *bump* this thread - we move into our new house in 3 weeks (yippee) and I need ideas for a family/great/play room combination....can anyone share ideas/pictures? Or websites I could check out? Our room will be connected to the kitchen and is going to be 15x18....

[TrulyBlessed]

Here is our playroom which isn't finished yet. I need to put up some pictures to liven up the walls a bit & maybe some cute curtains.

http://images.costcophotocenter.com/346396936%7Ffp4%3Enu%3D3235%3E7%3A5%3E%3B49%3EWSNR CG%3D32324%3B36356%3B8nu0mrj

http://images.costcophotocenter.com/34639797%3B%7Ffp4%3Enu%3D3235%3E7%3A5%3E%3B49%3EWS NRCG%3D32324%3B3635%3A58nu0mrj

http://images.costcophotocenter.com/34639797%3B%7Ffp4%3Enu%3D3235%3E7%3A5%3E%3B49%3EWS NRCG%3D32324%3B3635%3A5%3Bnu0mrj

http://images.costcophotocenter.com/34639797%3B%7Ffp3%3Enu%3D3235%3E7%3A5%3E%3B49%3EWS NRCG%3D32324%3B36356%3B3nu0mrj

[Lisa]

trulyblessed ,
cute room! where do you get those white shelves/bins from, I love them!

[TrulyBlessed]

trulyblessed ,
cute room! where do you get those white shelves/bins from, I love them!

Thanks. I bought the toy bins at Target. :) I even got my DD's bistro table set there. I LOVE that store.

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000066BCH.16._SCLZZZZZZZ_SS260_.jpg

[dzmattie]

Trulybessed - That is a great playroom - I have to get going on ours. You have alot of great toys but it doesn't look over crowded.

[Pink_Converse]

Great playroom. Love the bistro table. It looks expensive! Can't believe it came from Tarjay!

[Chimichanga]

DH and I are planning to convert half of our basement to a play room. My dad said he'd help make it nice and bright and put in a half bath downstairs so the kids (and mommy and daddy) won't have to run upstairs for potty breaks.

DH wants a sports theme, but I guess we're going to have to wait until we have the kids and see what they are first. :)

[BusyBee]

Love these playrooms - our living room is slowly being converted.

Phen - I just noticed the bouncing pony in your first photo - it's so cute but how long do you think it will last? I'm trying to decide whether to get one for DD's birthday. Thanks!

[Phen]

The "seat" on the pony actually removes; we took it off when they were about 16 months old. They still play with the pony regularly. :)

~ Phen

[sem426]

trulyblessed where did you get those foam letter mats on the floor??

[Lisa]

Thanks. I bought the toy bins at Target. :) I even got my DD's bistro table set there. I LOVE that store.

do you know does target still sell the bins? I couldn't find them online :(

[Phen]

I just saw them there last month, on sale. (not online, I mean, but in the store)

~ Phen

[emschwar]

Target had a lot of it's toy storage on clearance a couple of weeks ago.

[TrulyBlessed]

Trulybessed - That is a great playroom - I have to get going on ours. You have alot of great toys but it doesn't look over crowded.

Thanks, we turned our media room (app 450 sq ft) into a playroom since we just finished our basement with a theatre room for daddy (daddy's bachelor pad). So, we had a lot of room to work with. You would think since DD has this room she would just keep her toys all in one room but she has toys on all 3 floors of our house.



Trulybessed - Great playroom. Love the bistro table. It looks expensive! Can't believe it came from Tarjay!.

Isn't Target just the best? Not only is the bistro table/chair set inexpensive but very sturdy as well. My husband who is 225 lbs even sits & plays tea party with our DD.



trulyblessed where did you get those foam letter mats on the floor??

I bought them at The Right Start over 2 years ago but they don't carry them anymore. Toys R Us also has them but the letters aren't as big as the ones we have.

[njnewyearsbride]

trulyblessed where did you get those foam letter mats on the floor??

my mom just got us some big ones at sam's club - they came 8 to a package!

[Mrs B in NC]

Here's ours, done in a Thomas theme...it's actually DS bedroom, since we only have a 2 bdrm apt., but he co-sleeps with us, so we made this his playroom.

Wall to the left as you walk in the door - shelf above changer is from Wal-Mart and houses DS' socks and undershirts
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a325/FroggieTogs/IMG_1990.jpg

Corner of that same wall with toy bin, our pregnancy photo, DS' first portrait, and his footprint birth announcement
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a325/FroggieTogs/IMG_1991.jpg

The back wall as you walk in, with Thomas curtains and the toy box which needs to be re-painted red to match.
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a325/FroggieTogs/IMG_1994.jpg

Right wall with bed and train table my parents got DS for Christmas
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a325/FroggieTogs/IMG_1992.jpg

Bed with bedding
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a325/FroggieTogs/bedding1.jpg

[Jaycee]

bump

[Lisa]

bump!!!

[Jodi AKA BostonTeacher]

We're getting ready to move and I think we will dedicate one of the rooms to a playroom. I'm a teacher and will be moving to a higher grade level next year so I'm going to set it up with my preschool / kindergarten classroom stuff. I would love to see more pictures of other's rooms though! Care to share?

[adoredh]

bump

[QPDoll]

We are turning our computer room into a play room in the next couple of weeks. Currently, besides the computer, its a junk/storage room and a baby changing area. Its actually a really small room.

Anyway, we are putting the computer in a armior style computer desk (it closes up when not in use), and also leaving the diaper changing table (its actually a secretary desk that Im using as a changing table, the drawers work perfectly).

The only thing I imagine we will put in there is a toy bin-shelf. Anything else to suggest we should have in there?? Is leaving the computer armior or the changing table okay? Im wondering if they would create too much of a distraction or take up too much space.

Here is a pic of the room from when we were viewing the house (its not our stuff in the room)

Currently, we have the changing table where the desk is in the picture, we do have a bookshelf where they had a bookshelf, but its coming out, and the computer desk is just out of the picture to the left. We are keeping the colors, I might be getting these curtains, and maybe doing an antique toy theme or travel theme.


http://tinaandtravis.com/House/images/20.%20old%20owners%20-%20our%20office.jpg

Currently, all of their toys are in our dining room (the front half of our house is one room - living room on one side, dining room on the other - both sides are small). I would like to remove the toys and clutter and move the table back in so we could eat as a family. Return the room to something like this:
(minus the wine rack and extra chairs)
http://tinaandtravis.com/House/images/09.%20dining%20room.jpg

This is the other side of the house, opposite of the dining room is our living room. Its rearanged now, but this is the jist of it when we first moved in.
http://tinaandtravis.com/House/images/12.%20living%20room.jpg

Our house is just overrun with baby crap everywhere! I soooo want the playroom set up as soon as possible.

[dana b]

qpdoll you will *love* having the playroom. it's so nice to have all the toys in there, i don't have one single toy in any of our living areas. before we did the playroom, you couldn't even walk in our living room.
you could always move those pieces out once your kids accumulate more junk. one thing i love about our playroom is that we have some high up storage where i can keep her arts & crafts and stuff that i don't want her getting out by herself.

[BeachBum]

BUMP!

I think we are ready to convert a spare bedroom for DS. I found this really cute felt wall map at PBK and reallllly want it. The problem is that it is too big for my largest wall :( Anyeone seen something similar?

I also found these toyboxes which I think are so cute. But not sure if they are practical? www.viatoybox.com They can be stacked in different configurations as they are all seperate. We desperately need some storage.

If anyone has put a playroom together and hasn't shared pics. I'd love to see them!

[Aug2002Bride]

bump

[Lora]

Bump

We are in the process of moving our couch, tables, and computer desk out of the family room to convert to total play room. What a job!! I'm looking for a craft table that has a drawer and paper roll on it. Sears Room for Kids sold out and is not getting more. I should have got it when I saw it!!

I also wanted a little area or cubby for reading. Any ideas? I saw some bookshelves you can use for that but now I can't remember where I saw them. I didn't want to spend a fortune!

We are converting the coat closet in this room to all shelves for the toys. We have so many different puzzles and Melissa and Doug cutting toys that have a ton of parts. I now have a mobile soon to be one year old to keep my DD's choking hazards away from. I wanted something to put my DD dress up clothes in but don't want to spend $199 on a clothes carousel.

Thanks for any input!

[KRK]

I wish we had enough room for a playroom in our house. Here are a couple I thought were cool.


http://www.pahlischhomes.com/bslide_images/Gallery/SunMeadow/s_SM%20Ashton%204%20car%20Playroom.jpg

http://www.jonathanfongstyle.com/design_services/pics/playroom.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/images/spaceball.gif

[mamax2]

I finally have play room pics to share:

Walking in the door, then moving around the room clockwise:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b230/mama2girls/IMG_1668.jpg

The double doors are a closet since this is actually a first floor bedroom that we'll convert to a guest room when the kids are older:
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b230/mama2girls/IMG_1670.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b230/mama2girls/IMG_1669.jpg

Oh, and this room is used by 3 y.o. and 9.5 m.o. girls. We love it and they use it so much more than I expected! My parents tried to talk me out of the playroom saying they wouldn't want to play in there alone and all the toys would end up in my family room (which is next to the playroom anyway). While my 3 y.o. might bring a *few* toys out, she'd much prefer to hang out in the playroom. I think she loves having her own space, esp. since I'm pretty lax about clean-up there :p

[Phen]

Beautiful! Can you tell me more about the "clothesline" the art projects are hanging off? What are those, fish? at the ends? How are those attached to the wall? Is that wire the art projects are hanging on? I've been dying to figure out a way to display my kids' art projects without tearing up the wall/paint!

thanks in advance.

~ phen

[mamax2]

What are those, fish? at the ends? How are those attached to the wall? Is that wire the art projects are hanging on?
Yes, they're fish! The finials attach into either a stud or with wall anchors (included), then you adjust the cable for the size of your wall, up to 10' I think. Ours is at just about 9', IIRC. If you do a search on Ebay for 'Pottery Barn Fish Cable', you'll find plenty of them. They're discontinued by PB, but plenty of Ebayers still have them available and that's how I got mine.

