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The Playroom is Finished!

October 5, 2020

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We have a lot of large projects going on that are kind of out of our control as we’re depending on contractor’s timelines. But! We also have a LOT of small projects in the works that we started and have complete control over and last week I said, “Let’s tie all of these up!” The playroom is one of those spaces that we’ve been working on for the last couple of months and we’re excited to share more photos today of how it’s looking now!!!

This angle you might have seen:

But you may not remember, it used to look like this when we moved in:

That carpet still haunts me to be honest. Tearing it out and laying wood floors (Ingrid by Stuga Studio) allowed this area to flow a lot better in the house.

One big snafu we ran into was when the peel and stick wallpaper I fell for from Chasing Paper wasn’t going to work with our orange peel walls. After we spent a day hanging it, it was already coming loose in areas. I was bummed, but also elated to find out they sold the same pattern in a traditional paste the wall–which has worked WONDERFULLY! So it wasn’t back to the drawing board, just a little pivot.

There’s one part of the playroom you haven’t see!:

That’s Greta’s room through that door down there! There’s no door leading into the playroom, but there’s a doorway  to the area which gave us a good starting point for wallpaper and defined the space. I think the previous owners used the playroom as a sewing room (I remember seeing bats of fabric in the cabinets during our walk through).

Speaking of, those cabinets were the BIGGEST selling point on making this the playroom to begin with. They are packed with toys and games and tupperware of blocks and shopkins. Closed, built-in storage for the win. And painting them a golden yellow completely transformed this room. We feel extremely fortunate to not only have this nook dedicated to toys, but also to have that storage!

In the hall leading to Greta’s room, we put an additional chest of drawers (that used to be in our old closet) for bed linens for the girls. One of my favorite things to do is 1. Pin point pain points in this house. and 2. Put systems in place to solve those! (It honestly makes a house feel like home!)

With the cabinets filled with toys, I really needed a central-ish location for their bedding. All 3 girls’ rooms are next to the playroom so I love having these drawers to stash spare sheets (linked all the sources at the bottom of the post!). Not to mention–a cute place for books, lamps and their current favorite toy–the stable for horses!!

Above, I put together a little gallery of silhouettes using this tutorial I made from 2010! (But there’s a bunch of way better ones out there if you google, I’m sure).

Willow, just one of the girls. <3

I put the cozy sherpa chair in the corner and in the evening, this hallway really shines.

Maybe one of my favorite things about the playroom is that it has a purpose now. It works hard. Definitely plays hard. And what once was a awkward hallway that felt more like wasted space (I’m the first to admit that!) now is filled with memory making and laughter and our girls love this hideout.

 

PLAYROOM SOURCES

Floors: Ingrid by Stuga Studio
Cabinet Color: Restrained Gold Sherwin Williams
Knobs
Wallpaper
Rug
Art
Toy Chest
Treehouse
Tall basket with lid
Cuddle & Kind Lamb
Dresser
Table Lamps
Wooden Barn
Oval Frames
Sherpa Chair

 

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What do you think?

  1. Mia Zunic says:

    I love this room! How does the paint color of the cabinets come across? In pictures it looks buttery yellow but on the SW website it looks more beige. I like the buttery yellow that’s in your pics

    • Julia says:

      It’s definitely going to depend on your surroundings and lighting! Our house is full of muted tones that read as color because all the colors in our home are muted.

  2. Elizabeth C says:

    Looks great!! We’re debating putting in a wall of cabinets in our upstairs den / playroom – can you share what the inside of those cabinets looks like for inspiration?

    • Julia says:

      Oh my goodness–SO MUCH! All the board games and about 20 tupperware bins of separated toys. And a few larger toys like the Barbie camper, too

  3. Naomi says:

    Where did you have the Sisters print framed?

  4. Liezel says:

    Oh, this is so lovely! Wishing the girls & willow many happy hours with each other …. #presscookieloves

  5. Anna says:

    LOVE the space! The color is fantastic! What was the foamy product you used to fill in the gap at the top of the modeling? Is it holding up well? Thanks!

  6. Kori says:

    It looks like what happy feels like!

