This post is long overdue since this was completed last Fall. I took the Before picture using my old phone, and due to some technical difficulty, I couldn’t access it until recently. So, here we go five months later I’m proud to present one of my “redecorating” projects.
This room was our formal dining room prior to having kids, but we probably only used it twice for party ever since we moved here. After we had our first child, we got rid of the dining table and converted it into a playroom. However, the maroon paint, brass chandelier and a blah window treatment had remain untouched for the next 7 years. Needless to say, I had been dying to get rid of this dated look and transform this playroom into something fun and playful. I also want to keep it timeless so that when the kids grow up and we don’t need a playroom anymore, it will be easy to switch back into a dining room.
So this is the Before picture:
I decided to keep the wainscoting because I think it’s gorgeous. The room is fairly small and I only painted half of the walls, but man…it took two coats of primer and three days of painting!!! After this project was done, I swore I would never paint another room again….or so I thought!!! Weeks later I worked on transforming my kids’ bedrooms . I got rid of all the storage units we had because it didn’t have enough storage, except the collapsible bin (the one in the middle) and the black bookshelf . I sold the 12 colorful bins toy shelving unit and the big Step2 bin, and moved the colorful stackable bins on the left to the garage.
The train table used to be at this corner.
Here is the After picture:
I bought Kallax shelving unit from IKEA and stored all small toys in those gorgeous colorful bins. The middle section is for “Art Station”. The table and two chairs were in
my oldest son’s old room
and didn’t quite fit in my youngest’ room. So I brought it downstairs, got the art hanging frame that sort of matches with the table. I also got 3 hanging containers from IKEA for crayons, colored pencil and some art tools. I put chalkboard stickers on each of those containers and labeled them for the finishing touch. On the left side is the reading nook where I keep the books. Once my youngest is old enough, we’ll get rid of that round table and changed it to a regular desk where he can do his homework. As of right now, this is where my kids read, do some coloring and where my youngest practice writing.
This is what the corner looks like now:
We bought a corner desk for my oldest son, also from IKEA. My oldest is a Lego maniac! So we thought this desk should be big enough for him to build his Lego set and to do his homework. This desk is something that he can grow into. We also got this storage unit just for his Lego set. I’ve researched and researched on the best way to store Lego and a lot of people suggested to organize it by color. I have to tell you it might work in the beginning. Once the Lego set is getting too advance, it’s better to store it by the set. I purposely chose this style so that he can display his creation from time to time.
I didn’t get a chance to take the “before” picture on the window side, but the curtain used to be plain cream color with (Again!!) brass curtain rod, and there were no pictures on the wall. As I stated earlier, we used to have a brass chandelier. Those three pictures were purchased years ago at garage sale and we never hung them until now.
This is the After picture:
The curtain blends in perfectly with the wall color and the lamp adds a modern touch to the room. I begged my kids to get rid of the train table but they wouldn’t let me. They still play with it and use it for multiple purpose. Once it’s gone, the room will be a little roomier.
I’m very happy with the overall result. Not only it’s playful and modern, the room can also grow along with the kids. The kids love the new playroom and it’s the ultimate place for them to hang out.
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