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: OUR FRESH & BRIGHT DIY BOOKSHELVES!

It’s done! It’s a super simple design, but this DIY bookshelf in our rental house is finished and functional! Just inside the main floor back door and around the corner from the new ‘school at home room’ (reveal coming soon!), we now have a functional, fresh and bright place to store a good chunk of our children’s books!

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If you’ve been following the blog for awhile, you’ll know that I LOVE kids books. However, I truly don’t love how much space they take to store! They seem to make their way into every room in our house. I was determined to find an area that could store more books and act as the key area we keep the books (the kids still have a few faves in their own rooms).

Let’s go back to where we started. Below left is what this exact spot looked like when we moved in! Because it sits next to an exterior door (which you can see on the right of the photo), we quickly hung simple hooks and put a shoe rack underneath. As you can imagine, this area became a hoarding spot for all things dirty and messy very, very quickly. Just a few weeks ago, we created this super simple bookshelf. You can see in the picture on the right how it looked before we added two more coats of white paint.

I wanted to create a fresh place to store a decent number of books for the kids and provide them with an extra spot to plop down with a good book. It helps that this area is right next to the room that we are currently using as the school at home room so that someone can go and sit and read when they are not feeling like doing ‘work’.

The remainder is all styling! I wanted the top shelf to feel pretty and also store a few fun things, like the terrarium and my new watering can, which I love. I also popped this typography print up there to remind me throughout the day that whatever happens through this pandemic, the kids are alright. We hope! Ha. The wall sconce adds impact and functionality so that even on dark winter days, it’s still a well-lit area to read a book.

This extra large basket is a necessity for storing shoes that are not in season. I love that it has a lid to keep the look streamlined while adding extra texture to these plain white bookshelves.

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HOW TO STYLE YOUR KIDS' SHELVES IN 4 EASY STEPS!

If you’ve been blessed with becoming a parent, surely you are realizing that all of the toys, books, photos, stuffed animals (aka stuff) needs to be stored somewhere. It is likely that a bookshelf of some sort has made its’ way into your child’s room and if not, now is the perfect time to get one!

Pretty (and functional!) shelves aren’t as simple as they look but with careful thought, everyone can turn a mediocre bookshelf into something you will proud to see and use everyday. We love this plain white bookshelf that goes from floor to ceiling.

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Styling kids shelves starts with the most obvious step of all, but one that so many people often overlook.

STEP 1: CLEAR YOUR SHELVES

If you want to tackle the job of styling your shelves properly, start by taking everything off and giving them a good dust / clean. By starting with a clean blank slate, you will already be on your way to successful shelf styling!

STEP 2: ADD BOOKS

Now that your shelves are clear, take this chance to go through the books and donate any that your children have finished with. This may sound like a no-brainer, but trust me on this one! Kids interests change quickly and you will surely find at least a few that are no longer needed.

Once you have all the books that are going back on the shelf, break them up into sections, such as board books on one shelf or chapter book series grouped together. IF you are super particular with the way the shelves LOOK, you can also get as choosy as same size books or same colour spines together. You can also use special books, photos or actual art pieces and lean them against the back of the shelf or wall. By doing this, it adds an extra layer of depth making shelves appear deeper.

In the photo below, there are 57 books! If you have many more than this, fill up every second shelf leaving the bottom shelf empty for baskets or bins.

STEP 3: ADD STORAGE BASKETS AND SMALL CONTAINERS

Start with your biggest storage baskets or bins on the bottom shelf. We use these metallic baskets for everyday items that get left on the floor. It keeps the floor tidy and the kids know where to find items that they have left around the house. As kids get older, I find the toys get smaller! This means that there are lots of little ‘treasures’ and it’s handy to have little boxes in their rooms for these items.

STEP 4: ADD ACCESSORIES (AKA THE FUN PARTY!)

This is where the true fun comes in! Keep in mind that empty or white space is just as important as the items you place on the shelves. Here’s your chance to add little vases, candles, wooden toys for younger kids, or in my twins’ case, the Maileg collection that has grown over the years. These are perfect for adding to the shelves along with their mini globe (similar), daily calendar, and letter bookends. If you aren’t sure where to place things, just try it and then stand back and see what you think. Try to add smaller items next to larger and mix it up between placing things right in the centre or 1/3 of the way in on either side.

If you have any questions about how to style a functional and pretty shelves for your kids, ask away in the comments below and if you redo the shelves at home, I’d love to see!

