Want To Help Me Makeover My Playroom???

[Crazy8]

I only have 2 kids Tues-Thurs. this week and then have 4 days off so I figured this is the best time to get things done.

I am painting the room a sage green color, replacing ALL the bookcases/cubbies, etc. with similar ones in a darker color wood. Only thing that really has to stay for right now is the table and chairs. I can't afford to replace them this summer.

I have a smaller room than some of you - its long but narrow so setting things coming out into the middle doesn't work in too many spots. I also hate tiny spaces, I like to have a bigger open area - got a little caustrophobia in me, LOL!

Anyone want to help????

Here is a pic of the entire room from the dining room and then one looking from the front door (so the view you see as soon as you walk in). I do not want to turn it into a bright preschool classroom, I want it to still look "homey" with neutral colors, etc. but I want to liven it up a bit since its still boring builders white. I can share more detailed pics if anyone wants to see them.





I need some ideas on furniture placement, etc. What can I do with just 2 long walls that I am not already doing?????

[cheerfuldom]

I think I would use more shelves or cubbies hanging on the walls and try and make more room on the floor

[CheekyChick]

A few thoughts...

1.
Can you show us pics of your new furniture? Once I see what you have, I can probably give you a few suggestions.

2.
If you want to keep that beautiful rug in the center of the room, does it have the color sage in it? If not, I would go with a light blue that matches the rug. I'm a matchy-matchy kind of girl. Plus, blue is a very soothing, calming color.

3.
I agree with the PP. Since the room is on the smaller side, I would go up, up, up. Put as many things in cubbies and shelves up high and that will give you more floor space. You can always take toys down for the children when you need to.

4.
I would get rid of the train/car track thing. I had that in my playroom and it drove me nuts. The children were always pushing it away from the wall so they could use both sides. Plus, it takes up a lot of wall space. I hated that thing. LOL!!!

Please keep us updated.

[pappyny]

Your space seems similiar in size to mine. What are the ages of your children? I have all preschool age (3-5). I like to define my spaces using the shelves as the borders. I have my table and art center in their own space away from the toys. If you have younger kids and don't use the table as much that might not be the best use of space or you though. I also have a reading area that's defined by the shelves coming off the walls. They don't seem to crowd the space too much, but again, I have older children and only 4 of them at a time.
I can try to post some pictures later if you would like

Oh! And I think the sage green color will help give it a "homey feel" almost immediately. I know painting my downstairs did that for me!

[Crazy8]

to answer a few questions.....

I don't have any of the new furniture yet, going to buy it this week... I'm thinking mostly that closetmaid type stuff like I have now, its really all I can afford.

my dck's are mostly aged infant up to 3-4 years old - I don't do school aged and most go to a "real" preschool for a year before kindy here. I am only allowed 5 kids, only have 3 registered for Sept. so really need to get 1-2 more.

the rug does have some green squares but it has been in use for about 3 years now so will be replaced (maybe not this week, but by Sept.).

I mostly decided on the green because as you can see in the corner of one picture my kitchen is kind of a burnt orange color and I think the green goes a little better with that than some other colors (even though they aren't on top of each other I want things to flow).

One of my biggest issues has always been that everything is so low, so I'd like to go up, but how??? I don't want to lose that art wire thing - but I can move it if it will work somewhere else.

I only just put that train table in there a few weeks ago (took out of my son's room) and the kids LOVE it!!!! I also have the small 24" square KidKraft train/lego table - the kids never touched it so moved it out of the room for a while to accomodate this one. I thought maybe I'd switch them back and forth once in a while. But yeah, this one really takes up a lot of space!!

I do have one of those upholstered chairs I could move in here if it will work with the space. Not sure I'll have the room for it though.

The kids eat meals and do crafts at that table, we spend quite a bit of time at it so I think its a necessary evil. LOL!

[CheekyChick]

I don't have any of the new furniture yet, going to buy it this week... I'm thinking mostly that closetmaid type stuff like I have now, its really all I can afford.

I love darker wood. I think it's going to look beautiful.

I mostly decided on the green because as you can see in the corner of one picture my kitchen is kind of a burnt orange color and I think the green goes a little better with that than some other colors (even though they aren't on top of each other I want things to flow).

I completely agree. I would want to match my kitchen - way before I'd want to match a rug.

One of my biggest issues has always been that everything is so low, so I'd like to go up, but how??? I don't want to lose that art wire thing - but I can move it if it will work somewhere else.

My infant room toys are all on two TALL shelving units (bolted to the walls). I believe there are about 5 or 6 shelves in each cabinet. I saw you have one in your room right now. If you could buy one or two more, you could eliminate all of the smaller things you have on the floor which would free up space. Oh, and I LOVE the art wire thing. Where did you get that?

I only just put that train table in there a few weeks ago (took out of my son's room) and the kids LOVE it!!!! I also have the small 24" square KidKraft train/lego table - the kids never touched it so moved it out of the room for a while to accomodate this one. I thought maybe I'd switch them back and forth once in a while. But yeah, this one really takes up a lot of space!!

Yes. It takes up a lot of room. I'm glad mine is gone. LOL!!!

I do have one of those upholstered chairs I could move in here if it will work with the space. Not sure I'll have the room for it though.

Like a rocking chair or a children's chair?

The kids eat meals and do crafts at that table, we spend quite a bit of time at it so I think its a necessary evil. LOL!

