Playroom Storage Hacks + Elevated Design Tips
My kiddos are growing up and I wanted to create a space that supported this next level of their evolution. We all needed a bit of a distraction and creating this playroom has been such a fun project during these months in quarantine. I’m so excited to share this space with you and hope it inspires you!
Here’s the story: our last au pair left early this year. She was living in a spare bedroom we had upstairs down the wall from the master bedroom and kids’ rooms. The “playroom” for the boys was downstairs but it just became a dumping ground for lost toys and things. When our au pair left we felt it was best to switch the playroom with her room so it was more accessible to the kids, more connected to us adults, but the kids still had a space all their own.
I worked with my love, Dany of Spatial Soulutions who helped to completely transform and up-level our entire home. Dany is a holistic stylist on a mission to help people create conscious, beautiful and functional spaces. She’s offering virtual sessions if you want to get started now while you’re at home.
THE WHY BEHIND THE SPACE
When you have three kiddos at home all under the age of 10 - messes happen. I’ve always believed the sign of a mess is the sign of life fully being lived and experienced. Yet as a Taurus, I thrive off creating warm, grounded energy in my home and having a clean space does ease my stress. I wanted a playroom that encouraged their play, imagination and growth but didn’t become a room of constant mess. The organization, simplifying, and intentional design was key so I partnered up with Pottery Barns Kids to take this room to the NEXT LEVEL.
We wanted the playroom to be soothing and open which is why we stuck to a very neutral color palette. We dedicated the closet to board games + costumes – items that are more colorful and harsh on the eye. We got this mid-century toy chest from Pottery Barn Kids (obsessed!) for all the dress-up accessories to live in right next to the closet.
ORGANIZATION IDEAS THAT WORK FOR YOU + FAM
When it comes to rooms for your littles, SIMPLE is always best. We started by doing an entire cleanout everything and removed items that had somehow made their way to this room where they didn’t belong. We donated a ton of old toys, books and games the kids no longer played with and no longer inspired new levels of growth.
What we kept we organized into a specific place. If you’re organizing a playroom of your own, don’t dump ALL the toys in one large bin or toy chest. It’ll turn into a mess. When you store each toy in its own place it helps maintain the space and the kids can help clean up because they will know where things go.
We used Pottery Barn Kids’ 3x3 Cameron wall system because it has incredible open and closed storage. This whole system is modular which makes it really easy to personalize it to your space. We used this system to streamline the majority of the boys’ toys. We used the Quinn baskets in various sizes inside of the cubbies for manipulatives (blocks, legos, etc), small card games and building accessories like people + animals. We also displayed the boys’ books inside of the Cameron wall system. We put their school materials inside of the cabinets of the wall system. This piece is great because it also has the concealed storage of the cabinets. We also got the Seagrass and Metal storage baskets for large blocks to be displayed out for easy building access, and these items are safe for Noa to play with too!
We already had a gray art cart, so we found the Carolina Play Table in gray and some cute metal play chairs for the boys to work/create at. We also put this large lidded basket next to the table to house their coloring books + sketchbooks.
For Noa, we found these perfect double market bins with dividers and placed them on the floor so she is able to get her toys herself at eye level. She is obsessed with feeding us, so we literally have play kitchens for her all over the house. For the playroom, we went with the stunning Chelsea All-in-1 play kitchen for her to enjoy and got her an adorable shopping cart to add to her pretend play area.
ELEVATED DESIGN TOOLS
The neutral color palette of this room allows them to go wild with their toys, games and art. When they leave things out it doesn’t feel like too much of a mess because the room is soft as it is. We found a perfect rug from Pottery Barns Kids in 8 x 10. The Korey rug is so cozy, and also has the neutral yet playful boho feel I love.
We wanted to add neutral, functional, yet fun decor into the space. Here are some of my favorite items we selected to help give you some ideas:
Animal decal - We cut it up and put the pieces in different areas around the room. It was Adi’s idea to break up the decal and we really love it!
Magnetic strip with Clips - To display their creations in a functional + fun way!
Navy Campaign Pinboard - Another way to display their art, and put up their schoolwork/schedules/etc. This has been insanely helpful while they have school at home.
Giraffe + Peace Sign wall art - Playful and neutral pieces to add to the space.
We are SO in love with how this room turned out and it was been such a blessing to have it completed during these months at home. They have a designated space for homeschooling and playtime while I work. I also love that I can easily go play and create with them. So magical!
Thanks to Pottery Barns Kids, who collaborated with me to really take this room to a whole new level! I’m obsessed with it!
What do you love most about this space? Any ideas you’re going to implement in your own homes or ideas of your own? Share with me below!