Fun Yet Stylish Playroom

Christmas has come and gone and now you're left with a bunch of new toys that you have no idea where to put. This happens every year at our house (and for birthdays, too). Rather than asking the grandparents to buy clothes instead of toys for my kids (I honestly considered doing this), I figured it might be time to come up with a better way to store toys. Our playroom is the first thing you see when you come into our house so the pressure was on to make sure the space looked good while still being a functional play area.

I tweaked the area slightly from last Christmas now that I've had a year to see what works and what doesn't. For instance, the huge vintage drafting table base I set up as a train table was rarely used but took up a lot of space. I moved Ricky's train tracks and accessories to a bin in his closet that's still easy to pull out and set up on the floor. I added a couple of slip-covered Craigslist wingback chairs to the space because Rick and I noticed we had nowhere comfortable for both of us to sit. If you plan to actually spend time in your playroom, make sure adults have a place to sit that isn't in a kid chair or on the floor.

I moved the hanging chair from Lucy's room to the playroom so we had more swinging clearance (and so mama could swing when Lucy was sleeping). You can read all about the swing we have and how to hang it here. I made the "Never Grow Up" sign a couple years ago since Peter Pan is one of my favorite stories. Its perfect for a playroom but still looks "classy" enough that I don't mind it's the first piece of artwork you see in our home.

We all still love the scalloped chalkboard table that has interchangeable tops, like a marker board and Lego top. You can read all about how to make that here. The chairs are an amazing Target find, and you can find them here in multiple colors. The chairs are perfect because they're sturdy and don't tip over easily, and the metal is easy to wipe down. I use a vintage dough bowl to store the chalk, which looks a lot prettier than just a plastic box.

Years ago, when this space was still our formal dining room, I added these floating shelves to the built-in niches. They make excellent toy storage while still giving me a space to decorate with kid-friendly decor. I used books and thrifted brass candlesticks to tie the whole look together. The sweet gold-framed bird prints were found at a thrift store, and I added vintage corbels to tie in with my farmhouse look throughout the house. I used a sugar mold to hold crayons that can easily be carried to the table. A thrift store basket has been turned into a baby bed (Lucy calls this her Moses basket). I keep a letter board on the shelf where I typically display a seasonal children's poem.

I used small hooks screwed into the shelves to hold pots and pans that the kids can pull down to use in the play kitchen. The tobacco basket can be pulled down as serving tray. Our playroom is the perfect place to display our vintage truck with different seasonal packages, You can download the mini signs for free here and see what I use in the back of the truck each month.

I love how pretty this play kitchen looks, and it's one of the kids' favorite things to play with. You can find it here. The dollhouse is a Melissa & Doug reno I did a couple Christmases ago so it's perfect for displaying. I just move it to the table or floor when Lucy asks. You can read all about it here.

All of the Legos are stored in this vintage #15 crock. I created a top for the crock so we have a functional table in the sitting area where we can play games or work on small puzzles. You can find the tutorial for the crock tabletop here.

The rug is from Well Woven, and I love all the colors, making it perfect for hiding inevitable playdough stains. The wall color is Sherwin Williams Bracing Blue, and the light fixture is from World Market.

If you have a playroom in plain sight, you don't have to shield guests' eyes as you rush them by. You can have a stylish playroom that still has toys. You just have to get creative about how you store those toys. Kids shouldn't be the only ones having fun in there. Create a space for adults that encourages them to spend time in the playroom, too.