SOPHIE + MINJI'S PASTEL MODERN BASEMENT PLAYROOM

Our newest and girliest playroom reveal is here!!! I am beyond excited to share Sophie & Minji’s playful, fun and pastel-hued playroom.

This project started before drywall was even up and I have loved seeing it come to life right from the beginning.

BEAN BAG CHAIR

“I love these bean bag chairs so much as the fabric is beyond practical with kids, the bottom has a water resistant layer of protection and the rope handle makes moving them around a breeze!”

When an unused area in a basement becomes designated for a children’s playroom, the sky really is the limit. The girls’ playroom is full of all the things that dreams are made of; loads of art supplies, books and activity kits, toys, games, giant bean bag chairs and a TV lounge area for relax time.

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These white wall shelves are so practical: they store baskets full of toys, act as a display case for treasured pieces and are the ideal set up for rotating toys as children change and grow through development stages.

The high impact wallpaper completely changed the space the moment it was put up. This large scale print works perfectly for this basement playroom and the colours and pattern add SO much fun to the space. These simple white shelves (a favourite from my own girls shared room) work beautifully in many spaces and function as a gallery for art and toys that can easily be rotated. This shorter size is ideal here!

While a large art table was the focal point for one side of the room, the TV lounge area formed the focal point for the other. Working around a large TV in a children’s space can be tricky, so we used the IKEA Besta unit for added storage in this area and an opportunity to pull a few playful elements, like the globe, into this space. The play kitchen is a highly recommended toy in any playroom and this one is a firm fave for these little clients.

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The built-in nook is a storage area for arts and crafts supplies and the book shelves provide the perfect spot to rotate books. The large baskets underneath hold blankets for snuggling up!

THE PLAYROOM NOOK AT THE BEGINNING…

THE PLAYROOM NOOK AFTER!

And finally, the book wall! A good book wall will forever be one of my favourite ways to display kids books.

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RENTAL HOUSE: THE KIDS' SCHOOL AT HOME ROOM REVEAL!

I can hardly believe that today’s reveal has the words ‘home’ and ‘school’ in it. I can honestly say that I never expected to be repurposing an entire room in the house to be dedicated to our kids’ learning. The kids have been home since March and as of now, we aren’t sure whether school will resume in its’ regular form this coming September.

This room is as simple as a room gets (see the before and in progress here), but it’s amazing what a big impact white paint and a good ‘ol gallery wall can have!

With that, let me introduce you to our new ‘school at home’ room!

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Okay, I love a good before and after so I had to add the original photo I took the first time we saw the rental back in, just to show you the comparison. What do you think?

A wall clock was a key item on my list for the gallery wall because our kids have just learned to tell the time with an analog clock, and this gold one is so cute! The world map was another thing I have wanted to hang in a space the kids could see for as long as I can remember. We talk about geography all the time and this map is the perfect one for quick and easy hanging. The square frame is leftover wallpaper from Xavier’s room and the print on the top left reminded me of 3 snack bowls, which I feel like I am constantly filling for the kids. Ha.

The light in this space is truly the best part, with sun shining in each morning. It’s the perfect place for plants to thrive and the kids love to help water them each week.

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HOW TO CREATE A HOMEWORK AREA FOR KIDS

To create a homework station in your own home, you really only need a few basic things:

1. A table or desk;

2. A chair;

3. Some type of light (either natural or a lamp); and

4. Basic supplies (pens, pencil, eraser, scissors, tape, etc).

As with any space, creating an organized and inviting area to tackle tasks, such as homework, is key for kids. I love to think that it’s a great starting point for staying organized through life, that good habits start early and that making it fun goes a long way to making kids work hard too!

For younger kids, I love to put a desk next to a reading corner. Reading is one of our favourite ways to learn and it's handy to go from sitting on a chair to a more cozy and casual floor area where we can snuggle and read. For us, our only homework for Kindergarten was to read to our kids. I also love to keep a few books and toys nearby for those frustrating moments when everyone needs a break. It’s a great time to connect and reset.

I like to think about ergonomics when setting up a desk. Make sure that the child fits correctly with feet flat on the floor and knees at a 90-degree angle. The desk surface should be 2-3 inches above their elbow when bent.

If you can, put the desk near natural light. Looking out a window is helpful to rest little eyes as well as enhance productivity. If this is not possible, a lamp works well too. 

Keeping basic supplies handy ensures the child can focus on the task at hand. We like to keep supplies minimal and tidy, such as a pencil, pens, stapler, tape, scissors and paper clips and add in any other supplies when they are needed for the homework.

The final touch is adding a few fun pieces like inspirational quotes, art and even a plant. Using little extras like a chalkboard or letterboard is a great way to keep key reminders close at hand.

Setting up an ergonomic environment, with comfortable surroundings and inspiring extras helps to make the space feel cozy and inviting, hopefully encouraging kids (and you!) to enjoy their homework time as much as possible.

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KIDS CREATIVE ART STUDIO

It's here!!! I am SO excited to share our children's art space for many reasons. This creative room is such a labour of love and really has taken way too long to complete as clients always come before my own home. I'm sure I started telling you this post was going to happen two years ago! Although it has been one of the most used spaces in our house over the last 18+ months, it has not been ready to photograph or share in a styled way until now!

The idea for this room started when my husband broke his hip (freak casual bike accident) and I knew we'd be home more than usual. I started scrolling other art rooms and saving my favourite art room ideas on Pinterest. All three of our kids love creating...drawing, painting, building, pasting, imagining, designing, etc. and after our dining table started to be constantly full of art supplies, I began thinking of an alternate space we could use.

This space is different than most I share as it is a rough place in our basement that we literally scraped together to give the kids somewhere to make a mess, create in whatever way they want, explore different materials, textures and give their brains a place that they can come when they first wake up or when they get home from school or when they feel they need some time away that is different than anywhere else. I grew up creating, drawing, painting, sewing, making things whenever I could and I dreamed of having a space in our home for our kids to do the same. 

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When we started, this room was literally full of boxes and the space we would just throw stuff to be sorted later (we don't have a garage) but realistically we needed to deal with the junk and use the space.

Once the boxes were removed, we had drywall put up and lighting installed. I painted the entire space in Simply White by Benjamin Moore and then the rest was decor. I used porch and floor enamel to paint the concrete floor and although the entire space is still pretty rough, it is totally fine if paint drips, glitter drops, etc. I quickly painted the floor before photographing this room to make it bright and fresh again, but day to day, it isn't quite like this. I didn't need this room to be perfect; I wanted the kids to be able to be free to explore in here, to get the paint out for themselves and learn how to take, use and put away materials on their own. The only way to learn is to practice, right?

The side of the wall with the paint easels was so bare so we added these cute irregular dot decals in light grey to add a little interest. They are fun and the kids love them! We use old t-shirts as paint smocks, small jars for paint and large clothes pegs to hang wet art. It's not fancy, but it works!

I love how focused and involved the kids are when they are here. The hours of conversation, creations that they come up with and frustrations that turn into proud moments are just a snapshot of what happens in an art space for kids. These three negotiate in here, have another way to release emotion, and show determination with projects that carry on for days. Creating a space for kids to let their creative side run wild is so worth it!

I love how so many of the little details turned out but am definitely most proud of the pegboard wall!!! I could use one in every room. Having everything accessible is great and items, such as the dustpan and brush, at a low height allows an opportunity for the kids to access things easily and help with cleanup. 

It's been such a long time coming and it's finally here...I'd love to know what you think!!!

*A huge thank you to my sister Amanda from Amanda Haddow Photography for photographing this space.