5 WAYS TO DECORATE A BLANK WALL {IN A KIDS SPACE}

Big blank walls can be intimidating, but they don’t have to be! Here are my tried and true ways to turn a blank wall into something special for a nursery, child’s bedroom or play space!

1.Use wallpaper (or decals):

Wallpaper provides instant gratification and BIG impact. I mean, why not?! Kids’ spaces are the perfect opportunity to do something temporary or different than you would do in other parts of your home and it is FUN! Why not try a bold pattern? Or a print that really speaks to you in this moment? While old traditional wallpaper can be difficult to remove, the new paste on wallpaper is relatively simple to remove and there are SO many peel and stick options now that there really is no good reason to skip this fun trend. If you haven’t already, see our roundup of favourite wallpapers that will transform any blank wall in sight.

2. Add a bold focal point:

A huge piece of art, large letters, a big storage unit, even a fireplace - these all add a point of focus when you walk in the room. Try to make the key focus the wall opposite where you enter the room to give the most immediate eye catching detail.

3. Create a gallery wall:

You know I love them and they fill a wall so well! You can choose a simple grid pattern or get creative and create a more eclectic gallery wall; both will work equally well to decorate a blank wall and add personality. A quick tip for keeping gallery walls cohesive is to space the frames 2-3 inches apart.

4. Add a storage unit or shelving

Serving dual purposes of decoration and adding functional storage, a storage unit or shelving can be a lovely way to fill a blank wall! If you are wanting the most storage, consider at least one part closed storage while leaving some shelving open for styling favourite objects or rotating seasonal toys. I love using a mix of open and closed shelving to fill a huge wall, like we did in the playroom below.

5. Get creative with paint!

The most affordable way by far to decorate a blank wall is to get creative with paint. There really are SO many options - a bold colour, a half wall, a mountain scene, a mural! This is the perfect opportunity to try your hand with paint and an interesting colour.

Source: Room to Bloom

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KASE’S PLAYROOM PROJECT

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THE JANUARY EDIT: FAVOURITE PICKS OF THE MONTH

A little later than usual but our monthly edit is back! If you are new to the blog, each month we choose 12 of our favourite items…from toys to furniture, kids books to something for you!

This month, we’ve rounded up toys we have, the blanket we used in one of our rooms, our favourite lunch box and more.

SHOP OUR PICKS!

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SEPTEMBER EDIT

SHARED GIRLS ROOM

THE OCTOBER EDIT

ORGANIZING KIDS SPACES: HOW TO GET STARTED

2021 has officially begun and that means new routines and fresh starts for many. I love hitting the reset button at this time of year and setting plans in place for the year to come. Many of those plans revolve around getting more organized (at home and in life!) and today, we are sharing how to get started in organizing kids play items.

Bright & Fresh Playroom Project

As we all know, life with kids can become messy quickly! When you scroll Instagram or Pinterest, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the perfect images you see of all kids toys put away and playrooms that look unrealistically clean. Spoiler alert: many are! Designers and bloggers are often shooting rooms before the children have ever played in them and let’s be real, sometimes unsightly toys are pushed out of the frame just for the photo!

While those things are true, we have found some key ways to keep toys, crafts and books organized.

STEP 1: WHERE TO START

Start with the biggest toys first!

While built-in storage is the ultimate dream (see above!), custom storage (especially in kids’ spaces) is certainly not in everyone’s budget. Think about what type of closed storage you already have. Is there a closet near where your kids’ play? Could you keep your child’s favourite cruiser vehicle there and pull it out when needed? Use this to store big items if you can.

If not, there are some excellent ready made choices, like this storage unit, that house a large number of toys and crafts, and is streamlined and versatile enough to suit many different families and their needs. This unit is particularly great to have when kids are young as you can keep craft items up high (and out of reach) and use the surface on top of the drawers as a play area for toddlers to pull up on. To add a custom touch, consider changing the handles like we did in Kase’s playroom project, below.

Kase’s Playroom Project

STEP 2: NEXT…

From there, think medium sized toys. Play farms, toy towers, puzzles, games or any plastic toy that you’d rather not view after the kids are in bed, I like to put in the cupboard sections in the unit above (or similar) or big baskets. Our favourite baskets come in 3 sizes, with the large one fitting a giant fire engine toy amongst other things. Size large is HUGE, trust me, and also perfect for dozens of stuffed animals that you may prefer not strewn all over the floor. A set of these baskets is so versatile that you can use them for a play space, but they also come in a more neutral colour if you want to incorporate one in your living room (blankets, pillows)or anywhere else in your home (laundry hamper!). I love items that work for a variety of functions like this.

STEP 3: BASKETS & BINS

This next step is all about grouping like items together. Pull out your child’s toys and start to group them. Magnatiles? One bin. Have a set of Paw Patrol figures? Put them together in a basket. Blocks? Another basket. A set of cars? Another. You get the idea. See our post about best baskets and bins for pretty options if you like. Yes, it takes time to separate and organize everything, but once it’s done the first time, it’s much easier to teach your little one to put their toys back in the right place. At first, it will definitely be you picking up the toys and putting them back in their place, but starting this system helps to create some much needed order as kids grow. If you’re lucky enough, you might even have one kiddo who LIKES putting things away in an organized manner. It’s highly possible that you won’t though (there’s a mixed bag over here!) but at least it helps to know where things actually belong.

From there, go smaller. Add hooks for a place for dress up clothes, and think vertical (book wall or shelves) for displaying little figures or toys cars.

If you are finding you have toys that don’t fit in these categories, comment below and I’ll reply so everyone can read. If you are on an organizing roll, I’d love to see. Tag me on Instagram and I will share my favourites with you all!

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KIDS MORNING CHART

FRESH & MODERN PLAYROOM

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THE OCTOBER EDIT: FAVOURITE PICKS OF THE MONTH

HAPPY OCTOBER! With Autumn in full swing and the crunch of fall leaves beneath our feet, it’s time for cozying up with our sweet families in the comfort of our homes (ok, ok, I know…we’ve been doing that all year, haven’t we?!). With that, here are our picks of the month from furniture to toys, eco-friendly finds to clothing and more.

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.

SHOP THE POST…

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.

SHOP THE LOOK…

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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KASE’S PLAYROOM

SHARED GIRLS ROOM

MODERN PLAYROOM