Friday, October 19, 2012

134 Our Playroom Reveal!

We have been spending a lot of time in our playroom since finishing it up.  A lot.  It is where we play, build, read, watch movies, play games, have a Wii Just Dance competition and even do a little coloring.

And yes, I am going to say, although there will always be minor tweaks and updates, that we are pretty much finished with one of our favorite rooms in the house.  I also figured it was about time I got my rear in gear and shared the after pics and update the home tour with some of the recent updates... And also share some more of the reasons why we designed the playroom the way we did and why we are so happy with it!

I actually dug deep in my archives to find this really old photo of how the room once was when the lower level was first finished.


The changes to the room did not happen over night.  It has been a bit of a journey, but I think that is why we love it so much.

As you can see, the original purpose of this nook in our home was an office/game room.  But after the lower level flood, we pulled all the carpet and re-evaluated how we wanted to use the space going forward.  The playroom was moved to this space due to it's size and to allow the kids to make large cities and train track builds.

Since we lost some furniture in the flood, the room started out as a mixture of random extra furniture pieces and thrift store/Craigslist finds.


The playroom was one of the first rooms I wanted to focus on in the lower level.  So, we began to think of what we would need to store, asked the kids to come up with some suggestions, and brainstormed ways to make the room functional, not just for the kids, but for the whole family.  It was also important to me to come up with a design that works and blends with our home.

So, we started out by painting what we already had; the walls and the entertainment center.


We also added a fun stencil to the focal wall, to give the room a little whimsy. 

When it came time to add in seating, the two chairs weren't cutting it, so they now live in other living areas and we brought in something that would not only fit our three kid's, but the bottoms of all of their play date friends!  Sure, we could have gone with a couch or love seat, but the amount of floor space that would have taken away was just too much.  Plus, we don't mind them using the space for a little movie time or Wii playing, but we don't want to over encourage lounging, the room is meant for play after all!  Going with two Expedit bookcases turned on their sides, we were not only able to add a bunch of storage, we also added oodles of slim seating {and yes, it is sturdy enough for the hubs and I as well}.  You can read more about how we assembled the bookcases, cushions and corner support here and here.


So yes, the benches work great for a little lounging and a lot of storage, but the kids really seem to be gravitated to the floor.  So, a couple of floor cushions tossed in, has been a huge hit with the boys.  They rock on them, pull them up to their play table, and use them in their reading nook.  {and between the benches and floor poofs, I still came in far less than the cost of a new sofa, so I was as happy as they are!}



As I mentioned, the room has all sorts of purposes, and since we encourage reading in every room in our home, a craft crate cut in half was a great way to add some book storage in the playroom.


But back to that play table.  It is one of my favorite pieces in the space.  It started out as an old coffee table rescued from a thrift store, given second life with spray paint on the legs and chalk paint on the top.  I love that the kids can use it to play games, whip up a quick colorful masterpiece, build Lego houses and tracks and combine those creations with some chalk drawings!


And call me crazy, but I do let the kids do a little crafting in the playroom.  Their craft caddy sits on a shelf and is filled with color pencils, markers and crayons.  It lives next to a bin of color books and drawing pads to encourage creative time {all their super messy crafts are concealed upstairs}.


But lets get to the main function of the playroom shall we?  The toys! 

After the flood, we really evaluated our toy inventory and had a garage sale and then donated another chunk.  The kids took part in this, and we talked about why too many toys is not necessarily a good thing.  We thought about what toys they played with most, and decided it would be a good idea to focus on expanding the sets they love most {Lincoln Logs, Lego, and wooden train tracks}, and limit the number of random toys taking over their play spaces.  The kids have a large and generous extended family, and had acquired more toys than they knew what to do with.  We have since let family know that the kids either would like to expand on their few favorites, or to gift to their savings account.  This has been extremely helpful in keeping toy clutter limited.

When it came to the Lego situation, between my husband and I {yes, I grew up loving Legos too}, the kids already had a large collection.  A few more gifts later and we had a situation on our hands.  I decided on the Trofast system to organize them, and the kids thought that organizing by color would be simplest for them to maintain, and also be easier for them to find specific pieces.  So that is what we did {and it is still working great for us}.