[Chelsea524]

Nothing fancy, this may get moved to the basement if we ever get pregnant with #3 so I haven't decorated it much at all.

when you first come in the door
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m242/chelsea524/playroom/IMG_0839.jpg
the back wall with shelf, sorry its so dark, I'll have to retake it
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m242/chelsea524/playroom/IMG_0840.jpg
the corner of the back wall with bookshelf
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m242/chelsea524/playroom/IMG_0841.jpg
the closet with shelving
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m242/chelsea524/playroom/IMG_0842.jpg
and in between the door and the closet(I love the tv there because I can lock the closet door and entry door together so my 2yr old can't get to it
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m242/chelsea524/playroom/IMG_0843.jpg

[Pink_Converse]

Any theme or decorating ideas for a room that has black and white checkered linoleum, red walls, a black sectional sofa and big screen tv in it? All of those things have to stay and I am stumped on what to do. I have a little boy if that helps. TIA.

[sparkle&shine]

Any theme or decorating ideas for a room that has black and white checkered linoleum, red walls, a black sectional sofa and big screen tv in it? All of those things have to stay and I am stumped on what to do. I have a little boy if that helps. TIA.

I am not sure if you are into Disney but when I think Black, White, and Red I think Mickey Mouse.

[BooeyJ2]

I am not sure if you are into Disney but when I think Black, White, and Red I think Mickey Mouse.


Ditto. Or racecars or a 50's diner theme :)

[happy1nuv]

pnk_converse ~ I also think 50's diner. :) Mickey mouse is great too...

Question...I'm going to convert our den/formal living area into a playroom. When you walk in the front door, its on the left (read that as first thing you see). I really wanna do a cutesy theme (thinking garden with a picket fence along the bottom of the wall, butterflies, bugs, frogs... maybe one wall will have houses/storefronts on them). Go all out little kid... BUT, is that an eyesore? Like, if we went to re-sell, would that turn you off? (We're not planning to sell anytime soon, and it is only paint... BUT, it IS what you see first when you walk in...) Should it be less cutesy and more multi-functional?

And, flooring. We have a carpet that is in TERRIBLE shape in there right now. Should we keep it, and just replace it after the playroom is again a den... or should we go to something like linoleum that would clean up easy while still being somewhat soft?

[mamax2]

happy1 ~ I think your theme sounds really cute. I guess it really depends on the overall style of your home, kwim? Also, can the room be closed off in any way? Could you add a french door with a sheer curtain or something like that to block the room from immediate view?

Flooring ~ Again, depends what kind of house you have. We have a no food/drinks policy outside of the kitchen & family room area, so carpeting in our playroom isn't a problem. In fact, it's probably our most comfortable carpeting in the house! We have a lot of hardwood floors, so we really wanted the playroom to be cushy so they could roll, crawl, etc. I should note that the only thing we can't do in the space is, of course, paint because of this. If you want the area to work for messy activities, you could do vinyl flooring or laminate and then add area rugs. What kind of floors do you have in adjacent areas? What would the transition points look like? Would you need new sub-floor? Those are all things to consider for aesthetic and cost purposes as well.

[LeslieR]

We are in the process of buying house that will have a playroom in it. The room we plan to use is pretty tiny, so I'm thinking about taking the closet door off to put the storage bins we have in there to allow for more play space. There's much to do to this house, and the play room is not priority number one, but I do have a vision!

http://static.flickr.com/100/315720958_394bc9cef3.jpg?v=0
This is Me And My Big Ideas Wallpaper. The room we will use has that shelf ledge, too, so I'm trying to decide exactly how I want the paper as they have lots of choices.

Closeups in next post as there are too many images for one post...

[LeslieR]

cont'd...

Closeups:
http://static.flickr.com/111/315719911_83f2901bb6.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/112/315719907_01aee1ac1e.jpg?v=0
(I can't decide between the blue and the red)

http://static.flickr.com/122/315719905_f4abedfb6d.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/110/315720967_a42c1acd73.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/104/315720970_c75c3f02f5.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/105/315720954_a81c1b620c.jpg?v=0

[QPDoll]

I like the red one to balance out all the blue in the other papers. :)

Congrats again on the house!

[mrst2b2003]

bump....

there has to be more pictures of your playrooms out there.


I need storage ideas for large toys and small

[dana b]

here's ours -- it's kind of messy right now, i need to do some organizing so i can get the xmas gifts in there. i thought i had my storage pretty planned out, but i think i need to replace the smaller bins with something else and add some large shelves to the wall above the kitchen and as always, i have no idea how to store stuffed animals.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/159/336714767_5ca999818a.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/336714771_c4e0d44185.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/160/336714776_8b7580ff67.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/161/336714780_7847d88d74.jpg?v=0

[April1234]

Dana, I LOVE your fabric letters! Did you make them yourself? Also where did you get your toddler chair?:)

[mia's mama]

Dana...love, love the room!

[BooeyJ2]

Dana, can I move in please? :)

[BeachBum]

Ok DanaB I'm going to join the chorus of great playroom kudos :) In additon to the questions that have been asked, how do you like the love seat with the white cover?
In some ways it seems great to me (bleach) but in other ways I feel like it would always be begging to be washed? BTDT thoughts?

I'm trying to decide between a love seat or a day bed (in a small room) and if anyone has any thoughts, that would be great.

[jennylou]

Dana - your room is great! Are those cloth letters or wooden letters?

[mrsj]

Dana - WOW I love it! You have really created a perfect play space. Can I ask how you like the pottery barn kitchen? Also how do you find the bins for toy storage? We are looking into both and I was looking to see if you were happy with them.

Thanks!

[dana b]

April1234 i didn't make the letters, they're from a store called anthropologie. the chair is the babystyle chair minus the rockers, i really wish we had a slipcovered chair b/c that thing is getting pretty nasty and i've already had it cleaned once.

mia's mama thanks!

BooeyJ2 only if you bring paige's wardrobe ;) noa *needs* that dress in your avatar.

BeachBum well, we've only had the loveseat since about august and i haven't washed them yet, they're definitely due for it though -- i would say they would need to be washed every 3 mos. the loveseat is from ikea (ektorp i think) and it was super cheap and i *think* you can buy just the slipcovers only and i *think* they were about $40., so if i needed to eventually buy new ones, it wouldn't be a big deal. we have a similar color on our living room couches that we've had for about 6 years and they still look new.
i considered a daybed for a while, too, but didn't go that way b/c we already have a guest room for people to stay and i didn't think little kids would be able to get up and sit there on their own.

jennylou thanks! they're cloth over wood w/ some padding in there.

mrsj the kitchen is really nice, she really doesn't play with it that much at this point, but i imagine both kids will eventually get a lot of use out of it. it does get scratched and nicked a little, but most of pbk's furniture is like that. the bins are from target and i really like them, they hold a lot of stuff in there and it's so easy to just pick the toys up and toss them back in. i think we need something taller though to utilize that space better.

[QPDoll]

Question about having tons of toys. What do you do with them all? Do you let your DC have free reign over all the toys each day? Or do you pull them down a few at a time to play with? if so, what do you do with the ones not being played with?

Our play room is tiny. They have an overflowing toybox and one of those bin organizers (ala Target), also overflowing. They seem to get overwhelmed with all the options and just end up dragging everything out and scattering it all, rather than playing with anything in particular.

Im limited on what to do for storage (money and space), but I was thinking of installing shelves around the top of the room. I think it would make the room feel really small though. Im not sure what else to do.

Im not sure the size of the room, but the open play area is about the size of an average room carpet - whats that... 5x7? I do plan on taking out the changing table and a few other things to make more room, but it will only give us an extra 3-4 feet total in the room.

I know its a small room, but the only other rooms in the house are the dining room, which is filled by the table, and the living room - which is filled by the couch, coffee table and chair.

So, any help or ideas on storage, or how to rotate toys? I have DH at home for 3 more days before he goes back to work! LOL

[alienhost]

dana b I love your playroom! Did you get those toy bins at Target recently? I've been trying to find something like those and didn't see them on-line or in the store. TIA!

[April1234]

Thanks Dana!

Alienhost, I have bins that look like that and I got them at target abotu a year ago on clearence for $19.99 each! I have combed Target ever since everytime I go but I cant find the same ones. Im sure they have something close though.

[kindermom]

QPDoll - We keep about 2/3 of M's toys out at any given time. The rest are in rubbermaid bins in our laundry room. I find that she gets really overwhelmed too with all of the toys. I also find that picking up about every 30 minutes to 1 hour helps because it gives her a chance to pull everything out again.

[Renrel]

QPdoll - Pretty much all DS toys are available if he wants them but he tends to go for the same ones most of the time. - Bob the builder, blocks, trains and track, puzzles. We have a 8 cubbie hole bookcase thing from Ikea which has plastic tubs or bins in most of the holes. That was a great storage solution. In addition we have a toy box, a train table with two trudles and a calapsable hamper type thing. There is also one big box ( a chistmas ornament box) with all his blocks and a laundry basket overflowing with balls.

The hamper and a few of the bigger toys, toys that are not yet openned, toys that require set up (tents) or that I just don;t like much are stacked in the playroom closet, which is also our coat closet. The big little peoples set and other garage type things are just kind of pushed against the wall or left on the train table.

DH rarely goes into his toy box or the hamper for toys. He will go the cubbies but usually goes for the toys he can see. The ones that he can't see through the box don't tend to come out unless I get them out.

He may have 3-4 things open at a time, but when it gets too messy I tell him he has clean up before we can take out another toy. We sing a clean up song and he usually cooperates.

We also have his play kitchen, table and easel in the dining room and board games, stuffies and books in his room.

