A BRIGHT, FRESH & MODERN BASEMENT PLAYROOM REVEAL

SHOP THE LOOK…

Starting 2019 with an exciting new project reveal…a bright, fresh and modern basement playroom and family living space!!! Can you even believe this is a basement? This room truly has EVERYTHING a family with kids could dream of; a place for the kids to play, storage for toys and a casual TV space where family and friends can relax together.

My clients have three little kids; a one year old, three year old and five year old, so wanted the space to have lots of storage for the kids’ toys and also a fun factor (have you seen the slide?)! The wall decals from Urban Walls (Riptide Watercolour in Indigo at half intensity) create SO much fun impact for a room that will transition as the children grow. The decals are perfect for now and can so easily be peeled off and changed when the time comes. They are also amazingly easy to put up!

LARGE STORAGE BASKETS

“Adding in extra large covered storage is a lifesaver when it comes to quick clean up of unsightly toys. These baskets can be moved around and will easily store anything from cozy blankets to dump trucks.”

We looked for extra large scale letters on the market but after searching and falling short, decided to have these PLAY letters custom made for the wall. Since this part of the ceiling is low, the letters give the big impact we were going for. If you’ve followed along for a while, you will know that I LOVE storage baskets (such as in Rafa + Leo’s room), especially pretty ones with lids, and the capacity of these ones is incredible. You can honestly fit large plastic toys in there!

Good storage is key for a playroom and I like using easy-to-pull-out baskets for everyday play toys like blocks, Magnatiles, even puzzles. These storage cubes are at just the right height for toddlers to be able to pull out and put back the baskets themselves, which is always a win! I love that everything in this space is fully accessible for the sweet little kiddos who call this play space home.

STORAGE BASKET

“Easy to reach storage bins help little ones easily pull out and put away toys independently, which is a win in my books!”

The other side of the space is an area where the family can snuggle, read books, watch movies and relax together. The built ins on the left hold more toys and also books and we had fun styling the shelves to look pretty as there wasn’t a need for added toy storage here. I love having the space to do this because we know all parents need a little pretty in their lives at the end of the day, am I right?! ;)

Photography by Janis Nicolay.

GET THE LOOK FOR YOUR OWN HOME…

01.// Cubebot; 02.// Pillow; 03.// Basket; 04.// Bowl; 05.// Play table; 06.// Bin; 07.// Stool; 08.// Slide; 09.// Play mat; 10.// Storage baskets.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS + SEE YOU IN THE NEW YEAR!

The time has come to say goodbye to another year and I look back at 2018 with so many wonderful moments! Grateful, as always, for my amazing clients and also to my readers for your continued support of my work and the blog. Thank you, thank you thank you!!!

I will be taking a break with my family and will be back here on the blog the week of January 7th.

Happy holidays everyone!

If you’re looking for some inspiration over the holidays, please see some of my favourite posts from the year below:

ROOM REVEALS

1. Kids’ Creative Art Studio

2. Miles’ Room

KIDS ROOM DECOR

1. Baby Nursery Inspiration

2. Shared Room Inspiration

BOOKS

1. Art Books for Kids

2. 15 Calming Yoga Books for Kids

DECOR FAVOURITES

1. 8 of the Best Play Kitchen for Toddlers

2. Beautiful Toys You’ll Want to Display

3. The Definitive Guide to Dressers for Kids

BLACK FRIDAY SALES YOU CAN SHOP IF YOU WANT TO!

Anyone feel overwhelmed by the number of sales this year? Me too! I keep a list of favourite shops to check in on for this sale and thought I would share the list with you. It’s a curated list of places I look to all year round, but this weekend is a nice chance to tick off items you know you can buy ahead (i.e. christmas gifts, bigger sizes for the kids) or a big ticket item you’ve had your eye on (playhouse anyone?).

---

CANADIAN FAVES
(#shopsmallsaturday & everyday!)

---

THE CROSS
20% off

URBAN WALLS
25% off with code TREATYOSELF

PETITS VILAINS
20% off with code GIVEBACK

CORAL + CLOUD
20% off with code JOYOUS

SAJE WELLNESS
20% off everything (one day only)

PEHR DESIGNS
30% off with code YESPLEASE

MAUDE KIDS
15% off with code MKBLACKFRIDAY15

ETSY
So many amazing makers on sale here, see my holiday gift guide from last year for a few ideas

---

HOLIDAY FAVES

---

MINTED - for holiday cards
20% off (one day only)

ANTHROPOLOGIE - for ornaments + holiday earrings
30% off everything

MCGEE + CO - for home decor; too many cute things including this adorable doormat
20% off with code THANK YOU

---

WINTER GEAR

---

SIMPLY MERINO
(our favourite base layer ski wear)
up to 25% off

ALTITUDE SPORTS
(kids winter boots)
up to 50% off

WHEAT CLOTHING
(our favourite outerwear but this year it’s not on sale!)
40% off many items

---

KIDS FURNITURE + DECOR + TOYS

---

POTTERY BARN KIDS
25% off everything with code GIFT25, code UNWRAP for 20% in Canada

CRATE + KIDS
20-40% off

SERENA & LILY
20% off with code GATHER

WAYFAIR
Up to 80% off some items!