Once the Lego situation was under control, we found the perfect durable playroom baskets {a part of me still wishes they were a woven material, but they have been extra "loved" by the boys and still look great so I stand by the initial choice}, added some easy to understand picture labels and gained great divided storage for the remainder of their toy sets.


While designing the playroom, I wanted to keep majority of the toys concealed, since the space is open to our family room and master bedroom.  So, when it came to their larger items, the lower half of the entertainment center worked perfectly for keeping things tucked away!


The cabinets hold larger toys that didn't fit in baskets, and the DIY canvas bins hold our puzzle collections.

When we last left ya, the playroom was looking a little off to me.  I could quite place it, so I gazed at pictures and sat in the room itself, and realized it just needed another color.  So many blues and greens, I needed to bring in a little contrast.  Red it was.  A little red chair, some red accessories, a red pillow, and some colorful art, made the room feel a little more complete.

{Art Sources: You Make Me Happy, Birds of a Feather, 3D tree - made my Peyton}

I call this space, a nice and happy ending!


 And yes, it gets messy.  It gets used.  It gets played in and loved....


And that is why it is our favorite place in the house!

134 comments:

  1. GREAT job on the playroom, jen! looks like such a fun, inviting place for the kids! i know how you feel about the challenge of keeping the toys organized - it's hard to do!

    love it all!!!

    sam :-)

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  2. This looks fantastic - I wish I had this playroom growing up! Also, thanks for the picture sources!

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  3. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your playroom! I've been working on a playroom for my kids, and have gotten so much inspiration from your space :-) I turned a small 10x10 downstairs bedroom into the playroom, so I also used the expedit benches for seating/storage option! I am considering getting the IKEA Pjas (banana basket). We've used them for toy storage in our living room for the past 1 1/2 years, and they've held up great!

    I'm not sure if you mentioned in a previous post. Where did you find the knit pouf?

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    1. I have seen the pouf at Target. Good luck.

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    2. Yep! Target! All playroom sources are now updated in the Home Tour tab. :)

      xo,
      Jen

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  4. I love reading your blog every afternoon. What a fun playroom. I am going to ask a nosey question, do you have the television secured so it cannot tip forward? I ask because a child can be killed by a falling television. My friend lost her daughter in a similar accident. You can see more information, including statistics about television tips at meghanshope.org.

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  5. i LOVE the finished product! i've been reading and following for so long and now i absolutely adore how it all came together! such an inspiration-as always!! and i promise to only borrow a few ideas! ;)

    xo,
    Courtney

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  6. Fabulous! Thanks for the inspiration. I'm updating our playroom as kid #3 exits the "baby" stage and I think I will try some of your ideas out for us!

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  7. I love those benches and the train table!

    Emily
    Simple Suburbia

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  8. We turned our office into the playroom last winter too, but I've been wanting to take everything out and reevaluate...they're growing out of those little toddler toys now. I think I could almost transplant your design into our space and be happy!

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  9. Wow, Jen... it is super-awesome! I love all the great little details. Actually, I just love it all! :)

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  10. It looks wonderful!! Quick question: Is the train set a Melissa and Doug set??

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    1. Hi Gia!

      The train set is actually a combo of Thomas and IKEA wooden pieces.

      xo!
      Jen

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  11. Love this! Even more, you have really reminded me that it is time to pare down my son's toys to only what he really loves and plays with. Thanks for that!

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  12. Jen, it has been fun watching your playroom journey!!! I love your home. With my kids being 10 yrs apart, we haven't had too many toys. We don't have that extended family either. But, I did recently go through my youngest's toys. They are in his closet. http://momma-paparazzi.blogspot.com/2012/04/foto-friday.html It is so much better. I recently sat down and did what you did with the lego sets he has acquired. They were in an under bed storage. I don't have near as much, but I took my que from you and sorted them by color. They are in Sterlite drawered systems. SO much better.. so thank you for the idea.

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  13. It is the most immaculate playroom I have ever seen! It would grace the pages of any glossy home magazine. Well done and thanks for visiting my little blog today, it was a lovely surprise.

    Antonia x

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  14. WOW! I'm using your room as inspiration for our new playroom. I am certain mine won't have as much pizzazz or organization - but I am using Expedit "benches"! Our room is SO.VERY.SMALL that this idea is just perfect! Thanks for sharing such a great space. :)

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  15. What a fantastic and creative space. It is so bright and colorful. I love love love the stencil wall it really adds a little something special to the room. All the details are incredible.