Since he is in preschool a full day we try not to over do it on the toys. He only has a few hours a week that he can play with his own toys. I think I have kept the number in control. DH would laugh to hear me say that.

Oh, my own closet is full of toys that I bought on sale but did not give for chanuka. DH is pissed about that, but Marshals and Cosco only carry a big selection this time of year and I like to take advantage. And today I just bought more toys at CVS in sale:o , but 90% of those were for birthday gifts. I don't plan on giving my son a disney princess tea set or a pretty pony set.

[Jessiesmama]

Dana,
Great room!

Where did you get the wall unit? I love it!

[Kanga]

Target has the cube shelving and the coordinating baskets on sale right now if anyone's interested.

They have a few different styles/configurations, but I got this one and 5 baskets for about $60

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000FTGBOA.16._SCLZZZZZZZ_SS260_V64795408_.jpg

[njnewyearsbride]

kanga -- i saw that in the circular but there was no sizing..
how big is it?

[Kanga]

The whole thing is 3' by 3' by 1', so each cube is just under 1 cubic foot. It comes with screws to screw 2 of them stacked on top of each other if you want and one to screw into the wall to keep it from tipping over.

[njnewyearsbride]

The whole thing is 3' by 3' by 1', so each cube is just under 1 cubic foot. It comes with screws to screw 2 of them stacked on top of each other if you want and one to screw into the wall to keep it from tipping over.

thanks!

[DallasLady]

Question: Would you use a formal living room or 4th bedroom for a playroom?

We have formal living room that looks nice, but that we never use. I am thinking making it a playroom and then eventually the kids' living room as they get older. It is right off of the foyer, though. When you enter, the formal dining is in the right and the living is on the left. We are thinking of putting up french doors to close it off if we decide to make it a playroom.

Our other option is to make our 4th bedroom the playroom. But we recently bought a treadmill and that's where it lives. We also use it as our guest room when family comes (which my family does pretty often). The 4th bedroom is split from all the others and is pretty secluded- it was marketed as an in-law suite. If we made it the playroom, I could not easily watch her and still do other things.

What do you think?

[TrulyBlessed]

Question: Would you use a formal living room for a playroom?

My friend switched out her dining & living room furniture. Her dining table/chairs are in the living room& living sofas are pushed against the wall in the dining room and she turned it into a playroom. It works great b/c adults have places to sit while watching the kids. I think it's perfectly a fine idea to convert the room to a playroom especially if the room is not being used. Good luck & be sure to post some pics when the room is finished. :)

[BeachBum]

Question: Would you use a formal living room or 4th bedroom for a playroom?

What do you think?

I would do it. We have our spare bedroom as the playroom and it doesn't get played in as much because it is upstairs. I can't do any multitasking at all if he is in there. (I'm still glad we have a playroom though).
Unless you do lots of formal entertaining at your house, I think the LR option is a good one.

[cr8zyforaf]

Would you use a formal living room or 4th bedroom for a playroom?

We have our 4th bedroom as a playroom/computer room because I am keeping the nursery for the next and she will be transitioning to a big girl room soon. Our basement is unfinished so I am totally out of room and the toys were taking over the house. Hopefully, longer term, I can get the basement finished and put it down there and reclaim my office/craft room.

[cari2]

Would you use a formal living room for a playroom?
Yup, that's what we did. We moved from an apartment and didn't have living room furniture so made it a playroom (we have a center hall colonial and the room is right off the entry). We are slowly moving toys to the basement and I hope that by next winter (when the girls are 2 1/2) we can reclaim the living room. We've tried to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible, and it has worked out great...

[Spellbound]

Question: Would you use a formal living room or 4th bedroom for a playroom?

Definitely! My friend did this and it's a great space for her 3 year old daughter and friends.

In our home, the den is being taken over as the playroom. Last week we removed the double doors and put up flat panel molding. I wanted it to be open, rather than closed off. Plus it's a den so not a huge room like the others. There is a third door there but I think I'm leaving that up to block off access to the area behind that.

[happy1nuv]

Yup, when we moved in we made the formal living room into a den. Now, we're cleaning out the 4th bedroom and making THAT the den so we can changeover the formal living room into a playroom. It's also right off the foyer, but i really dont care since it will give us a family room back!

[mrst2b2003]

Here are some pictures of the room that we use for Avery's playroom. It was a 3 season room when we bought the house, and we added heat and hardwood floors.

It's great because it's right off the kitchen, but in the back of the house so we can keep Avery's toys out all day . It is also the storage place for the stroller, since we don't have a garage. Hopefully we will in our next house.


http://farm1.static.flickr.com/173/401034830_741724bf8b.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/181/401034827_a5fb93bcd8.jpg?v=0

and a picture of the storage bins that we got from Target. Not the nicest quality but serves the purpose:) and keeps the toy clutter to a minimum.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/156/401034824_89cbc25fb3.jpg?v=0

[AirForceLove]

Me moved into out our house about a year ago and we just cleaned out the room that is going to be the play room. We have all the toys in there right now but it is not decorated yet.

We livei in Base Housing so we are limited to we do. If paint the walls we have to paint them back to the original color.

There is no carpet in the room just lenolium. We are going to carpet the room though. We won't have to take that out. When we get done I will post pictures!

[Tray85]

Here's ours when we set it up a few months ago (its in the basement). Lots of things are from IKEA (toy bins, rug, chalkboard, etc.) We now have a kitchen set, tent and slide..so its getting more cluttered!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/Tray85/Basementfinal002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/Tray85/Basementfinal005.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/Tray85/Basementfinal006.jpg

[Pink_Converse]

What type of carpet would be good for a playroom? We have black and white checked linoleum now with a concrete subfloor. Do they have to put a wood subfloor in for carpet to go down? Most of our flooring thru the house is hard and I want DS to have another area just for him to roll around and play on where he won't get hurt, besides him room. Any ideas on carpet color and wall color with a black couch? It has to stay, it's a large black sectional. TIA!

[jennylou]

Pink - they usually put padding under carpet - you can get different grades of it so that it's softer for you. :)

mrst - great room!

tray - wish I had a basement like that!

[Pink_Converse]

Here is the space I have to work with. It's pretty large. I just can't decide what to do with it!

pics removed

It's alot of pics so I will remove them later.

[Pink_Converse]

I know they put padding but do you think they need something to nail it to?

[Tray85]

They don't have to put a wood subfloor in. Our basement had just concrete to begin with and we had them install a nice thick rubber pad. They installed it by afixing wood strips on the floor along the baseboards. It made a lot of racket when they were doing it - so I'm sure they used some sort of big nail gun. We also got a nicer grade carpet because I wanted the floor to be nice and soft to absorb all of those tumbles!

[lil_nance]

We have multiple play areas but the biggest is the basement. We have commercial grade carpet (think office berber) over a concrete subfloor. The padding is fairly decent. We wanted a low carpet so DS could drive his cars and trucks on it without the wheels getting caught. My parents put similar carpet in my room when I was a kid. As I got older I hated it but now as a parent, I can appreciate how great it is when kids are young.

[kindermom]

Pink - We just replaced the carpet in our playroom. We have a concrete floor with tile on top. The new carpet is a thicker berber with 8lb foam padding. We got a berber because it will hide stains well and because it is easier to ride a car on it. The carpet people said that the standard padding for a berber is a felt pad. With went with a traditional carpet pad for the cushiness (incase DD falls for example). We then spent a little more and got a thicker padding than the standard.

We are still in the process of renovating our playroom in the basement. We still have to put in the wall of bookcases. Once they are in and painted, I will post some pics.

[mamax2]

Pink_Converse ~ As others have said, no add'l sub-floor is necessary. The carpet & pad can be installed on top of your existing floor. I'd get a high quality pad, but probably NOT a berber. I just hate berber, but that's me. I've had nothing but bad luck w/it in two different houses. I love the frieze in our girls' playroom. It is not conducive to ride-on or push toys, but they typically do that stuff on our hardwood floors through the rest of the first floor.

Another option for you to consider would be a very large area rug and leave the perimeter of the room open (for ride-on or push toys, if that's a concern for you). You can pick a standard carpet and have the edges bound. You could even have it tacked to your floor for added stability and a plush padding underneath.

Given your color scheme, I'd go w/something in the grey tones, if you do opt for a Berber or Frieze, you could possibly even find one w/dark grey or red flecks to tie it all together.

[karlatta]

Pink - I just wanted to say that they can definitely do carpet over just the subfloor. When DH and I pulled up our carpet in our living room, it was attached directly to our concrete slab.

[BeachBum]

What a nice space to work with, Pink_Converse.
If I were you I'd just do an area rug. The room looks big enough that you can divide it into "zones". I'd do one for reading/rolling on the floor etc. But as your child grows you will like having hard floor too for rolling toys, and messier things like playdough, painting at the easel etc

[Brink]

We have a huge room that I am turning into a playroom for my 18 month old and 2 month old twins. My DH will be a SAHD for several days per week and this will be the area he takes care of them in during the day. I am trying to find murals and things to put on the walls to make it a really fun room. I've gone to the internet and found the typical wallpaper sites. Do any of you have any suggestions for murals?

Right now I am torn between a "princess" theme, "winnie the pooh" or just animals.

[mamax2]

Brink ~ Congrats on the birth of your new baby girls! Well, with 3 girls, I think you can't go wrong w/the Princess theme. Animals or fairy tales would work too. I'd steer clear of Pooh because I think it's too baby-ish and a playroom is something you'll want to have a bit of longevity.

Have you considered hiring an artist to paint your murals? Are you specifically looking for glue-based applications? If I had the inclination to go the mural route (and I would except that we'll be turning the playroom into a guest room once our girls are done) I'd probably hire an artist to do a scene. My cousin does this sort of thing and she's done quite a few nurseries and kid's rooms. It's really cool.

[cgmom313]

tray - wow what a great room

Brink - I agree with other with 3 girls a princess theme would be great or animals. I also agree pooh tends to be babish and you would want it to go into it. I also agree to see if you can find someone to paint. Also, I saw wall murals like Wall paper at Loews that looke really cute not sure how hard it will do.