  7. Marlena Ferris says:

    This might be my favorite space in your whole house. We have some odd spots in our old house layout that I want to add in a playroom nook like this that can grow with our family.
    Do you have an idea of the dimensions of this space?

  8. Catherine says:

    Julia! This is darling!! My sister and I would have LOVED this space as kids. Absolutely precious. You may have said this but do the girls have toys stored in their bedrooms? Or mainly just here? Do you find they stick to their rooms and the playroom or do toys drift around the house?

  9. Breanna says:

    I love this space! You just gave me major inspiration for our home. We plan on adding on in the next year, and as we add to our family, a playroom is a definite need! Thank you! I love the dresser for bedding, having blankets and bedding in a centralized place really is an underrated necessity (especially in the middle of the night).

  10. Christine says:

    This is gorgeous!! The whole space has so much character now! Do you happen to have a link for the wicker basket with the blue base (next to the white dresser) please?! :)

  11. Jean says:

    Would you consider giving a tutorial on how to smooth out the orange peel walls? I want to wallpaper, but the texture is keeping me from doing it. Is it something you suggest hiring out? As always, this room is stellar!

  12. Alex says:

    This came out just beautifully! How did you handle the trim around the windows/baseboards? It looks different than the “standard” color used in the main rooms of the house, correct?

  13. Boni Canning says:

    Your design skills continue to amaze me! This playroom is the perfect mix of traditional, casual, and playful. It is so inviting and functional, no wonder your girls love it. Beautiful job. Thank you for sharing all the ups and downs of your lovely home renovation.

  14. Katy says:

    This room is so magical and somehow feels so nostalgic! Like it’s been there forever. What lucky little girls to get to enjoy it.

  15. Karen says:

    I adore the soft golden color and would have loved to have a space like that when my girls were little. Can I ask what happened to the little kitchen? My girls played with the kitchen forever, it was one of the last “toys” retired to the attic.

  16. Katie says:

    Yellow is my favorite color and I am SO glad you were able to find the wallpaper in the traditional paste style. That glow at nighttime is so dreamy!!

  17. Kim B says:

    It’s delightful. I love that buttery yellow, and i am so glad you found a version of that wallpaper that worked — it was definitely the perfect look!

  18. Julie says:

    Any thoughts on how you see the use of this space transitioning as your girls get older?

  19. Shannon Beaty says:

    I love the profile of Willow! Lovely space!

  20. Heather says:

    I’ve honestly never loved yellow but this changed my mind! Also, one day I’d love a view of the other entrance into the playroom, opposite Greta’s room. Thanks for all your wonderful content!

  21. It looks amazing! I’m so glad you could get the exact wallpaper because it is perfect with the built-ins!

  22. Michelle says:

    It’s so neat that it’s a space that connects with their rooms and they can come together and be silly sisters. So sweet! :-)

    • Christine says:

      What a dreamy sewing space the owners had! But much prettier in your color/design scheme! I wish I had that kind of storage for all my fabric ????

  23. It’s so pretty! I love the yellow cabinets! And good idea taking photos of a night view!

  24. Traci says:

    So So cute. Would love a link for the other two baskets. Thanks!

  25. Liz says:

    Great use of the space and so charming!

  26. Penny Metzger says:

    Looks wonderful! I’m sure the girls love the space!

    I have subscribed to your Love Letter but did not receive last weeks edition. I saw in your stories that there were issues with the exterior of the house and they were going to be covered in the Love Letter. Can you send it to me and check to see if I am still signed up please. Thanks!

    • Maggie says:

      I also was looking forward to the Love Letter this past week but did not receive it. :( I’ve always gotten them in the past.

  27. Carmen says:

    This is so pretty and a very good use of space!

  28. Jodi says:

    I mean……???? just beautiful!

  29. Wendy says:

    Awww this is the cutest playroom!!
    I can’t get the link for that beautiful art to work! Can you share it again? Thanks! Xx

  30. Tarynkay says:

    This is such a beautiful and peaceful playroom. I love it.

    How does it connect to the rest of the hallway? Is this a room off of the bedroom so that you would go through the bedroom to access it, or kind of a nook off a larger hallway?

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