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  16. This is amazing! I have been struggling to figure out how to organize our guestroom-turned-playroom and make it a fun and inviting space but I've been coming up short with ideas. I love what you did with your space and hopefully I can steal a few of your ideas! :)

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  17. What a wonderful transformation! So much to be inspired by. In your post you didn't mention the carpet tiles. I think I remember a post a while back where you talked about them, but I would love to be reminded what they are and where you bought them.

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    1. Hi Kristie!

      They are FLOR tiles, these ones specifically: http://www.flor.com/suit-yourself-linen.html

      xo,
      Jen

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  18. I just found your blog and enjoyed this first email. The space is beautiful. It seems like it must have been costly, though. Have you ever published the total cost it ended up being... just curious; maybe it's cheaper than I am thinking. Also, I have a suggestion for your board games if your boxes start getting broken up or the kids want an easier way to access them. You can take the boards and store them in a standing magazine holder (needs to be sturdy... I have a heavy plastic one) and close the boards but label them at the top with a sticker. Use a drawer system (like the ones usually suggested for garages and hardware) and put all the game pieces in a drawer and label the outside of each drawer with the name of the game. When the kids want to play a game, they simply find the right board and pull out the appropriate door for the game pieces. I put the directions in a binder in protective sheets in case they are ever needed. This takes up less space and was easier for the kids to access.

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  19. Amazing playroom! I would love for our own playroom transformation to be as successful as yours!

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  20. looks awesome!!! I am redoing my boys' bookcase and it's so rewarding, thanks for all the inspiration!

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  21. I love everything about this space! Good work!

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  22. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the playroom!!! Fabulous job!! It's awesome!!

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  23. i really love the idea of asking to expand on one particular type of toy, rather that accruing tons of different ones. my kids just got magna-tiles 3 weeks ago and play with them every single day. i'd rather get another set than a totally new type of gadget to keep up with.

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  24. Looks like so much fun! (And, I'm super impressed with your Lego storage situation.)

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  25. The craft crate-turned book storage is practical and doable. Thanks for sharing!

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  26. the colors are perfect, this is beautiful!

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  27. Well I have been looking at various blogs for a number of years I have never seen such a wonderful transformation. Well done. You have taken time and used your font of knowledge and bargain hunting eye to create a masterpiece

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  28. Beautiful! I am in the process of adopting a toddler, so I know I will need good toy organization right away when he comes home. I love the big car hauler truck! Where is that from?

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    1. I have the same car hauler truck and I got it from the Carter's clothing store! They always have great wooden toys that last forever!

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  29. Can you come to my house! I am craving organization like never before. We've got a just turned 5 year old boy and a 2 year old girl. The house is in major transition. The baby toys are being phased out, remember how big all that stuff is!

    You did an amazing job with your playroom and totally inspired me as we attempt to move our playroom to the next phase. I am overwhelmed, what else is new. However you make it look so easy and now I've got some great tips! THANK YOU!

    I'm a new fan. Love this site! Keep up the great work! You inspire me to keep at it every time I read a post;) Thanks! xo

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    1. Also- Any ideas for all the OVER SIZED cars and trucks we have? I always joke that we need a kid sized garage!

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    2. How about a deep bookcase or armoire?

      xo,
      Jen

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  30. You are amazingly creative. Your design concepts always work not to mention the great amount of thought that you put into the organization of each area, while still making it look attractive. Your photo gallery is really going to be an asset when you start your own business :) Thanks for all the ideas and the details with the DIY projects. They are much appreciated.

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  31. What a great room! Your creative talents amaze me

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  32. I've thought all along that you were on the right track with this room, Jen. Finding the right set up and mix of furniture, storage, etc. is an ongoing challenge and you've met it well for your boys at this age. Esp. love the way you took care of Legos.

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  33. My favorite picture is when the room is being used!!! The room is GORGEOUS, 'messy' and 'clean' - you are SUCH an inspiration, and I am SO grateful that a wonderfully gifted gal such as yourself is willing to share so much of how you make your home an organized, beautiful place.... I do not have a single organize gene naturally, - but reading you for 2 years now has drastically changed how I think and given me SO many great ideas and inspiration, and as I've been implementing things I am learning, - I am falling back in love with my own home - which is the best feeling in the world!!! Big thankyou hugs!!!