We just moved into our new house and our family room is completly dedicated as a play room to my DD and her toys. It has worked really nicely. We were lucky that this house has a big living room that me and DH use to watch TV. She has a whole corner dedicated to her little tykes desk and a organizer that is cubes to have other toys in it.

I am looking for spelled out sayings for the wall. Like Play, Imagine, family etc. I really dont want to do individual letters but I swear I have seen them in once piece. I looked at pottery barn but not luck. Anyone seen these or know where to get them?

Thanks All
Amy

[kindermom]

Amy -
Check out Wall Words (http://wallwords.com/categories.asp) or Written Decor (http://www.writtendecor.com/?gclid=CITPotLjvYsCFQ4STAodmyzDyA). I googled "wall words" and got a bunch of hits.

Brink -
I would go with princess or animals. If you really want Pooh, I would focus on creating the 100-Acre Woods and then accent with stuffed animal poohs (like one hanging from fake baloons). This way you could transition the theme from Pooh to outdoor wonderland - where princesses can find their frogs!

[KJBean]

Brink first, also congrats on your twin girls. My sister's name is also Katie Louise (Katie is not short for anything). Anyway, I'm beginning to start the process of painting our playroom and I'm doing a Medieval/Castle theme for DS. Sort of Robin Hood like, as well. I thought it was gender neutral enough if our next is a girl. I like kindermom's idea of creating the setting of 100-acre wood and accenting with Winnie the Pooh things.

The first part of our 'mural' will actually be just the sky painted on all the walls and ceiling. Then around the bottom half of the wall will be a castle wall on all 4 walls. Either side of the double window, I plan to have the castle have towers and will paint shelves to match to have at the top of the towers. I have two tin knight statues I plan to have sitting on there. Eventually, I hope to paint on one of the walls w/ no windows or doors, more of a mural with a castle (Nottingham Castle to be exact) in the distance and Robin Hood's major oak tree in there somewhere. I still need to figure out how to get this done since I'm not an artist, but a friend is, so I need to explain what I want enough :) Hopefully I'll get pictures soon.

[petdoc08]

bumping this up. We are in the planning stages of DD's playroom. DH has finally moved all his 'toys' to the basement so we can start painting.

Bella has the Costco version of the PBK kitchen set and that darn Butterscotch pony. I would like to incorporate the pony into the theme. I was thinking of painting a fence and barnyard type scene on the walls. Has anyone seen any cute farm themes?

[emschwar]

Our playroom (now big boy room) has a farm theme. I *think* I posted pictures here, but I'm not sure. Let me look...

[petdoc08]

emschwar: I found it! I love your mural :) I despise the darn pony but since I am stuck with it (it was an In-law gift) I thought I might as well work with it. The walls in the room are already blue so that would save us a ton of leg work.

[emschwar]

Our walls were already blue too. That made life easier :) I don't know if I said it in the post with the pictures, but the mural kit is from wallnutz.com

[lee60657]

*BUMP* We just bought a new house and we are dedicating half of our basement (about 500sq feet) to DD's playroom - I am looking for some more pics for inspiration. The carpet is a nice neutral berber and the walls are a sunny, but paler yellow - the molding is white. We have the PBKids knock off kitchen set from Costco and some storage bins that are antique white from Land of Nod. I am going with a CandyLand theme - I just ordered some candy themed wall and chalkboard decals from wallcandyarts.com. I would like to get some cool fun lighting or maybe something to hang from the ceiling - any thoughts on things that go with the candy land theme? TIA!

[LeslieR]

I'm in the process of working on DS' playroom. My goal is to make the closet part of the room by taking the door off, painting the closet, and installing shelves. The room is very tiny, so I want to get as many toys in the closet as possible. We are planning on buying him a kitchen set for his birthday so I really need to clear floor space. We currently keep his books in a little square laundry basket and I thought about getting one of those canvas bookshelves. One Step Ahead has this one (http://http://www.onestepahead.com/popup/zoom.jsp?productId=1272&altImage=1) for $59.95. I checked ebay to see if I could find one for cheaper, but the only one I found had a circus theme on the sides which I wasn't too fond of as the playroom is going to be a jungle safari theme. Does anyone have the bookshelf from ONe Step Ahead? Does it hold a lot of books? Any ideas where I might find a similar shelf for cheaper? TIA!

[LeslieR]

nevermind-the images aren't showing up:confused:

[Chylynn]

Leslie, I saw your post about the one step ahead shelf. We purchased a shelf that has two rows of bins for holding toys and the top three tiers hold books. We purchased it from Michaels about 6 months ago and it has held up well. Originally we had them in our DDs room in her closet (fit two of them in the closet) to save space, but I have since placed them accross from each other to make a miny playroom. They were pretty cheap- $28 with the 40% off coupon. I'll see if I can find a picture.

http://akimages.crossmediaservices.com/dyn_li/200.0.88.0/Retailers/michaels/070617_P5_W1_img_548923358.jpg

It is on sale this week for $29.99 and holds a decent amount of books.

[QPDoll]

I'm in the process of converting our office into a playroom. Its a small room, about 10x10, and our house has no closets to tuck any clutter in and out of the way. I just put the carpet down, removed 2 bookshelves (the remaining one is on its way out), and added the bins for storage.

Here is what we have so far:
shelf for my scrapbooks and photo albums because its the only place for them, and the toy bin for small things like playpeople and music instruments. In the other corner is our new train table with trundle drawers for extra storage.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/shyteetee/IMG_9075.jpg

the wall next to that, we have mounted a sheet of steel for magnet play. Its going to be painted over with chalkboard paint, and then Im going to stencil the alphabet across the top and add a piece of trim around the edge of the steel. It is 6 feet long, and 4 feet tall. We had a big chalkboard at my aunts house when I was growing up and loved it! I wanted to have something like that for our boys, but a "real" chalkboard of that size is pretty pricey, especially if you get one thats magnetic. So we are making it ourselves, and a sheet of steel works a lot better than that magnetic paint.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/shyteetee/IMG_9082.jpg

and then our cluttered area: toy storage. In the armoire is our computer, stacked on top are the TV components (radio receive remote) and for now, the scanner. Yes, it really needs to be cleared off, but its a work in progress!
The bins are just cheap clear bins from Target, stacked on a wire rack we already had. It needs some fine tuning and further organizing, and the wooden bookshelf is going away as soon as my DH returns from his out of town business trip. In other words: I am embarrassed of our clutter, but I'm working on it!
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y136/shyteetee/IMG_9078.jpg

Now, Im looking for a few decorative/fun touches - but it can't take up any space!

[BeachBum]

QPDoll
Perhaps a "rain gutter" bookshelf (book covers face out) would work for you over behind the train table? A fun curtain--like a bright stripe might be a nice touch too. You could scoot the storage rack either far left or far right and make space to display fun photos of the kids, or let them create canvas art?
You could also display those types of things above the chalk board. You could get some of those ledge shelves as well to display "special" toys.
Maybe you could find some train wall clings/rub ons? A more decorative clock could be a fun accessory?

[Pink_Converse]

http://www.thelightshop.com/photos/K49-2.jpg

http://images.landofnod.com/is/image/LandOfNod/1701250_CandyDominoesGame_V07-1?$fp$

String lights shaped like peppermints (off of a Christmas site):
http://stores.channeladvisor.com/MerchantOverstock/items/item.aspx?itemid=5983702

Target has Candyland board books at the dollar spot right now. Maybe you could use those?

[karlatta]

Chylynn - Do you happen to know where on the Michael's website that toy storage thing is listed? I want to show it to DH, but I can't find it anywhere. Thanks!

[Chylynn]

karlatta,here is the link:

http://http://michaels.shoplocal.com/michaels/default.aspx?action=browsecategoryall&storeid=2415478&ViewMode=0&ref=%2fmichaels%2fdefault.aspx%3faction%3dentry%26 pretailerid%3d-99855%26siteid%3d237%26adref%3dmichaels_store_loca tor%26storeid%3d2415478&StartRow=82

If that does not work:

www.michaels.com
Go to store locator
My zip is 33073 (in case yours does not work)
Click on this stores weekly add for Boca Raton (1st one)
Search for Ready-to-Finish Projects

HTH!

[karlatta]

Thanks, the link didn't work, but the other directions did (even with my own zip code). I'm trying to turn part of my family room into a play area, and I think they would be perfect.

[LeslieR]

Chylynn, thanks for posting that! I actually still have that Michael's ad and never even noticed that book/toy storage shelf. How many books can you fit in one, would you say? We already have one of those toy storage bin systems, which I was hoping to eliminate by getting all of the toys in the closet, but the price of that unit is very tempting. Hmmm...

Yesterday, I found this bookshelf for $55.95 with free shipping:
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f78/Leslie_J_R/New%20house/guidecraftsafaribookdisplay.jpg

It goes perfectly with our theme:
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f78/Leslie_J_R/New%20house/safariborder.jpg

What to do, what to do?:confused:

[LeslieR]

This is what I'm going for with the closet (minus the door):

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f78/Leslie_J_R/New%20house/77720.jpg

We painted it blue Thursday. Yesterday I bought the supplies for the shelving system and tried to install it, only to find out after I drilled the holes that I bought some of the wrong items. Back to Home Depot today.:rolleyes:

The room we are using does not have any overhead lighting and only one outlet (don't ask-goofy 70's house). Any ideas for a swag light? I looked on ebay and keep finding these funky vintage lights, but nothing that really works with the room in color or theme.

[Pink_Converse]

Leslie-That jungle stuff is cute! We don't have overhead lighting in some of our rooms too but we do atleast have plenty of outlets. What is up with not having overhead lighting????

[bluhimmy]

The room we are using does not have any overhead lighting and only one outlet (don't ask-goofy 70's house). Any ideas for a swag light? I looked on ebay and keep finding these funky vintage lights, but nothing that really works with the room in color or theme.

