Guest Post : Playroom Decor

Ahh, babies. The joy they bring when they coo, smile for the first time, crawl, and take their first steps. Before you know it, they’re talking up a storm! Mobile toddlers, and even babies, will eventually need a space to call their own, whether it’s in the nursery or a play room. A lot of families struggle with a lack of space and “oh my goodness, where are we going to put all of this stuff?!”. It’s even more difficult when one parent works from home and needs their own home office space as well. What is a family to do? If you have the room, a combination home office/play room might be the solution your family needs! You can keep an eye on the little one as you attempt to go about your normal routine (wait, nothing is “normal” anymore, but you know what I mean!).

My name is Kristin, and I am the owner of Bien Living Design. Interior design is my passion, and I have a new service that allows anyone, anywhere to work with a designer through the power of the internet. Now, I’ve come up with a plan that busy working families can adapt to suit their own needs. This one comes in the form of a creative mom who happens to love pink, and her little boy (sound familiar?!). Also, play rooms can be well designed and look great – they don’t have to be filled to the top with plastic toys.

What does all of this mean? I’ll explain below:

Light grey walls in Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl will be the common element that draws both spaces together (and circles!). I’ve also chosen a rug for each side of the room, with grey as the background color. The individual pieces is what will set them apart. I’ve chosen the ever popular Expedit bookcase from IKEA to act as the divider between the space. Mom can take the top shelves and organize them using slide in drawers or cubes to house business materials and paperwork. Baby will take the lower cubes and use collapsable fabric cubes to hold everything from stuffed animals to trucks and beyond. Function is the key word here!

Starting with the playroom side of the space, I’ve chosen fun, non-fussy pieces that will grow with your child. This adorable hopscotch rug is playful and functional (and can even be used in a modern living room!). These fun swivel chairs can be used for years – hiding from mom or a place to curl up with a book – and are some of my favorite items for kids. Toss a couple of throw pillows inside for a cushy nook.

This play table also adjusts as your child grows. Envision art projects and other quiet play activities here. I also like to incorporate multiple tactile things that kids can do, hopefully entertaining themselves long enough for mom or dad to get some work done. There are various ways to acheive this, including chalkboard wall paper circles (can be a fun DIY project with chalkboard paint), easels, round mirrors dotted around and hung at toddler height – perfect for visual fun and acts as a dry erase board for art – and areas for active play (load up on a bunch of inexpensive throw or floor pillows for this!).

For the decorative elements on this side of the room, we’ll keep it simple with window treatments…we don’t want anything that Junior can grab and make into a rope swing. Avoid anything with cords and floor length fabric. As they get older, you can swap them out with coordinating drapery from the adult side of the room Mirrors will also help the room feel larger. Art work can come in the form of personalized wall art or any other bright, fun work.

Moving over to mom’s side, I wanted the space to be functional and luxe all at the same time. The grey walls and this inexpensive but pretty rug are a perfect backdrop to the white book case and furniture, and we’ll incorporate other white and light elements as well.

Keeping it simple and coordinating, this white desk is minimal yet has a large, functional work surface. Storage comes by way of filing cabinets, which will flank each side of the desk. Resting on each, this pink twist on the classic stacked ball lamp provides a touch of glamour. Creative types tend to be visual, and this french memo board will keep important things handy. In the event that clients may be present, these white leather side chairs are compact and chic. Window treatments will stay light and airy, and the round disks make them a fun, modern take on a basic sheer. You don’t need a whole lot of things for a functional home office (and office furniture can look GREAT!), and these simple solutions will keep any mom or dad who works from home happy and well organized.

Interested in finding out more? Head over to my website, Bien Living Design, and join in on the conversation!

Finally, a BIG congratulations to the new family!!