Playroom Makeover Reveal!

Drum roll please...Penelope's new playroom!

Here are my before photos, in case you missed them.

This project came together fairly quickly.  I made the ABC wall art, the Canvas Rainbow wall art, the bean bag chairs in the tent ( I will show you tutorials for all, in the coming weeks), and painted the hallway wall with chalkboard paint.  My Dad put up the shelves, raised the light fixture, and drilled the drip pan to the wall.  I spent a little over $100 on craft supplies, paint, drip pan and filler for the bean bag chairs.  My parents spent a little over $100 (thank you!) on the rug, the two red chairs and the three white shelves. All from IKEA.

I wanted the room to be very playful (duh) but also inspiring and educational.  If I do end up homeschooling, I imagine this room evolving into our little classroom.   I wanted to brighten it up and make it special for her.  It's kind of odd, but between this room and her swing set outside, I finally feel like this is a family home.

The HABA tent!  Penelope loves this thing.  It is a hand me down, from Penelope's Godmother.

Her kitchen and push toys area.  That's a KidCraft kitchen, I got it for less than $30 at Tuesday Morning, a Pottery Barn stroller and HABA walker wagon.

This table is a used art table from Land of Nod.  It is still a little big for Penelope, but she will grow into it soon. I use this black bin under the table for all her art supplies

Her toy storage area.  I would have liked to repaint these white, but I got burnt out. Maybe I will later.  I got these bookcases while I was in college from Target. They have stayed in good shape, surprisingly.  I got the bins from Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Her bookshelves. I think they are my most favorite part.  It makes the room just feel like a little school room.   I think I may add one more at the bottom.  That's a HABA click clack track, another great toy.

The drip pan!  So much fun.  $9.99 from AutoZone.  My Dad drilled it to the wall, but another reader used heavy duty velcro.

The chalkboard wall.  I am so glad I defied my husband on this one.  I painted it late at night, after Penelope had gone to bed, and the first thing in the morning, Penelope went over to it to draw.  I love being able to write my to-do lists at the top as well. I had to do two coats, but it was such a small area that I was totally done in less than 45 minutes.  This was regular latex paint, but it does not contain lead.

Coppa (Grandpa) installing the shelves, and little Miss, in her princess panties (more on those in another post!).  BIG thank you to my Dad for doing all the manual labor (while hubby was away) in the playroom, not to mention all the other house work he did too!  And BIG thank you to my mom for braving the craziness that is IKEA to get all the finishing touches.

Sooooooo...what do you think?!?  Penelope loves it, her independent play has been taken to the next level, she loves exploring everything and going from activity to activity.  I can't wait to have get together with friends and see lots of kids playing in there at once!

By Best Kids Health Blog

Playroom Makeover Before Pictures and Update

A lot of you recently found my blog via Pinterest.  I had heard of it before all the new traffic came over, and I had heard it was addicting.  I told myself I didn't have time for another thing to do/read online, so I forced myself to stay away, despite urging by friends.

And now, I am the one doing the urging.  I am telling all my friends about it, as if it is something that is saving the world.    I am totally and completely addicted to it.   I love participating in it, but as someone who does freelance Marketing and PR and I am really interested in it is capacity.  In less than one month, Pinterest has inspired me so much that I have gone out and bought/made/read more things than any one blog or Facebook has ever "made" me do.   When I say made, I mean that same thing that makes us want things from traditional advertisements on TV and in print.  It made me covet.  It made want.  But what I think is really interesting, is that it made me follow through.

Part of it was just timing.  I was in the mood to nest, to have something to occupy my mind and take me out of my daily stresses and have something to look forward to, and of course, I love the creative process (conception/gestation/birthing) of anything.

But I would have never have been able to come up with such a great design idea for her playroom without Pinterest.  Check out all my inspiration here.



So here is Penelope's playroom before I got started.  Pre-Penelope, this room was our formal dinning room.  It was only used during the holidays, if then.  It was also my make shift craft room, but when Peter begrudingly allowed me to take over some of his office for my craft nook, the room really served no purpose.  It is in the perfect location, the office is across one doorway and the the kitchen is across the other doorway.  I can be in the kitchen and see/hear her, or in my craft nook and see/hear her.

 

 

 

 

Since Penelope was about 4 months old, I have taught Itsy Bitsy Yoga classes out of my home, to small group of mostly friends.  I needed her playroom to be clear of distractions so the tots could focus on yoga.  I would move all her big toys out and only leave the bookcases to get ready for class.  But now that I am so busy with freelance work, I don't have the time to teach yoga (My friend is going to be teaching a Tot class at Abundance Wellness center, very soon and I will tell you all about it soon too), I could finally fill the room up and make it really interactive.



SO... the chalkboard wall is painted.  The handmade bean bag chairs are done.

The ABC's are up on the wall.

The Haba play tent is up.

I need to finish my rainbow canvas wall art. I so wish I could do a big version like this, but mine will be a mini version.

My parents are coming tonight with lots of goodies from IKEA to finish it up. Can't. Freaking. Wait.

I need to go get the drip pan from Walmart for this.

Ahhhhh, I can not WAIT to show you next week!!


Do you have any playroom makeover ideas/plans brewing??

By Best Kids Health Blog