We're in the same light situation. Have you looked at Ikea? They might have something that will work for your room.

[LeslieR]

Pink_Converse, I don't know, but it drives me batty. I feel your pain. I feel like I'm always sitting in the dark in our house.:mad:

I ended up getting the bookshelf from Michaels this morning. I couldn't beat the price! I put it together a little while ago and put all of his playroom books in it:
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f78/Leslie_J_R/New%20house/michaelsbookshelf.jpg

It really holds A TON of books. And the ones that I couldn't fit in the canvas pockets, I just put in the bins. It's perfect. Thanks again, Chylynn!:D

I'm still working on the closet. I went to Home Depot and got the right poles and got them installed only to find out that the shelf holder thingys are the wrong kind. Back to Home Depot AGAIN.:rolleyes: grrrr.

[LeslieR]

We're in the same light situation. Have you looked at Ikea? They might have something that will work for your room.

Ooh, good idea. We don't have one nearby, but I'll look online. Thanks!

[Chylynn]

Leslie- Glad it worked for you! Sorry, I did not see your question before about how many books it can hold, but it is irrelevent now that you have it. My MIL has two of them at her house and one is just for books like you did and the second is for books and toys. It is such a wonderful organizer. Please take pictures of your playroom once you are done with it!

[LeslieR]

It's not totally finished yet, but I thought I'd share some pics as the border just got put up today:

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f78/Leslie_J_R/New%20house/IMG_0053.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f78/Leslie_J_R/New%20house/IMG_0052.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f78/Leslie_J_R/New%20house/IMG_0056.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f78/Leslie_J_R/New%20house/IMG_0055.jpg

I still need to paint the trim and the heater (should have done this before the wallpaper was put up!). I'm also still in search of a swag light. I keep checking ebay, but everything is so vintage and 60's-70's looking. I think I might do a roman shade over the window. The kind with the built in valance. I'm thinking red to go with the border, but would that be too much against the sky paper?

[Fitzy]

This is a great thread! Would anyone please suggest a source for good, sturdy playroom furniture? We have a few pieces from PBK, but they're so chipped and dinged after only a few months that I won't buy more. I was thinking that Land of Nod might have the same issue..TIA!

[QPDoll]

My SIL has had great luck with Ikea furniture! I have a small table and chair set, and its holding up excellent against very active/rough 2 year old twin boys.

[Pink_Converse]

To whoever was doing the Candyland room I found the perfect thing on modernseed.com! It's a mural. I didn't check the price but check it out.

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/modernseed_1956_4413287

[Bloomwood]

Here's DD's playroom. I obviously took huge inspiration from dana b. Her playroom is gorgeous and I can't even come close with this! I made the letters as I couldn't stomach $12/letter from Anthropologie. Thanks, dana b. :p

Looking in from the door and continuing around:
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g132/bloomwood/IMG_3301.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g132/bloomwood/IMG_3299.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g132/bloomwood/IMG_3300.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g132/bloomwood/IMG_3302.jpg

DD is 15 months so I am sure more will be added as we go. She is currently obsessed with the tv so I made the decision not to put one in here any time soon. I'm sure I'll have to get more of the Target bins and am thinking a table and chair set for Christmas.

[mrst2b2003]

anyone know where these are from? I saw them somewhere and can't remember the site

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1318/1258598320_5f8e641ebf.jpg?v=0

thanks:)

[wine_o_girlie]

Bloomwood,

Gorgeous room - I love it! It looks so bright and cheery. How did you make the letters yourself? They look super cute but I am soooo not crafty. ;) Any tips?

[mia's mama]

SO, SO cute Bloomwood!

[marchfamily]

anyone know where these are from? I saw them somewhere and can't remember the site

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JWEPM8/ref=wl_it_dp/104-1849188-8405568?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1WAKZ0Q6RI92W&colid=RBL0TW1DKSWV

[mrst2b2003]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JWEPM8/ref=wl_it_dp/104-1849188-8405568?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1WAKZ0Q6RI92W&colid=RBL0TW1DKSWV

thanks so much March!!!

[Standrea]

We are gearing up to start DD's playroom. It is going to be in our Den on the second floor of our house (we live in a bungalo). We are going to be carrying the Sea Life theme up there since DD will be getting her big girl room soon. Is there any suggestions that I should know ;).

[Bloomwood]

Bloomwood,

Gorgeous room - I love it! It looks so bright and cheery. How did you make the letters yourself? They look super cute but I am soooo not crafty. ;) Any tips?

I am not very crafty either. I bought the letters at Michael's along with a different scrapbook paper for each letter and some "Mod Podge" as the decoupage (looked it up online). I also used a foam brush that was on a roller - like a mini paint roller also from Michael's. I traced each letter onto the paper, put a coat of Mod Podge on the lettter, placed the paper and then another coat of Mod Podge. The only thing to beware of is making sure you trace the letter in the right direction. The first one I did the letter came out the mirror image! :rolleyes:

Thanks to everyone for the compliments! I'm sitting in here now and loving it.

[ellidew]

QPDoll- Where did you get the metal? Did/How did you turn in the edges so they weren't sharp? How did you mount it? How much did it cost? I totally LOVE that and would like to add that to our play room. Great room! TIA!

[ellidew]

Yesterday ds and I went hunting for all things playroom, he’s not much help at 10 months old but it kept us both out of dh’s hair while he remodeled my closet ;) I totally scored an awesome steel magnetic square (roughly 24x24, maybe 18x18) on clearance at the container store along with a flat clearance magnetic dry erase board. I also bought 2 small plastic chairs ($8.99) to go along with the child’s table I bought at Target. Then I went to Lowes to buy chalkboard paint and found, right next to it, magnetic primer! I passed on it since I’d already bought the magnetic boards and even went as far as putting 1 coat of chalkboard paint on the walls… then I stared at it for about 30 minutes and decided it’d be WAY cooler to have a magnetic chalkboard wall! The wall I painted is pretty large, probably 8-10 feet long and I went about 4 feet high. So, today I’m off to buy the magnetic primer to use under the chalkboard paint. Has anyone done this before? If not I’ll report back in a couple of days! I can’t wait to finish that wall so I can play on it. Lol.

[pixielou]

i actually chose not to do a kids theme in our "playroom". we just moved to the house a few months ago. dd is almost 3. so i figured i won't be needing a real kids playroom for long - so i painted to the room to match the rest of our downstairs. as dd gets older, i plan to move more of her toys up to her room. we also have a huge island in our kitchen that dd does all her art and messy projects on. and we keep her play kitchen and her easel out on our 3 season porch.

we are ditching the tv real soon and getting a wall mounted flat screen. i'm glad i waited on the tv - since i now know which wall i really should mount it on. so the table that holds our tv will soon be holding dd's doll house.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t6/pixielou_house/misc%20photos%20-%20for%20cc/playroom002.jpg?t=1188943526

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t6/pixielou_house/misc%20photos%20-%20for%20cc/playroom003.jpg?t=1188943557

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t6/pixielou_house/misc%20photos%20-%20for%20cc/playroom004.jpg?t=1188943595

~pixie

[ellidew]

Last night i got the 1st coat of magnetic paint on the wall. I was totally disappointed that after one coat my magnet didn't even come close to staying up. After the second coat dried i was amazed that it just hung there! After 4-5 coats i can actually feel a little magnetic resistance when i put the magnet close to the wall! I have to buy a different can of chalkboard paint since the first one i bought is acrylic and the magnetic paint can says to use latex over it. (Home depot sells the latex magnetic paint as well as the latex chalkboard paint) I wont have time to paint tonight but tomorrow night i plan to get 2 coats of chalkboard paint on the walls and by Friday morning i hope to be playing in our new play area!! I'll take pictures of the magnetic chalkboard wall once it's done but the rest of our playroom wont be done for a while longer. Finding white bookshelves that aren't in the childrens room aisle at Target (thus overpriced) is proving to be more difficult than i anticipated!

[Mrs. M.]

Finding white bookshelves that aren't in the childrens room aisle at Target (thus overpriced) is proving to be more difficult than i anticipated!

Try Ikea...

[ellidew]

Good thinking! I'll have to check online but they don't ship a lot of stuff and we don't have one in St Louis! We're last to get everything! We just got a Crate and Barrel about 2 years ago.

[mamax2]

Finding white bookshelves that aren't in the childrens room aisle at Target (thus overpriced) is proving to be more difficult than i anticipated!

Have you tried Staples, Office Depot, Office Max, Wal-Mart, etc?

I just saw these at Staples this morning:
http://www.staples.com/sbd/img/cat/enl/s0045566_enl.jpg
They come in white too and range from $29.99 - $49.99 for a variety of sizes/configurations. They offer Free S/H for orders >$50 and if you sign up for an eBates acct, you can get a % cash back.


We're last to get everything! We just got a Crate and Barrel about 2 years ago.
Trust me, you're NOT last. We don't have Ikea, PB, Crate & Barrel, etc. I have to drive 40 minutes just to get to Target! :p

[ellidew]

You win mamax! I have 3 targets within 10 minutes of my house and 1 in probably under 5 minutes... not a good thing! lol.

I tried Walmart yesterday and they didn't have ANY white book shelves in stock. I'll have to get to the office stores. I've decided to take a half day at work to finish the chalkboard wall and paint the blue sky with clouds in the play area. How dorky am i taking a half day to paint my play room!? I just send dh a picture of a crown molding shelf i want him to put up this weekend and now i'm on the hunt for concession stand inspiration! I have 1 wall at the very back of the play room which is somewhat seperate (set to the side) but still part of the main living space (basement) that we are going to decorate with sports memorabilia so i thought it'd be fun to paint that 1 wall in the play room like a concession stand and maybe put up an awning. We'll see though, i might be biting off more than i can chew ;)

[rande]

Hi Girls! I don't have pictures of all sides of our playroom but we bought the Alphabet wall cards by Euboo???? Nordstrom, Ebay and some online boutiques sell them. They are heavy laminated cardstock and we hung them on all the walls of our playroom. It was a lot cheaper than wall letters since the whole alphabet pack was only $20.
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o53/etimmin/100_3331.jpg?t=1189287946

They have all different styles-smore more girly or boyish but since we have one of each, we went with the more neutral pattern.

