Playroom Decor…Take 47
I mentioned before that somehow getting a new puppy turned into getting all new flooring, turned into getting a new couch right? Well the whole playroom got tweaked along the way, I know this is the 40 gazillionth time I have done this room, but it never felt quite right. It’s a hard room to tackle because it needs to function in so many ways and it is also very long and narrow, kind of a bowling alley shape. I finally feel like I nailed it this time, no really, well for now anyways…
First we got rid of the living room furniture that made it up here after we got my mom’s hand me downs. The couches were 12 years old and were a bargain buy to begin with, it was time to part ways. I finally feel like a real blogger because I bought an Ektorp sofa from Ikea, this seems to unofficially be the official couch of bloggers everywhere as nearly everyone I know has at least one :) And for good reason, it’s inexpensive, super comfy and slipcovered, which makes it genius for a playroom. Having a sectional up here just works so much better for the space vs. the separate love seat couch situation we used to have. I have the slightly more expensive slip cover in Stenasa white (I think they just discontinued this one and brought out all new colors) and I love the more linen like texture vs the cotton option.
I’m not actually lucky enough to have an Ikea near me, it’s on the other side of the state. Lucky for me my friend James runs a business called Via Logistics. If you have ever tried to buy something from Ikea over the internet you will realize (A) they don’t ship a lot of their items and (B) it costs a zillion dollars if they do. Kind of nixing the whole point of shopping at an affordable place like Ikea in the first place.
That’s where Via Logistics comes in, you can place your order thru their site and they will pick it up and bring it to you for a lower price. They also assemble furniture for a fee as well if you want to avoid the oh so helpful instructions featuring that cute little Ikea guy we all love/hate. I find it oddly gratifying to assemble my own Ikea furniture so I handled that part on my own, but I ordered my couch on a Thursday and James delivered it right to my door that next Wednesday. It’s like your own personal shopping and delivery service without having to fight the crowds at Ikea with your screaming children (not that I’ve done that ;)) This is the 3rd time I’ve used this service and it’s been such a life saver for me, even if I drove all the way to Ikea there is no way I could have fit this sofa in my car. Via Logistics operates out of Grand Rapids, Michigan so this one is for you locals, but their delivery area is anywhere within a 2 hour drive of GR so check them out! They make an Ikea run every Wednesday so shipping is always fast. You can check out their site here and their FB page here.
Another change I made in here was finally getting drapes so my kids can actually see their Saturday morning cartoons. I loved the window pane pattern on these from PB Teen, they add a bit more texture without being too busy.
I also picked up this cute wall hanging from Land of Nod. There is kind of camp vibe in here now with the penants and the vintage maps of Michigan. It’s really a cozy spot without being too crazy kid driven. I feel like before I tailored the space to the kids so much that it wasn’t a comfortable spot for the whole family to hang out. Now we have movie night up here all the time and there is seating for everyone with the new couch.
We also added this desk up here for a better homework area for my daughter. She is turning 8 (picture me clutching my heart as I say this, how can it be!?) and a lot of her homework she does online so this is a great spot to set up my laptop for her to work on while I can keep an eye on her too. The desk is ooooold we bought it from Target when we were first married and we have hung onto it all this time. This desk got the Mr. thru many a long night of studying for various boring designations when we were first married so it’s kind of fun to have it out again.
Oh, I also really missed my gallery wall, I loved having all our family pictures displayed. What I didn’t love about my old gallery wall was how messy it felt to the eye. I decided this stream lined version worked much better for my OCD personality. I grabbed these inexpensive frames on sale at Walmart around Christmas time.
The only other switch up was I painted the armoire red. If you’ve been following me for a while then you’ll notice I took the red door down to make room for my gallery wall. I immediately missed the red so brought it over to this corner of the room.
That’s it, those little changes combined with the new flooring really transformed this space into one of my favorite rooms in the house instead of a overly colorful bowling alley that made my eyes twitch just thinking about it!
SOURCE LIST:
Flooring – BuildDirect Lamton White Dogwood
Paint colors – Thorwood by Graham, Silver Feather from Home Depot
Chairs – Overstock.com
Couch – Ikea
Beanbags – PB Teen
Drapes – PB Teen
Wall hanging – Land of Nod
Gallery frames – Walmart
Framed Maps – DIY info here
Rug – Land of Nod
Light – Pottery Barn
Desk – Target
Red Armoire paint color – OPI Red by Clark+Kensington
Striped Blanket – PB Teen
Beautiful room! Can you please tell me the name of the rug? Thanks!!
It’s from Land of Nod, not sure of the name or if they still carry it!