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STORAGE BASKETS + CONTAINERS FOR KIDS SPACES

Anyone else in the organizing mood? If you’re like me, getting my kids’ rooms and play area organized is top of my priority list this month (that’s January for you!). It’s a case of new toys and old ones, clothes that are too small and books that seem to seep into every area of our home. That, and Marie Kondo, who’s motto of ‘tidy your space, transform your life’ seems to resonate loud and clear! Please tell me I’m not the only one!

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So, while we’re all thinking about getting things sorted, I thought it would be helpful to share some of my go-to places to shop for baskets and bins, and even the tiniest of containers which keep my client’s rooms and my own rooms neat and tidy.

I like to think about storage starting from large to small, with the obvious largest items being stored in closets and under bed drawers, which I’ve talked about how to conquer in a previous post. Once those areas are exhausted or the rooms don’t have those options, I use baskets, bins and all the way down to little containers for treasures that kids seem to love to have in sweet little bowls on their dressers and side tables. My kids collect rocks and a plethora of other weird and wonderful items, which I’m sure yours do too. Books are another story and I’ll address those in a later post, although board books are a great item for mid size baskets on the floor!

LARGE STORAGE BASKETS WITH LIDS

Without a doubt, these baskets pull double duty on holding all the things, from blankets to diapers to large plastic toys while looking pretty on the outside. You can use them ANYWHERE and that is their beauty; they are covered and so a living room, playroom, nursery, even dining room corner is a perfectly acceptable (and great!) place to keep these. If you want to be the host that has everything cleaned up when guests come over (trust me, this is NOT me!), I’m sure these work well for papers, cords and laptops too ;)

MID-SIZED BASKETS

These are typically open baskets but still a large enough size for items such as blankets, diapers (next to change table for easy access), stuffed animals, and generally items you want to be able to reach easily. They are super versatile and easier to move around than the really large ones. Some clients prefer all open baskets and these ones are a few of my faves.

EVERYDAY BASKETS

The most popular size for a reason!!! From belly baskets to the 12” ones to fit all cube storage, everyday baskets house things your kids play with the most regularly. The baskets on the top shelf in the left photo are holding musical instruments that my client didn’t want her son to have access to at bedtime, but wanted a basket she could easily pull down for the times she was ready for her son to play music ;) In the photo on the right (our newest basement playroom), those baskets hold blocks, Magnatiles, large Legos, stacking cups, etc. The kids can choose whichever they like and also put them back (fingers crossed!).

LITTLE CONTAINERS / BOWLS

Like it or not, SO many kids seem to collect little treasures of the strangest sort. If you can dream it, I’ve seen it! As all parents know, kids will keep things wherever they want (no matter how hard we try!) but I find it helpful to provide at least a few options for their special things. This is where the little bowls and boxes come into play. If you have a spare drawer in a dresser, nightstand or even under the bed, it’s an ideal spot for these. If your little ones are anything like mine though, they take pride in their treasures being in the open on their shelves or on top of their dresser, and I know one day, I will miss seeing those little messy trinkets. :)

In case you like to PIN things for later, here are some of my favourite baskets and little bins for storage in children’s rooms.

01. // Large neutral basket; 02. // Rattan side table basket; 03. // Patterned covered basket; 04. // Set of 2 baskets; 05. // Pom pom hamper; 06. // Striped jute basket; 07. // Everyday basket; 08. // Tassel bin; 09. // Belly basket; 10. // Canvas mini bin; 11. // Brass bowl; 12. // Handmade rope mini bin.

OUR FAMILY FRIENDLY LIVING ROOM

They say that home is where your heart is and I believe this is completely true. For me, that means comfort, playfulness, support, love and moments of happiness when you need them most. Home is mainly the people you love, but creating a house that aligns with these feelings and qualities is something I have always loved doing. Last week, I shared Xavier’s big boy room and today, I’m so excited to share a glimpse into our family friendly living room!

This is a space that gets used by everyone. Forts are built, games are played and at the end of the day it’s a quick and easy room to clean up and look presentable.

The sectional is perfect for family movie nights and pillow fights too. It took a few years before we decided to buy a coffee table again and when we did, we chose a round one so that there weren’t any sharp corners for the kids (or us!) to run into.

The gallery wall is a random selection of both frames and art. Most are paintings that either I or the kids have done and there are also random materials from past travels. I always thought it would be a temporary display, but reality is that art doesn’t get changed in our house too often so it’s been up there for years!

While we don’t have fresh blooms on the table all the time, it sure is lovely when we do!

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