[LeslieR]

rande, thanks for posting those! I've been looking for something similar. I found some on ebay. The company is eeboo. I can't tell from your picture which ones you have. Is it the Around The Land set? How did you hang them?

[BeachBum]

We bought a tall white bookcase at Home Depot for $50. It has held up fine and doesn't look too cheap once it is assembled and stuff is on it.

[rande]

Leslie,
I think it is the all around the land. We have the flower ones in frames in our DD's room-not the whole alphabet but a few. We just used double sided tape and none have come down yet. We hung them not in a straight line and it looks really cute. We have gotten a ton of compliments on it!

[LeslieR]

Perfect! That's exactly how I was thinking of hanging them. Thanks again!

[mrst2b2003]

Here are some pictures of Avery's playroom in our basement. It is a work in progress. We have the basement split in half and the other side of the gate is my home office. The brick area used to have a wood stove. I was thinking of making a cushion to fit the bottom area of brick to make it soft and safe and then hang a large magentic chalkboard on the wall there. Do you think that would be a good idea?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2165/2002479861_0ae1ee14e5.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2093/2002479881_e52295c5f7.jpg?v=0

[ellidew]

Awesome playroom mrst! Where did you get the tent? We want to get a tent for ds for christmas and that ones really cute!! We have almost all the same toys! We just got the littles tikes basketball hoop and it's awesome!

[mrst2b2003]

Awesome playroom mrst! Where did you get the tent? We want to get a tent for ds for christmas and that ones really cute!! We have almost all the same toys! We just got the littles tikes basketball hoop and it's awesome!

thanks for the complement on our playroom. The playhouse is form PBK. it is discontinued, but I got it and two other covers on ebay for $200. That one is a schoolhouse, and I have a haunted house, and a space station one that is really cute. Avery is 16 months old and loves to play in it:)

[ellidew]

Aww, bummer. $200 is too steep for me anyway but it sounds sooo cute! I'm glad to hear your 16 month old likes it though. When we had our buffet table set up with a table cover on it for ds first birthday he kept going under there and playing and laughing and loved when we climbed under with him!

[GiaGia]

ellidew - I've seen similar tents at Target. If you're a black friday shopper, they're going to have a Dora pop up tent for $40. http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/black-friday-2048-InstantPopupDoraMegaHouse.html

Mrst - I love the whole room! Where did you get the table and chairs set from?

[mrst2b2003]

Aww, bummer. $200 is too steep for me anyway but it sounds sooo cute! I'm glad to hear your 16 month old likes it though. When we had our buffet table set up with a table cover on it for ds first birthday he kept going under there and playing and laughing and loved when we climbed under with him!

yeah there are tons of places to find play tents for less money. search ebay and google play tents. I know I am a little crazy for spending the money but I fell in love with the little school house. so I probably overspent:o

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2410/2005402678_4d170ee4ab.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2112/2005402698_a6e1fa4532.jpg?v=0

GiaGia- Thanks for the complement:) I got the rug and the table and chairs at PBK. I had a coupon for 10% off.

[ellidew]

It's an adorable tent and it looks like a good size and very sturdy. I'll have to search out something similar.

[mrst2b2003]

it is a good size one adult can fit in there with him, or it can fit 3 kiddos.

[ellidew]

I found 2 cute girly ones of similar size and shape but i'm still searching for a more gender neutral or boy one. Maybe i should start/find a play tent thread! lol.

[mrst2b2003]

I found 2 cute girly ones of similar size and shape but i'm still searching for a more gender neutral or boy one. Maybe i should start/find a play tent thread! lol.

i found one that is kind of like mine for $70 at http://www.creativeplay4less.com/playhousetents1.html

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-34023221500769_1972_4807387

i really like this one, but it is over $100 but it looks like it's made of good material
http://auctions.oodlecanoodle.com/images/BZ11114.jpg

[ellidew]

Those are cute! Is the 2nd one a bazoongi (or something like that? If so, i was just on their website and they have one shaped like a mushroom... it's super cute but not quite what i'm looking for.)

[mrst2b2003]

Those are cute! Is the 2nd one a bazoongi (or something like that? If so, i was just on their website and they have one shaped like a mushroom... it's super cute but not quite what i'm looking for.)

i don't know who it's by I searched on ebay and found it

here is the link

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=290181025872&Category=145997&_trksid=p3907.m29

[ellidew]

Thanks! It is the bazoongi! Here is the mushroom. I think it's adorable!

http://i14.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/af/27/5743_1.JPG

This sheriff one is cute too

http://www.ohtoy.com/catalog/images/11115-bazoongi-sheriff.jpg

[mrst2b2003]

Thanks! It is the bazoongi! Here is the mushroom. I think it's adorable!

http://i14.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/af/27/5743_1.JPG

This sheriff one is cute too

http://www.ohtoy.com/catalog/images/11115-bazoongi-sheriff.jpg

oh my those are so cute....must not buy one!!!!!lol

[ihearttx]

I LOVE the mushroom one! LOVE LOVE LOVE! I might have to show my husband who will in turn roll his eyes and say no. haha

[EJH]

Well, it's not as fancy as some of the tents posted but we have one from Ikea (9.99!) :D

My DD loves, loves, loves this thing...

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30073090

[red_canuck]

I love looking at this thread, thanks to everyone who posts!

I'm hoping you guys can help me find some inspiration.
DS's "playroom" is basically the dining room of our joint living room/dining room. It's also the main room when you walk into the house. I would love to decorate it so it is a distinct kid area, but can't really do theme since it's one big room with our adult "living area", ya know? Any ideas on how to either separate them or decorate it? Or am I thinking too much about this and should just decorate it like I would if it wasn't a joint room?

here are some pics of the room
the toy end (black chair marks start of adult area)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/red_canuck/oct%2007/Summerandfallof07440.jpg

the adult end (which obviously is still filled with toys, but not really "toy" area, ya know?)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v313/red_canuck/nov%2007/Summerandfallof07211.jpg

[Natrat80]

just have to say, we have this tent and it is awesome quality and DD loves it!
http://auctions.oodlecanoodle.com/images/BZ11114.jpg

[bluebunny]

red_canuck, can you do one of those open shelving systems to separate the two areas? I'll see if I can find a picture of what I'm referring to.

ETA: http://www.target.com/Cube-Storage-System-White/dp/B000TENPTU/sr=1-7/qid=1195009006/ref=sr_1_7/601-6392115-2318517?ie=UTF8&rh=k%3Astorage%20cube&page=1

Or a unit that is open on both sides.

[kindermom]

Red - The TV show "Neat" just did this with open storage and a wall of curtain to hide the toy wall. You could easily do something on a smaller scale as your children have farrr fewer toys it appear than the person she was helping. Here is the link. http://www.neattv.com/season1/clutteredNeat_pics(2).html

[klanae]

mrst- I have the Bazoongi Circus Tent for my classroom and I bought it at Target for $40, it was on sale at the time but the regular price still wasn't $100. In that picture it doesn't show it but it also has little windows and detachable circus animals.

[mrst2b2003]

mrst- I have the Bazoongi Circus Tent for my classroom and I bought it at Target for $40, it was on sale at the time but the regular price still wasn't $100. In that picture it doesn't show it but it also has little windows and detachable circus animals.

that is good to know. I haven't seen it at the local Target, but that is a much better price then online for sure

[karlatta]

red_canuck - We have a similar setup. What I ended up doing was putting my couch across the room to really section the two areas off. The "adult" section is decorated just like I would have it if I didn't have kids. I am kind of lucky that my "kid" section has two giant picture windows so I don't have to worry about wall art or anything like that. I do have a rocking chair that coordinates with my couch to help tie the rooms together.

Here are a couple of pics. The kid area doesn't look very kid-like, but I'm in the middle of organizing/purging toys, so most of them are elsewhere right now. (Excuse the messes - it's late in the day.)

The "kid" area

The "adult" area

View of the kid area from the adult area

Don't know if that was any help or not, since my kid area is so small (and empty!).

[Taurus]

I'm hoping you guys can help me find some inspiration.
DS's "playroom" is basically the dining room of our joint living room/dining room. It's also the main room when you walk into the house. I would love to decorate it so it is a distinct kid area, but can't really do theme since it's one big room with our adult "living area", ya know? Any ideas on how to either separate them or decorate it? Or am I thinking too much about this and should just decorate it like I would if it wasn't a joint room?
[/IMG]

I have been meaning to reply to this! I wasn't willing to decorate our play area like a typical playroom. It is a den area connected to our kitchen and is easily the most used part of our house. We filled the space (hard wood floors) with a huge rug that incorporated the colors from the rest of the house (it was from target.com) and bought shelving units from IKEA like the ones you have but access on both sides (although that doesn't matter since ours are against the wall). They are white which complement the white appliances and white dining set in our eat-in kitchen. The bins are the ones you have in your picture, but I bought them in khaki cordoury at Target instead of in bright colors. The khaki bins make these units blend in nicely, since three of the walls are painted khaki in this room. The other wall is part of the kitchen wall and was already painted blue, so that color is one that had to be picked up nicely in the rug. I don't have pics, but my advice is to do a playroom but without the playroom colors!!

ETA: Also put as many things in bins as possible to "hide" them, and for wall art consider just nice framed photos of your family that you would hang in any other part of the room.