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  34. Thanks for sharing! Our house has a small room, about 8x9 feet, with large windows on every wall, that connects to our family room. My husband & I turned it into a small playroom about a year ago, when our infant started to accumulate toys. Now he's almost two, and we have no good toy storage and no seating. I love (and will probably recreate) your bookcase toy storage and seating. It's the only storage idea I've seen that can fit under the windows in our playroom. Thanks again for the great ideas.

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  35. I don't know if I can pick my absolute favorite part. This room is so fun! If I had to pick... the color-coded legos make me want to be a kid again and build something.

    My two year old is getting blocks and Duplos for Christmas--totally gonna implement some of these ideas in his little room.

    This room is awesome!

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  36. I love the playroom-- and I absolutely love the bench storage you've created!

    I'm a new mom (Wyatt just turned 1!), so I have a question for you: what are your go-to recommendations for boys?

    I'm one of 3 girls, so my mind is completely blank as people ask what WL might want for Christmas. I would love to avoid my home turning into a grave-yard of toys, so I was hoping to take your advice and just create large collections of specific things. I see your boys love legos, lincoln logs, and car/tracks. Are those a great place to start?
    {Of course, I understand we don't need to buy anything too small at this point, but we could begin some of those now, as the kiddo doesn't seem interested in Baby Einstein anymore!)

    Thanks!!
    MrsG
    pluswyattlee.blogspot.com

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  37. It looks absolutely amazing!! Love all the organization details with the legos and other storage bins. You really thought of everything!

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  38. Oh this makes me so happy, love this space. It's on my list of favorite rooms I've seen. Glad to see it finished in all its amazingness!

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  39. this space is just PERFECT! Love everything in it! Great job! :-)

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  40. Such a happy happy room!!! I love every little detail, and the whole big picture!!

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  41. Jen, I know that one of those fabrics comes from Etsy, but could you name the fabric sources of the other pillows? Thanks, Bethany

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  42. The playroom looks amazing! I love the "You Make Me Happy" artwork and the pops of red. Your kids are lucky little dudes to get to hang out in there all the time!

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  43. Wow what a fantastic playroom! Color scheme is so fresh, crisp and just perfect. What color is on the walls? Where did you purchase the bucket that has create label on it? Thank you for sharing, you are amazingly talented!

    Jen

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  44. Looks so beautiful and funcitional!
    Your kids must love it!
    You have inspired me to start getting my playroom together :)

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  45. The reveal is gorgeous! It seems like one of those rooms that if it gets a little messy, it will still look chic! It's great! The colors and so inspiring for play time, and I love the combo of the benches and floor cushions, perfect for little ones!

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  46. Love, love, love it! Amazing creativity and organization! I wish I could *poof* have one just like it in my house in a matter of seconds!

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  47. I'll bring a veggie platter [and *cough*cookies*cough*] right over! I want to come play!

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  48. Congratulations! I’ve nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blog Award. If you are interested in participating you can pick up your badge icon and rules for participation here: www.recipesforourdailybread.com Blessings, Diane

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  49. Wow, Jen, your playroom is fantastic. Makes me wish I had little kids again. Well, not really; grandkids are enough!

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  50. Your room looks amazing. I wish we had space for a playroom. Where did you get the rug in your playroom and how does it hold up to the kid traffic? Thanks again for sharing your space!!

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  51. Love it so much! Seriously, such a gorgeous and functional room!

    xo,
    s

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  52. I admire the organization especially of toys -wow! my son's lego are in a few big boxes, mixed colours, I can imagine how long you separated the colours! respect! :)

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  53. I think this whole room is STUNNING!!!

    I love all of the organisation ideas, the baskets with pictures, the Lego storage and the chalkboard table.

    The colours are brilliant, very masculine for your three little men.
    And I especially LOVE the stencilled wall!!!

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  54. This is great! So many great ideas. Can I ask where you got the craft crate?

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    1. Hi!

      I found them at JoAnn and used 40% off coupons. :) You can find the details here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2012/05/playroom-progress-great-crate-book.html

      xo,
      Jen

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    2. Thanks so much! I meant to ask about the craft caddy, but typed crate instead :). It's the perfect size and so pretty to look at too!