NOBLE CARRIAGE
10% off with code CHEERS10

ETSY
So many amazing makers here on sale here

LITTLE PASSPORTS
Use code BESTDEAL for $20off a 6 month subsciption

Stay tuned next week for a fun giveaway coming up in support of #givingtuesday (Tuesday November 27th).

HOW TO DECORATE YOUR ENTRY FOR CHRISTMAS

If your kids are anything like mine, they have been begging to hang up the wreath and decorate the house for Christmas since the day after Halloween! While we’ve fought this a little bit over the last few years, their excitement won us over this year and we are decorating extra early. I love the holiday season, mainly more catch ups with friends and seeing the magic of it all on the faces of the kids. To create space to enjoy this special time with them, I try to get as many things done before December, such as decorating the front entry and ordering Christmas cards so they can be written and sent in the first week of December. Last year’s cards were so cute and I can’t wait for this year’s to arrive! Even though we are the first family on our street to have a wreath up, it feels great to be ready when guests arrive. It really is just three simple steps to make your entry extra special.

STEP 1: HANG A WREATH

WHY NOT ADD SOME BELLS TO MAKE YOUR WREATH FEEL EXTRA FESTIVE?!

I chose a fresh wreath this year but if your climate doesn’t allow for that, this fresh wreath is by far the prettiest I’ve found online. Use a sturdy door hanger to hang it. I like to match the colour of the hanger to the door so that it is as inconspicuous as possible.

STEP 2: ADD A FESTIVE DOORMAT

Buy a fun and festive doormat wherever you can find one. Hardware stores often stock seasonal mats and this doormat is on its’ second year at our house. If you are ready to splurge on a gorgeous mat, this Merry + Bright doormat is modern and pretty much perfect. Where size permits, I love to add an extra rug as a base layer to an outdoor entry. Use a 3’ x 5’ rug suitable for the outdoors as a pretty underlay for the doormat and why not take this chance to add a pretty pattern or some colour. This indoor outdoor rug is THE BEST and we have owned it for over a year with three kids tromping over it daily and IT STILL LOOKS NEW!

STEP 3: ADD ACCESSORIES

Use this moment to have fun adding decorative features! Get the kids to help (cute buckets are a perfect place for them to add sticks or pinecones that they collect on walks). Display a small tree like this 3’ one in a wicker basket if your entry is under a covered area and add festive bins for added fun.

CHOOSE A LIGHT THAT ALLOWS THE LIGHTBULB TO BE CHANGED EASILY - I LIKE OPEN BOTTOM PENDANT LIGHTS OUTDOORS FOR THIS REASON

USE A BASKET FOR A SMALL TREE, FIREWOOD OR EVEN PINECONES! THE TEXTURE ADDS A LAYER OF WARMTH + INTEREST

PIN the image below to save the full look of a jolly, festive and bright entry for the holiday season below.

01. // Outdoor pendant; 02. // Outdoor base rug; 03. // Fresh wreath; 04. // Gold bells; 05. // Merry Christmas doormat; 06. // Galvanized bins; 07. // Tree basket; 08. // 3’ Faux tree.

---

YOU MAY LIKE THESE HOLIDAY POSTS TOO…

CHRISTMAS BOOKS FOR KIDS

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE (ETSY)

KIDS HOLIDAY PLAYHOUSE

HELLO...I'M STILL HERE!

If it’s seemed like I’ve been on hiatus, nothing could be further from reality! In the midst of a VERY busy month, yes, I’ve blogged less. But, I’m still here.

Amidst everyday life of running a business and being a present Mom, we’re currently in the middle of packing up our house of 8 years, doing a refresh on the little rental house that we’re moving into and slowly getting move-in ready! At the moment, there isn’t one ‘finished’ room so it feels a little hectic! The exciting thing is that there will be a few ‘before and afters’ to share here on the blog and hopefully the afters will provide our family a home that we’ll be settled into in only a few more weeks.

As always, thank you for your continued support during this extra busy time.