Hello! I have had my eye on the letters you used to have on your playroom wall for some time and am finally going to execute the look for my son’s room. My question: what happened to your letters? They were beautiful! Also, do you recall the size of the largest and smallest letters? Your home is absolutely beautiful and a great inspiration!
Hi Angela, The letters were fun I but after 5 years I was just ready for a change :) I don’t recall the sizes but the biggest ones were probably 2 ft tall? Thanks!
I love this room Kelly! It is so bright and cheery but clean and spacious and uncluttered feeling. You nailed it!
Thanks so much Krista!!
Beautiful!!!
Love the warmth these changes bring! Where’s the lowercase “r” from?
L?VE!
Hi Kristin, that was a flea market find!
I love it! simple, clean and the colors are perfect :) I especially love your gallery wall.. May I ask what size frames you chose? & I just adore your new puppy- soooo cute!
Take Care!
Hi Toni, they are 11 x 14 I think? They have 8×10 photos in them with a matte so I think that’s right.
Good job! Can never have enough baskets and cubbies for the kids toys. Your daughter using her dad’s desk is sweet. Beautiful room, Kathleen in Az
Thanks so much Kathleen!
Such an awesome room! I love it :) I also wanted to let you know a lot of cities have ikea shippers like your friends company… Omaha has three different companies! Maybe ikea will get the memo and build here… ;)
Oh that’s good to know for my other readers, thanks for sharing!
Love it all.. That rug is perfect. I’m also thinking snout that couch… It gets great reviews!! Nice job!!
Hi Maggie, we are still loving the couch and it is holding up great with my messy kiddos!
I love it Kelly!! I have always been crazy about those colors! What a wonderful space for your kids to hang out in. And the flooring looks great! xoxo
Thanks sweet friend! So excited to watch your son on the voice eek!!
Absolutely beautiful. You never cease to amaze me!!!!!!
PS: Also, Ektorp is the universal
Choice in furniture for vacation home owners! Almost every house I’ve rented, US and Europe alike, has at least a couple of Ektorp chairs–LOL!
ha good to know ;)
Your IKEA comment made me laugh. I too have the Ektorp chair and love seat. I use the cheapest white covers and always have a new set on hand for disasters. However, I did find that the chair is better quality than the love seat because I bought the chair years ago and had it shipped from Pittsburgh. It was more like real furniture then. My love seat came in a flat box. Not quite as comfy as the chair, but they do look good for the price.
Absolutely LOVE everything about this room! It’s so nice and spacious too, just perfect for family to gather. I . I love the colors, some pops, but mostly quiet and peaceful. You are very talented and have great ideas. I love everything you’ve done in your home! I guess we have the same taste…. :)
Keep it up, so I can continue to get great ideas for my house! While I can’t afford to much just yet, I am saving all your great ideas.
P.S. LOVE the map framing idea! Clever and fast.
Annmarie.
Hi! I love your room! Can you tell where the cubby is from that is under the pendant? Thanks!
It’s from ikea – thanks!
I absolutely love this room! Can you tell me the name of the toy cubby from Ikea…it can be a bit overwhelming lol! Also where did you get the baskets? Thank you so much for sharing!!
Yup, you nailed it! Great job Kelly
It just looks like the perfect space. So inviting. I can see myself sitting there watching a movie with you LOL :)!!! Beautiful job. Just beautiful!! Now, if you’d just come and help me redecorate MY house :0!!! Blessings from Missouri!
Thanks so much Robbin :)
It’s perfect! I can’t pick a favorite wall, area or item. It all works so well together. I really look forward to your posts.
Great room Kelly. I love the simplicity of it. Nothing wild and crazy – just right for a family/kids room. Just the right mix of colors – not everything white, but with just enough to make it bright yet still neutral if that makes sense. I love it.
I agree!! You definitely nailed it this time! Everything looks great, absolutely love the floor!! Great job!
It looks great! What a lovely big room…perfect for family times! I love everything about it…..hmmmm…..I’ve had this large living room that evolved from our old living room and the new addition living room area…..you know if you ever feel like coming up to Canada, I would accept all help and advice ?….it’s like you said about your room….I keep trying to tweak it but I’m really not totally satisfied with it…guess I’ll just keep working on it…..
I did just redo my main bath…which I’m pleased with…I posted pictures on my blog…..it’s a tiny bathroom , but it’s all I have…no room for expansion or it would eliminate one of the three bedrooms…which would essentially make it a two bedroom house…not great for resale down the road….so…it is what it is….?
Oh I’m so glad you are posting again, I love soaking up and absorbing your work!
Looks great! What a nice space. I love the table and chairs and the picture wall!