06.29.2011 / Play Room
8

It pretty much seems like everyone room is a playroom in my house.  At least there are toys in every room.  I wish I could share a great solution with you on how to avoid this common problemo but I’m searching for one myself and with 4 little la la’s I’m pretty sure there is no ultimate end to this dilemma.

To help tidy things up a bit and in order to be more intentional about specific play areas, I’m considering turning my dining room [you can see my dining room here + here] into a play room [temporarily].  I’m not looking to make major changes or clutter the room with toys floor to ceiling, but rather I love the look of the above rooms.  They are areas for play and creativity yet they don’t lack style + in an instant, with a switch of this + that they could be just as inviting to an older crowd.

What do you think?  Should I turn my dining room into a play space?  Have you tried anything like this?  Any inspiring images or ideas that you have come across recently?

images | pinterest | lonny |

Decorate, LITTLES, LIVING, My House

8 Comments

karey m.
commented on June 29th 2011 at 6:37am

ok. i always turn a supposed-to-be room into another kind completely. i guess i don’t like a room telling me what to do with it. PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE! sorry! i say do it. you’ve got four littles who are probably craving a space to play and make rather than just…eat.

also. just spent about 20 minutes happily lazing through your posts. i love how personal you’ve gotten. it makes your writing sing. it just does.

what else? oh, yes. your family pic is so sweet. i love ella’s pose! little rapper. she and lillie kate can be buddies. they will be the dr. dre and eminem of their era. ha!

xoxo!

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Trina
replied on June 29th, 2011 at 11:43am

I like that . . . a room not telling me what to do! And thank you so much for the compliment on the writing… that is gold coming from my *fav* writer! And yes, I think if we got Ella & Lillie Kate together it would be quite the hip hop/rap party! BIG XO!

Cara Freund
commented on June 29th 2011 at 8:05am

What a GREAT idea for the dining room! Though I have thought your current dining room gives such a ‘wow’ entrance to your house, I know from experience that the kids want to play right next to where mom is, whereever that it. My rule that all toys in the family room must go be put away before the kids go to bed is a hard one to to enforce when the kids have worked so hard on their lego creations and such. I’m guessing that there will be a lot more play that dining parties going on for a while, and transitioning that space will make it so much more functional! And I’m sure you’ll make is beautifully functional!

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christine {bijouandboheme}
commented on June 29th 2011 at 8:34am

Yes, go for it!!! I recently converted our basement into a playroom and it has saved my sanity- I think you need one room (especially with 4 kids) that is just devoted to toys- otherwise they take over your whole house. And if you make one as fabulous as that first one, then I vote an extra yes please:)

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Banff Art Lines
commented on June 29th 2011 at 9:58am

Good morning from beautiful Banff on the Bow. Playrooms do rock!…although my children are now grown a playroom for us big kids are still required. I rather like the top playroom!

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Trina
commented on June 29th 2011 at 11:50am

You guys are totally building my confidence to move things around….I’m not gonna let this room tell me what to do (thank you, Karey!)
I do have to admit.. I do have a full out – toys everywhere- kind of playroom in the basement (out of sight out of mind). But I can’t send little ones down there.. they like to be close by. But as soon as they are old enough then to the basement they go (ha – and well, I don’t mean it they way it came out sounding but … you know)! xo

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Kirstin
commented on September 8th 2011 at 3:45am

In theory I like the idea but having done the same thing I can tell you that their toys will find a way to get under your feet no matter where you put them! Kids just want to be where mummy (or daddy) is. We have a new system now having given up on them actually using the playroom we did for them – our three boys (5, 4 and 2) can bring one box of toys each downstairs to the living area every day but they have to clean up after themselves and the boxes go back upstairs at bedtime. That way I get to have a nice adult like house all evening long and if visitors come over it takes no time to pop their toys in the boxes and hot foot them upstairs. I just went to a friend’s house who has effectively three or four ‘playrooms’ in the house and none of them get used. The kids always end up following her around. Yikes.

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Trina
replied on September 11th, 2011 at 11:01pm

Great idea, Kristin! You are so right kids, totally follow you around! Thanks for the thoughtful comment! xo