It meant completely emptying said storage room in order to make room for the weight equipment, then tackling tasks ranging from painting trim and walls and installing a new ceiling light, to assembling storage units and finding custom touches to pull it all together. Initially I planned on a cupcake theme for the new playroom, but after a trip to Rona to check out flooring options, a bamboo floor mat in shades of washed out blues, green and tan for under $70 grabbed my attention. It inspired me to switch gears and choose an undersea motif instead -- a theme better suited for the various children we know of both genders.
Though I would have loved to replace the 1970s carpet in the room, I decided paying for new flooring in a playroom was asking for trouble. Instead, I bought four mats to fit the space. Armed with paint chips to match the mats, I found a few colours I liked, and got to work taping and painting. Staying true to the tradition of weekend home renovation shows, I opted for speed over quality -- I used as few coats of paint as possible and ignored the occasional spot where drywall patching could have been considered. With my three-year-old and nine-month-old daughters present all weekend, I took advantage of the baby's naps and a newly-purchased Tinkerbell DVD to buy me time to paint. Everything else was completed with them underfoot. It meant being extra careful where I laid down certain tools, and it was usually a two-steps-forward, one-step-back dance.
By the time I pulled off the last piece of painter's tape, I had fallen in love with the playroom. It's bright, stylish and inviting for kids of all ages. We then toured the rest of the house and collected all the toys to relocate them to the new play space (the toys unsafe for baby stayed in her older sister's room). Now, where to put everything?
Professional organizers Michelle Podulsky and Sarah Franklin of Somebody Else's Time have helped a number of clients control the volume of toys through playroom and play space creation.
"Kids love to have options for playtime," says Podulsky. "They like defined spaces -- an area to paint, an area to play dolls, a sand area, a kitchen, et cetera. Clean up goes smoothly when kids know all the Barbies go in that basket, and the trucks line up by the garage." After reviewing my project, Franklin praises the closet as a secret hideaway. She recommends adding a few extra curtains to give it a more hidden feel. "Kids love to build forts and pretend to be off to outer space ----I think the hideaway will be a big hit," she says. When I mention liking the room better before I put all the toys in it, she recommends doing a major toy purge.
"You definitely have too many toys -- are they really all being played with?" Franklin wonders. For toys we're not willing to part with, she suggests creating a recycling system where I store some of the toys away, and swap them out every few months. It's a technique common in preschools, where toys might change monthly. I decide some of the collection could do with some storage time. How about my husband's reaction? He likes that there are fewer toys underfoot throughout the rest of the house. We've reclaimed the storage area inside the coffee table, the living room bookshelves and the corners of every other room.
Still though, his first question was, "How much did you spend?" So I tallied my receipts. I spent $596 for the flooring, paint, hideaway lights, pillows and curtain at Rona and $98 at Ikea for the art storage and fish ceiling light. Another $112 at Zellers covered the toy storage. Luckily, I had redeemed enough Air Miles for Rona gift cards to cover the Rona bill. Including shopping, I spent 14 hours over four days working on the room, with the bulk of the time dedicated to clearing out the smaller room for the weight equipment and moving that equipment out of the playroom. Once the room was taped off, the painting and other elements came together quickly, though I did recruit my dad to help install the ceiling light and wall racks (I couldn't find a wall stud for the life of me). A few more hours may still be required -- my hubby seems to still be in mourning for his spacious weight room now that his equipment is jammed haphazardly into the small new gym. Perhaps a home gym reno is next.
-- Canwest News Service
Playroom tips:
* Choose safe storage: drawers that won't pinch fingers, shelving that's easy to reach.
* Offer bright lights for art, spot lights for reading, dimming options for spooky fun.
* Buy cheap and cheerful accent pieces to ensure you don't fret when something is inevitably destroyed by paint or rough play.
* For larger pieces, like storage systems and furniture, choose items that can blend with another theme (your children may want a change as they age)
* Be sure to attach large furniture pieces to the wall to prevent toppling.