Yeah. Tables are a must. They take up a ton of space, but you gotta have em'.

[Crazy8]

I can buy 2 of the taller bookcases definitely. But where do I put them? I need to have some of those cubbies for the toys too. I just don't know how to set things up. Should I move the table or keep it under the window?

The chair I have is one of those little upholstered children's chairs - its a tan microfiber fabric - was my son's in our family room for a while.

And I think I need more of a doll/pretend play section, no? All I have is the kitchen. Right now I use a leather ottoman/bin for dress up (kids broke the lid from it). Maybe need a better idea for dress up stuff. I totally, absolutely, positively want this.... but I will never get it.

[SunflowerMama]

Maybe you could go with a smaller kitchen. I have something like this...

http://www.target.com/Maxim-52762-Wooden-Kitchen-Center/dp/B001DNMHKE/ref=sc_qi_detaillink

Maybe you could then add some dress-up/baby doll stuff next to the kitchen.

Floating shelves are also nice and inexpensive and you could get some of those for the walls for different toys to get them off the floor.

I don't know if you'd want to but maybe you could move that table that is under the window to the center of the room and remove/move that tall shelf in the corner, and make some sort or reading nook with some book cases over by the window. I think adding the table in the middle might seperate the room a bit and cut down on any running or craziness in the middle of the room . Then you could have the kitchen/dress-up/baby stuff along one wall and then reading on another with other toys on shelves up high.

[Crazy8]

Maybe you could go with a smaller kitchen. I have something like this...

http://www.target.com/Maxim-52762-Wooden-Kitchen-Center/dp/B001DNMHKE/ref=sc_qi_detaillink

Maybe you could then add some dress-up/baby doll stuff next to the kitchen.

Floating shelves are also nice and inexpensive and you could get some of those for the walls for different toys to get them off the floor.

I don't know if you'd want to but maybe you could move that table that is under the window to the center of the room and remove/move that tall shelf in the corner, and make some sort or reading nook with some book cases over by the window. I think adding the table in the middle might seperate the room a bit and cut down on any running or craziness in the middle of the room . Then you could have the kitchen/dress-up/baby stuff along one wall and then reading on another with other toys on shelves up high.

thanks for the ideas.... I have seen rooms with the table in the middle and the biggest problem I have with that is that is where the rug is!! I need a large rug in there so kids do not slip on the floor so pretty much any rug is going to go into the middle of the room and that is just too messy for food cleanup, etc.

I like having the big open space in the middle - they run into the table all the time now, I think it would be worse if it was in the middle. LOL! I am up for moving it, but just not where it would end up on a rug. At one time I had it where the toy kitchen is now (short end against the wall). It worked but it was over an a/c vent and they'd mess with the end of the gate that was screwed into that wall (notice I said was, cause its not anymore thanks to the kids but the kitchen hides it, LOL).

[Crazy8]

here's a pic where the table used to be (this was when we first moved in so lots less stuff in the room)... I don't need this much space in the center, but with the width of the room being pretty small I do need some floor space for playing.

[MissAnn]

Creative Curriculum is a good guide for room arrangement. More active areas like blocks with accessories and drama are close together. Block area does very well with 3 sides to it to contain the blocks. Quiet areas like manipulatives, art, reading, math, and science are in another area. Reading area is be cozy with pillows, stuffed animals, and maybe flannelgraph. Too much open space can mean lots of running.

[pappyny]

Creative Curriculum is a good guide for room arrangement. More active areas like blocks with accessories and drama are close together. Block area does very well with 3 sides to it to contain the blocks. Quiet areas like manipulatives, art, reading, math, and science are in another area. Reading area is be cozy with pillows, stuffed animals, and maybe flannelgraph. Too much open space can mean lots of running.

My space is set up very similiar to what is described here by MissAnn. I have pictures of it on my blog, http://littlelambschildcare.blogspot.com/, under the tab "our spaces" if you want to check it out.

[Crazy8]

My space is set up very similiar to what is described here by MissAnn. I have pictures of it on my blog, http://littlelambschildcare.blogspot.com/, under the tab "our spaces" if you want to check it out.

I absolutely LOVE your set up but yeah, you have about 3 times the amount of space that I do.

Problem with "centers" is they come out into the middle and when the room is only 10-11 ft. wide it makes it a very tight squeeze and becomes a maze of furniture.

[kidkair]

My husband made some drop leaf tables that drop down against the wall when not in use and the chairs are stored up on the wall. That has been a wonderful use of space. I've got 4 foot high bookcases for my shelving and a couple extra shelves on the walls. I use a rain gutter book rack for kid books so they have easy access and the books on the shelves are not left as a mess. My gutter rack is above the couch so the kids unable to climb on the couch can't destroy them. I also make use of dressers for storing things I don't want the kids to have full time access too by childlocking the drawers. I use the dressers mainly for barriers to divide up sections of the rooms. I use the bookcases as barriers too.

[pappyny]

I absolutely LOVE your set up but yeah, you have about 3 times the amount of space that I do.

Problem with "centers" is they come out into the middle and when the room is only 10-11 ft. wide it makes it a very tight squeeze and becomes a maze of furniture.

I think my pictures must be decieving. I just measured my room and it's not much wider. It's 11' 10" wide and 23' long. The shelves I have coming off the room are quite wide too, much wider than the cubicals. I did have that kind of shelf at one time, but my setup was totally different then.