I am so smitten with all the function that was packed into this playroom/office, to ensure the family is always together being creative and playing and bonding! BEST THING EVER!
Samantha wrote:
Hi!
First, I adore your blog and all your great ideas! It has honestly inspired me to really organize our house & our lives. We recently redid our playroom and wanted to share it with you. It came out so much better than we could have imagined. The room is right off of our kitchen and perfect for my 3 year old and 1 year old to play in but our old storage just didn't work for us any more. We had the sellers brown walls mixed with our black furniture and it just wasn't a creative space for all the projects and playing we did. We hit up our local IKEA for the Expedit shelves and some storage solutions. We also discovered that Target's Itso line is a perfect fit for the Expedit shelves and added some great color. Now every toy has a place that is easy to get to.
My 3 year old daughter has some higher up shelves to keep small pieces out of her little brother's hands as well as a place to build Lego creations without worrying about it being accidentally destroyed. My husband and I added a desk area and reorganized all our paper files so everything has a place and is much more calming. We were also able to incorporate a lot more family photos that are so important to us. The kids love it and it has made clean up a lot easier. I love that this room is designed to grow with our kids and can eventually turn into another TV area when the kids are older.
Here is our blogpost about our room. I wish we had better "before" pictures but we were so ready to get rid of the old room we didn't take a lot!
Here is the room that Samantha referenced as her "Before" picture:
And OMG OMG OMG! Amazing what some love create! {and another example of how fantastic Expedit bookshelves are for creating oodles of storage!}
"Looking in"
"New wall storage, a tv will eventually go in the space when the kids are older"
"Dress up trunk"
"Marker/crayon storage"
"Some of the boxes are still empty and I re-did our filing system too so it's super organized {bottom right}"
"Frames from Target and on clearance!"
"Our sand jar has a place now"
Um, plus, all that storage instantly takes me to a state of bliss. She has really maximized the potential in that room to create an incredible place to play and grow! I love envisioning them spending hours together in a central location in their home!
And I am absolutely "borrowing" that sand in a jar idea! Pure genius!
Those that know me, also know that I am such a sucker for the Bygel rail and bucket storage solution from Ikea! It's so fun to see others using it in their spaces!
Wow, I adore that she was also planning ahead, leaving a space for future expansion and a TV. Knowing where she wants the room to evolve to when creating it is such a great thing!
Mega round of applause to Samantha, THANK YOU for sharing with us today!
And a button for you!
Feel free to leave a comment for Samantha! What's your favorite part? Any inspiration found that you can use in your own space?
P.S. Have an awesome organizing story to share? I am looking for projects that have made a positive impact to your life. Please send your story and photos to iheartorganizing@gmail.com and I would heart to feature them right here, on the blog!! Photos should be high resolution and un-editted. Please include a description of the project, including any costs, inspiration, and how it has changed your routine for the better is so helpful! Oh, and no worries my friends, we will NEVER judge "before" pictures because that just wouldn't be nice! Only love goes on at this blog!
What a great space! I also love that "sand in a jar" idea. Looks so cool with the different colors, and such a great way to remember (what I'm assuming are) your family trips!
ReplyDeletePosts like this really make me wish that I had an Ikea somewhere near me!
Wow, this looks amazing!! I am totally borrowing the sand jar idea!
ReplyDeleteThis is so beautiful and inspiring! Not only is the room extremely functional, it also looks fantastic and so pretty at the same time!
ReplyDeleteI think the sand jar is my absolute favorite thing. I have seen sand added to individual jars, but this really lets you compare what the sand looked like from all your locations.
ReplyDeleteWow!! I am in love with that playroom, not least of all because i can't get enough of those expedit units! We have a 4x4 in the office, three 2x2's and a 2x4 in the living room and a 2x2 in my little boy's nursery. They're brilliant!
ReplyDeleteEverything about that playroom is gorgeous and i will definitely be coming back here to check it out again when we get round to sorting out my kid's playroom area. So many ideas!
I've only just found your blog, but have become a follower. It's fab! I am turning my life around to move away from being a chaotic hoarder and more of a mellow, organised, decluttered zen mummy. I'm blogging about the whole journey too, so i need all the inspiration i can get. Thank you! :o)
This whole thing is so great!!! LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteWow! Just absolutely wow!! I am so inspired and ready to tackle my kids game room now. Inside their closet I want to the same thing with the 3 ikea expedit units, one laying across & 2 slim ones on either side. I would do it inside the close since the closet it really wide & would free up some floor space. Hmmm! Maybe I'll take the doors off of that closet & leave it open since it's so nice to look at.
ReplyDeleteJen I wanted to tell you that just today I went to Target and got the rubbermaid clear bins with the green handles that I believe your boys legos are in. I brought it home, tried it in the ikea expedit shelves/desk in the home office and they fit perfect!! Thanks!! They're on sale this week at Target for $6.49/each. I am going back to probably buy every single one that have in stock. I love that it's clear and we can see exactly what's inside.
I think my favorite part is the orientation of the Expedit desk. I just got one for my craft room, and I put the Expedit shelving against the wall, and have the desk jutting out into the room. I never would have thought to put the desk against the wall, and to use the shelving to create a divided space. Genius!
ReplyDeleteI also like the sand jar. We have one....but it's just from one place. Neat idea to layer them. (Though....we move a lot and I bet it wouldn't look as cool all mixed up!)
Where van I get one of those jars for the sand? I am so in love with that idea. The room looks so amazing. Did you say that she got the baskets at Target? WOW They fits so perfectly in the unit.
ReplyDeleteKatherine
LOVE all the storage! I have the same desk and bookcase in my home office. I have it. What a great room for her kids to grow with. Thanks for sharing the great ideas.
ReplyDeletewelp. that did it! I was all set on getting a JONAS desk from Ikea for my new office space, but now I want the EXPEDIT desk system....i LOVE how functional that makes the space!!!!
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! I LOVE Ikea Expedit bookcases...they are the BEST!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely awesome, and while I don't have kids, it's given me some great ideas for other places in my home!!! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI am so in awe of your space used for toys, etc... wish I could do something similar in my home. Not saying I couldn't hang shelves and do the boxes, etc.. BUT, alas I am the only organizer/cleaner in my home and no matter how hard I would try it would NOT stay organized. Thank you for your inspiration though!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely space! Though I must mention that I have heard it is illegal to remove sand from a beach.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a transformation! I love how you used the bookshelf as a divider for your office. What a play haven you made for your little ones!
ReplyDeleteWow! This space is so inspirational! We are moving into a new home in a month and I have been reseraching great ideas for our ever-complicated/messy toy storage situation! I look forward to piecing together these ideas. We are on a tight budget (moving costs money) but I think that shopping at Target and Ikea make this an affordable project. Thanks for the thoughts. Look forward to reading more!
ReplyDeleteWhat was used to create the crayon and marker storage? I have been looking for something like this forever!
ReplyDeleteHi Heather! I believe it is a rail and buckets found in the kitchen department of IKEA. :)
ReplyDeletexo!