      Jenny

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    3. Hi Jenny!

      Here is the link to the art caddy post: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2011/06/iheart-organized-art-caddy.html

      It was a utensil caddy from Target. I originally painted it with chalkboard paint, but later wanted a softer looks so I updated it with some craft paint and added a chalk label instead. :)

      xo,
      Jen

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  55. LOVE your playroom!!! Any chance you've seen or thought of anything similar to your Ikea Expedit benches that would be wide enough for a guest to sleep on (kid guests)? Sorry if I'm pushing my luck by asking! I have a playroom/kid guest room that I would love to turn into something similar to yours!

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  56. I really like your blog. I heart organising as well. From my childhood on, I love to have everything in his place and clean =)

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  57. I love what you have done. It's beautiful!
    I wish i was that organized! great job!

    heather

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  58. ADORE. ADORE. ADORE. The blue wall, the fabric you chose, and everything in between. I especially love looking at how you organize your toys. So SO clever. beautiful!!!! Can I come play?? ;}

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  59. Love it. Wish I had put together a playroom as organized. Enjoy!

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  60. Jen, I love the toy room makeover you did, I first saw the benches on Pinterest and clicked over to your blog, I was hooked. Because of that one picture I was inspired to create a similar play space for my three grandchildren, the space is currently still in progress. I saw the photo on Friday and had to go to IKEA the next day to purchase the EXPEDIT bookcases and some fabrics for our playroom. The room got painted, all the benches and bookcases were put together and most of the toys went back into the room. Next up are curtains, the bench cushions, more shelving and a wall mural. We are so excited to have an organized dedicated space for the kids to play when they come to visit all thanks to you. Thanks for sharing all your great projects with us.

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  61. Can you please provide the paint color you used as the backdrop to the birch trees? Love that blue. Great set up. Thank you for the ideas...

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  62. What a GORGEOUS ROOM! You have inspired me.

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  63. LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!! Love the wallpaper, love the colors, love the TOYS with the mirror in the middle!

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  64. Where did you purchase the green baskets? Thank you.

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    1. Hi Nikki!

      The green baskets were from Target, however, I don't see them available online any longer. Boo.

      xo,
      Jen

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  65. Love the playroom! We recently moved our office so that we can create a playroom for our son and it's a blank slate right now so loving this inspiration! Just wondering - how big is this room (as in room dimensions)?

    Thanks,
    Joy

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  66. unfortunately we don't have an extra room in our home to designate a playroom but there are so many great ideas here that i can use in my livingroom to keep the kids' things organized & pretty. great job!

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  67. Hi, just discovered your blog a few weeks ago, and I am hooked! I'm so happy you keep up with comments, too, because I have a burning question. :) In the close-up pic of the crafting area of the entertainment center, I spy 2 large but flat white boxes...on the shelf above the 3 tin pails. I would love to know where you got these--I have seen similar boxes at the Container Store but yours look much bigger than what I have found there. Thanks for the help!

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    1. Hi!

      They were from IKEA. They always have great sized storage boxes for far less than The Container Store. :)

      xoxo!
      Jen

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    2. Thanks! And shoot! I was just at IKEA this weekend!

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  68. Hi Jen,
    We are absolutely blow away by your playroom, you are the best! We are having a little trouble figuring out what to do about those rather large plastic toys grandparents tend to buy your kids. We noticed you may have a few big toys in the entertainment center but not all that many. Bumbos, baby entertainment centers (you know the one's they sit in), Baby Einstein walker things, toy pianos, clutter, clutter, clutter! So what to do? Just say "no?" Keep them in the garage or an outside shed or something? Any tips you have would be really (really) helpful...really! Thanks for all you do.

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    1. That's a great question!

      I think when it comes to all the baby gear and larger items, it is really important to analyze how much you really need and use. We just lived with the fact that we would have baby gear out from time to time since we are parents and people come to know that new parents have gear. However, we really only had a swing and a bouncer, and opted not to go overboard with the baby equipment. Same goes with the larger toys. We had a few that would sit out, a few that would be in storage bins in a storage closet, and the rest was donated. I am not a fan of clutter or our kids having an over abundance of toys, so that worked for us. The cost to invest in storage for large toys if they are only going to be around for a few short years, wasn't worth it to us, however, there are great large armoires and storage cabinets that can be used. :)

      xo,
      Jen

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  69. Jen,
    I HEART this blog. Can you tell me what you think about using the birch tree stencil in red paint. And what color you would use for the walls before I stencil the accent wall? Thanks!!