I should also add that the rug is still red, orange, yellow, blue, green and purple, but all muted tones. It's this one: Color Block Rug (http://www.target.com/Color-Blocks-Rug-Multicolor-Rectangle/dp/B000BUILFK/qid=1195715274/ref=br_1_13/602-6541773-8050232?ie=UTF8&node=11055061&frombrowse=1&index=tgt-mf-mv&field-browse=11055061&rank=pmrank&rh=&page=3)

[lady1297]

Redcanuck: What about hanging your kid's artwork in pretty frames in the kid area? Or doing a pretty alphabet chair rail low on the wall just in that area? I'd think keeping things low to the ground kiddish and higher up more neutral would be a good compromise. ;)

[lady1297]

I've noticed in looking through the pictures that a lot of you don't have adult seating inthe playrooms. Why? We have a sofa that's too big in ours and I'm thinking eventually of getting rid of it, but I can't imagine no adult seats. Do you just sit on the floor with your kids? Just curious.

[mrst2b2003]

I've noticed in looking through the pictures that a lot of you don't have adult seating inthe playrooms. Why? We have a sofa that's too big in ours and I'm thinking eventually of getting rid of it, but I can't imagine no adult seats. Do you just sit on the floor with your kids? Just curious.


yeah we don't have one in our playroom...right now DS is 16 months and we spend all of our time on the floor playing with him or sitting at the play table with him...when he is older maybe 3 or 4 we will move the loveseat into the room so he has a place to snuggle up and watch movies in his playroom if he wants.

[kindermom]

Lady - We have a sofa in our playroom. DC like to climb on it and we like to sit. My sis does not have any seating and it is uncomfortable to hang out there. I would hate for the grandparents to face a choice of sitting on the floor at their age or to have to stand to watch their grandkids play.

[dal]

I've noticed in looking through the pictures that a lot of you don't have adult seating inthe playrooms. Why? We have a sofa that's too big in ours and I'm thinking eventually of getting rid of it, but I can't imagine no adult seats. Do you just sit on the floor with your kids? When we converted our family room into our playroom, we took out the loveseat b/c it's a smallish room so I thought it would give the kids more room to play. I hate it!!! And now my husband won't put the loveseat back until we convert back into a regular family room b/c he said the room is too small. :o

I didn't think it would matter too much b/c my girls are only 16 months apart (now almost 3 and 4) so they play together a lot and when my husband or I play with them, we either play on the floor in the playroom, play up in their rooms or take a board game out in our living room or something. BUT the problem comes in when we have playdates with moms who have younger kids/babies and need to be in the same room as them. We have to sit on the floor or one of us can sit in the one chair in the room (we have a desk in there). It's a pain and I wish we would have left the love seat in the playroom.

[kindermom]

Do you have an Ikea near you? They have a tiny love seat that is like $250 and is amazingly comfortable.

[Taurus]

seating: We have a small-scale loveseat sleeper in our playroom area from La-Z-Boy that is working out perfectly and is our extra bed now that we have two kids and no more guest room. It was very hard to find the right sized seating solution!

[red_canuck]

thanks for all the great ideas ladies!! I really appreciate all the thoughts :)

[Sophia]

Seating: When we had a dedicated playroom we didn't have any adult seating. DS & I sat on the floor to play.

[mamax2]

I've noticed in looking through the pictures that a lot of you don't have adult seating inthe playrooms. Why? We have a sofa that's too big in ours and I'm thinking eventually of getting rid of it, but I can't imagine no adult seats. Do you just sit on the floor with your kids? Just curious.

We don't have adult seating because there just isn't any room. Even a very small loveseat would mean not having out the dollhouse or Little People sets or something like that. I'd just rather have the toys. I don't mind sitting on the floor and we're upgrading to a larger, wooden table & chairs set this year so there *is* seating, I guess. The other thing for us is that the family room is literally right on the other side of the wall and there's plenty of seating there. Even when we have playdates, it's not a problem because the kids kind of go in there and do their own thing or go back and forth, etc. The *only* time it'd be nice to have seating is during playgroup, for instance, when there are multiple moms, kids, etc., but even then, the space it would take up wouldn't make it worth it to me. I should also point out that there isn't, and never will be, a TV or game console in this room. When it's done being a playroom, it will become a guest room. We have a 3rd floor that we'll finish as a 'rec room' when the kids are old enough to be interested in a 'hang out' zone.

[aprilshowers]

We just moved into a new house (yeah!) which has a playroom (double yeah!) so I'm reading along to get ideas from all of you. Right now it is just box storage, unfortunately.

As for seating, we decided to put our futon in there. That way the room can double as a guest room. DD is still at the age (20 months) where we do a lot of reading to her and she has to be sitting in our laps (which I love!). It is so much more comfortable to do that on a seat than on the floor. In fact, we're trying to figure out how to get a comfy chair into her bedroom since we do a lot of reading in there as well.

For those of you with limited space, maybe get a couple of those "back jacks?" We used them in the childbirth class and they are actually pretty comfy. Google "back jack floor chair" and you'll come up with a bunch of hits. They are stackable so you can put them out of the way when you're not using them.

[dana b]

seating we have an ikea loveseat in ours and we love it. we don't have a family room and spend a lot of time hanging out with them in the playroom. it's also nice if i'm sick (like now) and need to rest and watch them at the same time and it's also a popular spot when we have family over. i would love to have the space for larger toys though -- our room is pretty small.

[Phen]

We have a loveseat and two recliners in the playroom. I'm on the loveseat right now, actually. ;)

~ phen

[LeslieR]

Our playroom is too small to hold all the toys we have, let alone adult seating!:p Our family room where we spend all our time is across the hall from the playroom, so he comes and goes as he pleases.

[Renrel]

This backjack chair an option for some people without space for seating in the playroom, assuming you can get down on the floor with relative ease. It is easier to sit for extended periods with the cushion and backrest. They had them at the place I did my birthing classes and baby yoga class. I bought one there and it got a fair amount of use, at least during year one when I was on the floor alot playing with DS.



http://www.fourgates.com/backjack.asp

[Standrea]

I know I posted in here a few months ago that we were going to start making our playroom, but we ended up buying a new house instead! This house has a playroom off of the living room, so it's perfect! Once we put lighting in and paint it, I will post pictures.

As for seating, right now we have DD's table and chairs and her big Octopus chair (http://http://www.babystyle.com/common/dProductDetail.asp?PMID=20247). When we buy new living room furniture, we'll move the futon from DH's office into that playroom. The room isn't ginormous, but it's big enough that we havne't had to put up shelves yet. I'm so happy I have a place to put the toys so they aren't hanging all over the house now!

[JenniferEC]

Our playroom is the other half of our basement. We still need some artwork on the wall, but I think we're finally done. We just got the train table and DS loves it. As for seating, we usually sit on the floor while the kids are playing.
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee109/rearwindow915/IMG_3670.jpg?t=1196277389
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee109/rearwindow915/IMG_3671.jpg?t=1196277534
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee109/rearwindow915/IMG_3672.jpg?t=1196277572
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee109/rearwindow915/IMG_3673.jpg?t=1196277619
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee109/rearwindow915/IMG_3674.jpg?t=1196277683

[ellidew]

Awesome playroom! I saw that school bus in a catalog the other day... very cool!

Seating: Our playroom is half of our very informal family room in the basement so if we aren't sitting on the floor we're sitting on our couch.

Tents: I think this is the thread i derailed about tents not too long ago. Fwiw, i saw the bazoongi (sp?) tents at target. They had the space ship and the house for i believe $49. I bought ds a tent last weekend. I happened upon a tent at Walmart for $15 that included the sleeping bag and a flash light. It's sports themed like our basement. I believe the girls version was Barbie. It's house shaped like the one i was originally eyeing in someone elses awesome play room. If i ever decide to get creative maybe i'll make some additional covers!

[Chimichanga]

I'm glad I found this thread again!! :)

DH and I have been talking about turning the basement into a playroom for DD. These pictures have been so helpful!

I think we're going to have to wait for a bit to get work going (with me being PG again) but I love all of the inspiration.

[Renrel]

We are closing on a house next week and will not be moving in for a couple of months. I want to finish a portion of the basement as a playroom. Any suggestions for a good flooring over cement? I want DS to be able to run and climb and fall in that room if possible but I am worried about the hard flooring. Also since it is a basement I have some issues about moisture. There are no none problems but with a basement you never know. We are also not going highend at all. Basic playroom which hopefully can grown with DS (now age 4). We also want to put a sleeper couch down there to allow for more overnight guests since early all relative live at a distance.

[majorgal]

I want to finish a portion of the basement as a playroom. Any suggestions for a good flooring over cement?

Renrel, I might go with carpet tiles. You can lay them down in their squares and if only one portion of the carpet is ruined from moisture or anything else, you can pull up only the portion that is ruined. Ultimately, it will save some money. I am not sure what sub-flooring you may need to put it, but I think it might be the way to go. We are finishing our 3rd floor into a playroom and we are going that route...we know we will have spillage and can replace sections as needed.

Good luck!

[Renrel]

Anyone have any experience with snap together or click together floors? I saw an article on this as a DYS project on the family handiman site and it looked interesting. Not too expensive or difficult according to the article but I have no experience with DIY, though DH is quite handy but I don't want to create alot of work for him. The house will have enough things that need doing without adding big projects in bonus rooms.

I was also looking at cork flooring which was described as great for noice reduction and as an easy surface to stand on for a kitchen or other work area. Both attributes I would like in a playroom. Not sure how the pricing is but I think you can get it in snap or click together form. I worry that a carpet might not work well for building block kinds of toys and that is DS favorite kind of plaything.

[Phen]

Our playroom is in our former garage and we just asked for the thickest foam padding they had to be installed underneath the wall-to-wall carpeting. We "moved into" the playroom when my boys were about 10 months old; they're now nearly 3 and a half and no one has been hurt by falling onto the carpeted cement (if that makes sense) -- well, they've been hurt, just not in the playroom!

~ phen

[Koala_Gurl]

Carpet tiles are great, the only downside is you need to put them on a flat firm surface (concrete, tile, etc.)

