The ultimate kids’ playroom DIY guide

It’s no secret that all kids treasure and value a space of their own to play and hang out in besides their bedroom. A separate playroom is key for a child’s development. They need an area that they can call their own, in order to start learning how to take care of their own space.

Having a playroom is also a good way of keeping your child’s belongings in a contained area. The perfect playroom should be safe and fun, a place where your kids can have fun, alone. This is a short guide that gives you some tips on how to design the playroom by yourself.

The layout

Firstly, you need to examine the room you have in order to decide how you’re going to go about designing it for your kid. If it’s a large room, you may want to consider lining up all the toy boxes and other storage units along the walls, so their toys and video games aren’t lying around all over the house.

If you find that the storage boxes are too full of toys and video games, you can cull them once in a while, by selling them off on websites like www.musicmagpie.com. Also, if the room is smaller, use one side of the room for storage, and have the rest of the room open for playing.

The Furniture

Given that your kid is going to want privacy in the playroom, you should make sure that there aren’t any sharp corners or dangerous surfaces around the room. The seats, tables and floor should be kid-friendly.

You should think about purchasing soft furnishings as opposed to wooden or plastic ones, especially if your kids are particularly young.

 The Theme

This is where the fun begins. Kids love bright colors and inspiring things to look at. If your child has a particular fondness for something, incorporate it into the theme. For instance, if he or she loves dinosaurs, get some dino-wallpaper or a playing mat with dinosaurs on it.

You can go for something that’s kid-friendly, but you could also go for a contemporary feel that will make adults feel they can hang out there too, without being intrusive.

 Adults’ corner

It would be nice to include an ‘adults’ corner’ in the room, so you and your partner can drop in to see how the kids are doing. This can be something simple, like a grown-up size two-seater sofa at the back, where you can sit and watch your kids perform a show-and-tell session, or help them with their homework.

Photo Sources: 1 Poss Architecture, 2 Charm & Whimsy, 3 MPR Design Group, 4 Abbey Construction Company, 5 Eisner Design, 6 Wind and Willow Home, 7 Dennison and Dampier Interior Design, 8 Pinterest, 9 Lizette Marie Interior Design, 10 Pinterest, 11 Gander Builders, 12 Mindi Freng Designs, 13 d2 interieurs, 14 Gabriel Builders, 15 Pinterest, 16 Olga Akulova Design, 17 Poss Architecture, 18 Jill Seidner Interior Design

Inviting Spanish Revival bungalow in San Anselmo

This warm bungalow in San Anselmo, California was designed by Alison Davin of Jute Interior Design. The client wished to have a home that felt warm and lived in instead of sleek and with a brand new feel. A mix of vintage items and global decor pieces with history was used throughout the home. The 1,000 square foot home was for a family of three, the client had a Peace Corps background which shaped the design choices in the home. To match the Spanish Revival architecture, the designer added reclaimed wooden beams on the ceiling and a new fireplace surround. The beams add warmth to the space and visually expand the small living room. The eclectic gallery wall was neatly pulled together with a nonlinear arrangement. The frames are of a neutral color palette to minimize a hodgepodge effect.

Very little was done to the kitchen, just a cosmetic upgrade from the previous owners. The drawers were given a facelift with a new coat of paint, and new drawer pulls were added from Restoration Hardware. The yellow and taupe tiles add a splash of color and pattern to the interior’s muted creams, whites, browns and tans. The daughter’s playroom is in keeping with the neutral color palette seen throughout the rest of the home. The playroom features a whimsical tepee, nesting wicker cubes wired together for toy storage, artwork display, kid-size table and stools which makes up for the lack of splashy, playful color punches found in most children’s rooms.

A vintage clock, barrel hoop and gourd-like vessel soften the straight lines of the mantel, fireplace structure and exposed beams.

The dining table is decorated with a collection of African platters from Floreal in San Francisco. The dining table and bench are custom-made from reclaimed pine by Peterson Antiques in Los Angeles.

The pendant lamp is the Teardrop Light from New York-based Tucker Robbins; it’s made from a Indonesian fishing net, lined with rice paper.

A wall shelf features vintage wooden Quranic Teaching Tablets from Morocco.

The designer created an eclectic assortment of different-size shelving units against the wall.

Photos: Matthew Millman Photography

Tudor-style home with a fabulous ‘man cave’

This beautiful home in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, California was remodeled by design firm Lizette Marie Interior Design. The family of four had just purchased their 5,200 square foot, five bathroom, four-and-a-half bathroom classic Tudor style home and was looking to do a few updates which turned into a larger project of full scale bathroom remodels, each one being distinct from the other, and new decor for the first floor rooms. The family loved to cook and entertain, so it was important to create a space where adults and kids could spend time together. It was also important to create a space that would be a designated ‘man cave’ and equally, a haven for the wife to escape.

The entrance to the home displays a clever concept completed by local artist Klari Reis. There are three semi-abstract maps with the perfect balance of color, scale and detail so they stand as works of art on their own, demonstrating a sense of the couple’s history. Each map shows where the couple has lived in the past, Manhattan, Gottingen and Charlottesville. The library (displayed above) is the wife’s escape, the first room that you see upon entrance to the home and creates a ‘wow’ factor. It is a soothing space to reconnect with her passion for history, a mix of red and purple. The basement was turned into a man cave, since it lacks natural light. It designed into a comfortable space for the husband to work from home or just escape from a long day. Built-in bookcases help to add color and accessories and divide the space, one for work and one for play.

The door is constructed from reclaimed barn siding, with a backing of colored glass on the reverse to allow for a writing surface in the play area. It acts as a divider between the man cave and the kids’ playroom but can be opened wide to connect the two.

Despite the lack of natural light in the playroom, it seems much lighter than the man cave due to bright colors, white walls and recessed can lights.

Photos: David Duncan Livingston