    Melissa
    ( Mom to Scarlett, 6 months)

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    1. I definitely think it would be a bold choice, however, it absolutely could work! A light color beneath, a soft gray or gray/beige would be a good contrasting color to the red.

      xoxo!
      Jen

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  70. LOVE this! Especially the train table and the lego organizer! Thanks for sharing!

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  71. Where did you get the floor seating/pouffes? You have inspired me sooo much!

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    1. Thanks Jamie!

      The green poufs are from Land of Nod and the grey pouf is from Target.

      xo!
      Jen

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  72. Love the room! Was wondering where you printed off the instagram frame in your art collage wall? I see the sources for the other artwork but not the instagram photo's. LOVE the idea for a play room!!!

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    1. Hi Katie!

      I printed of the instagram photos on a website called Printstagram, and then just arranged them individually into a grid using small pieces of tape.

      xoxo!
      Jen

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  73. Hi!! Love this!! Where did you get the giant green toys sign??

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    1. Thank you! We made it, you can find the details here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2012/04/ha-i-labeled-wall-now-too.html

      xo,
      Jen

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  74. Can you please tell me how you did the birch tree wall? I've been looking to do something like that for awhile! Love it! :)

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  75. Hi! I ended up using your Expedit bench idea (LOVE IT!) and even ended up using the same fabric in the pool color instead of green. I loved it so much that i re-upholstered our dining chairs to match. I have a hard time keeping it bright and clean though, so I was wondering if you have any secrets to share. Here is a link to my Pinterest board so you can see some of the photos I took of the space. http://pinterest.com/pin/481392647639138738/

    Thanks and I really really love your blog!
    -e

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  76. Again, love it all. Excellent job!

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  77. Hi, Jen! I love your room! I was wondering where you found your birch tree wall mural. It is so pretty!

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    1. Hi Lauren!

      I purchased it through Cutting Edge Stencil: http://www.cuttingedgestencils.com/allover-stencil-birch-forest.html

      xo!
      Jen

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  78. Where did you purchase the TOYS letters??

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    1. The letters were from JoAnn. You can snag the details in this post: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2012/04/ha-i-labeled-wall-now-too.html. :)

      xo,
      Jen

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  79. Jennifer, this is fantastic! I am looking to do exactly this right now! I'm totally going to use the book storage crate idea. Fabulous!

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  80. Hello! This is awesome! I was thinking about ordering a few of the shelves from IKEA, but noticed they are particle board. I was wondering, since you have had them over a year, have they held up well? I'm always pretty iffy with particle board furniture and kids! Thanks so much!

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  81. Hi Heather,
    With our three boys playing and bouncing on and around them frequently we can vouch for their durability. We use them as a family often and love them!!
    xo,
    Jen

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  82. I adore your baskets but of course they are no where to be found in that color. Target does have white though :) how difficult do you think it would be to spray paint them? Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Michelle!

      Target does seem to swap out there storage seasonally. Yay for new designs, boo when you find something worth loving!

      I personally probably would not spray paint the baskets. I think they would look just fine initially, but with the heavy traffic, would probably ultimately result in a flaky mess. Just a guess though!

      xoxo!

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  83. I love your playroom and plan on copying as much as I can. Beautiful!

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  84. I just came across your idea of using the ikea expedit shelves as benches and was so excited as it has solved my problem of how to create a corner bench unit in my kitchen but just found out ikea have stopped doing it. Argh! Unfortunately the series they've replaced it with is not as thick so worried it might not hold the weight as well and they don't do a 5x1. Any ideas of an alternative?? Thank you so much.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kim!

      I can't speak to the construction or quality but Better Homes & Gardens has a similar version here: http://www.walmart.com/ip/4-Cube-Organizer-Espresso/29741113

      xoxo!

      Delete
  85. i LOVE this! i've been itching to get some much needed storage for our playroom but hadn't yet decided exactly what i wanted to do with the space ... your playroom gives me some inspiration for sure!