There is very little padding (not fun for the little ones learning to walk.) But, if the kids are a bit older, it is fine (though not super comfortable.) But, that said, the convenience of being able to wash one tile at a time (for spills, and other not so nice messes) is pretty great!

[gardenmommy]

Renrel~ Our playroom area is in our finished basement. We used a combo of carpet (wall to wall) and wood flooring.

In my experience with snap together flooring or laminate you just have to make sure it is approved for use in basements. Most displays (say at Lowes) list on the product where it can be installed. It is super duper easy to install and all you need is a standard table saw or circular saw to cut it.

But to be honest in your situation I would use carpet tiles too. Most of them have a poly vinyl backing that resists water damage to the top fiber, and they are really easy to install. The pile is pretty short so they shouldn't interfere with blocks or riding toys with wheels.

[JenniferEC]

We went with really thick mold-resistant padding and then carpet. So far, we've had no problems with stacking, building or making things on the carpet. And neither of my DCs had had an issue with falling or it not being soft enough.

[Renrel]

Thanks for all the feedback. Good to know no one has been hurt falling on carpet over cement. I just picture DS doing a balancing act and landing on his head. He is not accident prone and tends to have very good jugement about what is dangerous, but he also loves to climb and balance and jump from "great" heights (like 3 to 4 feet, not 10-15 feet).

I have to get over to Home Depo or a flooring store and just look around a bit I guess to understand the options. It would be nice if the basement could be finished enough to qualify as additional square footage when we eventually sell the house but we are not investing alot of money in this room.

[mamax2]

Any suggestions for a good flooring over cement? I want DS to be able to run and climb and fall in that room if possible but I am worried about the hard flooring. Also since it is a basement I have some issues about moisture. There are no none problems but with a basement you never know. We are also not going highend at all.

Traditional carpet over a thick (or even double thick) pad will be your most comfortable, warmest option (I mention b/c you're in the NE). If you were to have a flood or something, you'd have insurance so I wouldn't worry about that unless there was a known problem. Something like an activity table or train table would give your DS ample space for building block towers and such.

The carpet tiles aren't going to be very comfy if you do a lot of sitting/lounging on the floor. So, if you want this room to be a 'hang out' or rec room type space as your DS ages, I would consider a more comfortable floor since kids lay on the floor a lot.

Many laminate or floating floor systems *may* not be approved for installation on concrete so make sure you work with a qualified retailer & installer.

[Sebski]

delete

[LeslieR]

Sebski, see my post here (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1399934&postcount=145) for our book storage solution. If you scroll up from there you'll read some other posts about book storage.

[ellidew]

LeslieR - How much was that?

[TrulyBlessed]

Can someone help me find something similar for a lot less?

http://www.potterybarnkids.com/pkimgs/ab/images/products/200747/0014/img65m.jpg



Sebski, http://www.wardskids.com/wdkids/prod_display1.asp?product=42585&PID=40&CMB=6-40 has something similar and the prices are so much more reasonable than PBK. It comes in 2 different colors & sizes. HTH.

http://www.wardskids.com/wdkids/assets/product_images/27644_x.jpg

[LeslieR]

LeslieR - How much was that?

IIRC, it was $30. I can't remember if it was on sale or if I used a coupon.

[kindermom]

sebski - i like the bin holder too. why not get a bigger one to put there. perhaps one that is 3x3 or 4x3? that way you can still have bins but also room for books. i would put that in addition to the bookcase posted by truly blessed.

the other option is to only put out a selection of books at a time. we have at least 200 books. at any given time only 50 or so are out, the rest are stored in our laundry room. every few months i swap them out. i do the same with toys.

[Sebski]

deleted

[Natasha]

For those of you who have the plastic toy bins in the wooden frames, how do you like them? I am considering getting something like that for our kids, but I want to know how sturdy/durable they are. Thanks!

[Dan's*Girl]

Natasha~
I just bought this for my sons playroom (the red and blue one) it is GREAT! Sturdy and it holds books and toys. They have it at Toys R Us for $40!

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/415jGwVEIbL._AA280_.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41uX0AIuhcL._AA280_.jpg

[Pink_Converse]

We have the one from Target. DS (18 mo) has never pulled it over or anything and he's had it since 9 months or so. He can get things out of it pretty easily. I store books and puzzles on top and toys on the other shelves. HTH.

[firefly]

I don't know if you'll find this helpful or stupid. but while I was teaching a number of us k-1 teachers installed plastic gutters at about 12- 18" intervals
(on top of one another) they make a great place to put the books in facing outward so the child can see the covers.

they are cheap and easily removable when you get past the picture book stage.

I'd install them under your window... make 2 rows of gutter.

[mgrace]

I saw a version similar to the one that Dan's Girl posted at Target for about $35 (The one I saw had more bins on top, instead of the material). In Sunday's Aldi ad, they had one just like it for $25. Just thought I'd mention it if someone was looking for one.

ETA: here is the link to the ALDI (http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b374/mgrace17/15083.jpg) ad.

[Natasha]

Thanks everyone! We had one with cloth bins, and it was a huge hassle. The bins would collapse on themselves and my the 3 year old broke one of the support bars. But, if the ones with the plastic bins are more durable, we'll check those out.

[ellidew]

Okay, this is going to be confusing so try to bear with me...

I am looking for a wall mountable flip puzzle.

Ex. This babystyle cube has a flip puzzle on the one side. Where you flip all the pieces to make 1 picture.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/babystylecube.jpg

I've seen them in play areas at malls and what not.

I'm trying to put up several wall activities around our playroom. So far we have a magetic/blackboard wall with 1 magnet board and 1 dry erase board and i'm making a felt board. The Childrens museum by me has a toddler activity room and they have a velcro board with shapes with velcro on them and i'd like to put up something similar.

Any other ideas for wall activities?

[Dan's*Girl]

Okay, this is going to be confusing so try to bear with me...

I am looking for a wall mountable flip puzzle.

Ex. This babystyle cube has a flip puzzle on the one side. Where you flip all the pieces to make 1 picture.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/babystylecube.jpg

I've seen them in play areas at malls and what not.

I'm trying to put up several wall activities around our playroom. So far we have a magetic/blackboard wall with 1 magnet board and 1 dry erase board and i'm making a felt board. The Childrens museum by me has a toddler activity room and they have a velcro board with shapes with velcro on them and i'd like to put up something similar.

Any other ideas for wall activities?

This is what I found after searching....they aren't cheap but are really cool!

http://www.sensoryedge.com/wapase.html?gclid=CPvmrdGCppACFRE_OAodACUEgA

[happy1nuv]

Any other ideas for wall activities?
A mirror (they make unbreakable ones)...
You could mount an aquadoodle on the wall
You could get one of those magnet things where you use the stick to move balls (like this...lakeshore learning has a couple)
http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/media/images/products/full/gg454_f.jpg
an abacus, maybe?

[marteneym]

BUMP! We are moving soon and looking for ideas!
Our playroom will be the family room off the kitchen. I would like it to look nice but kid friendly.

[ellidew]

Here's our playroom. It's nothing fancy but it gets the job done! Our family room/playroom is in our basement. The basement is sports themed so that carried over into the playroom. You can't see it in any of the photos but the ceiling above the play area is painted blue with clouds. We haven't finished the basement yet either in case you don't notice the lack of utility doors and floorboards ;)

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/2007_12f043.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/2007_12f037.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/2007_12f039.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/2007_12f040.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/ellidew/2007_12f041.jpg

[hub1176]

ellidew Gah! I now have "playroom envy" :)
We are hoping to finish our basement soon and have a family room/playroom for our girls.
Becuase I run my own daycare, my main level will always have toys...

[malala]

That's a cute playroom ellidew!

[Standrea]

I love it Ellidew!

[Jessiesmama]

Our playroom is the largest room in our house. (what would be the "formal living room"). I'm pg now and waiting to see what sex my baby is before I "decorate" the place. I need a new rug, window treatments and lots of wall decoration. I'll go in a very girly direction if I have another girl and in another direction if I have a boy.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2210/2219314092_fbb997305e.jpg?v=0
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2030/2219314636_9959fb2d1a.jpg?v=0
looking from den into playroom
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2293/2218521811_804d3770c0.jpg?v=0

[Mrs.Chappy]

love it jessiesmama!! its so neat and welll coordinated! impressive

[rosa727]

We just moved into a new house, so I am currently working on DS's new playroom. It was in our finished basement in our old house, but here it is in the big bonus room over the garage. I was reading that some people don't like having a playroom upstairs, but the setup here works great. The only rooms on the second floor are DS's bedroom, a second bedroom used as an office right now, his bathroom, and his playroom. So I can shut the door to the office, shut the gate at the top of the stairs, and just let him roam around between his room and playroom. It's nice because he hates feeling confined and his books and some other stuff is in his bedroom.

Anyway, we are doing a beachy-themed playroom since the whole family loves the beach. We spend so much time in his playroom that was want it to be pleasant and realxing. So far we have a couch and loveseat in a light blue microfiber and a big stuffed chair in a Sunbrella fabric with stripes. I want to get this from PBK in the chocolate color:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a343/rosa727/PBKactivitycart2.jpg

and then get this for the TV, since it will be in the corner:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a343/rosa727/HDCcornercabinet.jpg

Has anyone seen media stands for playrooms that are corner pieces? PBK didn't have any, but I wish they did because I am sure they are very durable.

[ali&dc]

Rosa,
I've seen corner media stands at Ballarddesigns.com.
You're beach theme is cute!

[marteneym]

For right now our playroom is our family room. There were just a pile of toys on the floor on the corner. It made it very difficult for DD to get what she wanted. After inspiration from all of you we got the shelves from Target and it completely changed the feel of our room. Clutter to actual play space. Thanks!

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j259/marteneym/2-11-081.jpg
Shelf is in the right corner of the room next to the couch.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j259/marteneym/2-11-08.jpg