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  86. I wonder if you actually use the expedit seating?

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  87. Hi - I know this is a play space you created a few years ago now, but I was wondering if you could provide the dimensions of the Expedit bookcase you bought from Ikea for this project. Thanks! (I believe they do not make it anymore). Thanks!

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  88. Just curious. I have two boys and they have lots of trucks (larger than what would fit in an Expedit (or the newer Expedit) or in a media cabinet. Do your boys have any? How do you store them?

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    1. We have a few oversized trucks that our boys store and play with outdoors. However, currently everything they play with indoors is stored within the playroom either in the Expedits or the media center cabinets. Have you looked into the IKEA BESTA cabinets? They are nice and deep and offer adjustable shelving and come in endless sizes which offer a lot of flexibility. Best of luck!

      Delete
  89. Yes, Ikea doesn't make it anymore like yours. :(

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  90. I love the labels used for the toy boxes. Are the images in a frame? Where did you get pics / frames? How are they attached?

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    1. Hi Lauren!

      You can see the original basket labeling post here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2012/05/playroom-progress-basket-labeling.html

      xo!

      Delete
  91. OMG!!! What an amazing playroom! I wish my living room looked like this! I am planning to declutter and clean the garage and to converted it in a nice playroom for my two girls. Thank you for the interesting ideas!

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  92. Can you tell me where I can get the bookshelves at? I clicked link but don't see it. Do you know where I can possibly get these at other than Ikea?

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  93. Fantastic! We have the same pouf you pictured and I can't figure out how to clean it. It's gotten so dusty and dirty. I've tried using our hand held vacuum on it, but it does next to nothing. Have you found a good way to get it clean? Thanks!

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  94. The chalkboard train platform is my favorite! SO CUTE!

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  95. Hi, I keep coming back to your posts on the kid's play room. You have a really great job on this. Question - do the big kids play on the table or on the floor more often? I keep putting off a big long table purchase but it might work because my son likes to play Lego and do tracks. He plays on the floor a lot but I think it's also because we don't have a long enough a table for his lego projects.

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    1. My boys play on both. It really depends on what they are doing and their moods. Because the table was low to the floor, they would sit on the floor and use the floor and table as surface for their different toy setups and projects. :) I also like having a table to offer them surface for coloring and small crafts.

      xoxo!

      Delete
  96. Hi Jen! Your play room is amazing! Just perfection. Thank you so much for sharing :) I shared your playroom as a "friday favorite" today. You are more than welcome to come check out: http://themooninmae.blogspot.com/2016/02/friday-favorites.html

    Thanks!!
    Jennifer Mae
    www.themooninmae.blogspot.com

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  97. Love your playroom!!! Where did you get your floor cushions/beanbag chairs?

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    1. Hello,

      The beanbag cushions are from Land of Nod. :)

      http://www.landofnod.com/one-seater-green/f13565

      xo!

      Delete
  98. Thank you!! And sorry, I saw where you already answered my question. :)

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  99. Hi Jen, I'm about to tackle this project for my son's playroom and am wondering, how many yards of fabric you used to cover the cushions???? Thanks, clarisa

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  100. I came by your blog when I was searching for blogs on organization. What you do is marvelous! I am interested in your playroom organization. We have a similar looking entertainment center. I am curious to know how you placed various things in each compartment, especially the top left ones, inside the IKEA boxes with labels. Anything inside boxes. How do you decide what goes into boxes?

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  101. Love your post! I may be blind but where did you get the acute pictures of the toys for your baskets.

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    1. Hello,

      I found most of the toy images just by doing a Google image search. ☺

      Jen

      Delete
  102. Hi Jen! I was curious how this room has evolved now that your boys are a little older? It was one of my favorites of your projects but I’m guessing it’s been updated to fit your needs... Do you still have the expedit bench and use it or use it in a different way? Or have you changed the room?

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    1. Hello,

      The room held up really wonderfully over the years for our boys, but they ultimately outgrew it, so I took it over as my office (they are now 18, 15, and 13). They now use the rest of our lower level as their den/hangout area with the game table, sofa, and television.

      The Expedits were used as storage in my office for quite some time after the playroom was disassembled, however, I eventually sold them at a garage sale. They really did their job for us for the time we had them.

      Jen

      Delete

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