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Playroom Makeover Reveal

We made it! The playroom is finished just under the wire.

At the beginning of the New Year, Robert and I made a goal for ourselves that we would have this room cranked out before March. Ha! Crossing this finish line feels pretty awesome.

This space is so very different from the rest of our house, as it should be for a little girl (and another biddy on the way), since it’s a bit more modern and much more colorful than the other rooms we’ve spiffed up so far.

Definitely not quite as colorful as the bright yellow it was before though…

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

Once we donated the junk, hauled that sofa out (which was just taking up space because Olivia really only used it as a stuffed animal keeper), painted the walls, built some proper storage, and came up with a more sensible flow, this room became the savior of my sanity.

Everything has a place, and I feel like we’re no longer drowning in toys!

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

Yesterday, I finally worked up the energy to lime wash the fireplace in here too. This playroom actually used to be the living room back when our house was built in the 1960s, but our current living room was an addition built in the 1980s, so that left us with a quirky playroom fireplace.

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

We didn’t want to totally seal off the fireplace since it’s still in great shape and could be a good selling point one day if we move again, so I just stuck Olivia’s little $10 dollhouse in front of it that I found at the thrift store and fixed up.

(When the baby comes along in the fall, I might attach a metal fireplace screen with alphabet magnets or chalkboard to attach to the front to keep the little one from crawling in, but we don’t need to worry about that yet.)

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

This corner of the room has improved so much thanks to good ol’ purging and organizing.

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

I came up with some much needed wall art too so Olivia could make this room feel like it was an expression of her.

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

On the other side of the room, we had this clunky wall cabinet that we’re guessing used to sit above a desk for an office nook.

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

But it did us no good at all, so we ripped it down and anchored our DIY Narnia reading nook wardrobe in its place.

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

And those shelves we built from IKEA bookcases might be the best thing we’ve EVER done to get our house more organized.

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

These baskets with these toy labels are the bomb-diggity. I tell Olivia to clean her playroom now, and she has it done within minutes because she knows where everything goes! Hallelujah!

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

Getting a table and chairs in here with plenty of space for creating art projects was definitely the right move too since coloring and Play-Doh is something Olivia does on a daily basis.

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

There are already so many sweet memories that have been made in this playroom, and I can’t wait to see how it will grow with our little one(s) as the years go on.

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

A dated, unorganized playroom gets a bright and whimsical makeover with organizational strategies, ideas for adding function, and DIY-able projects to create the perfect kid's space on a budget. #kidsroom #playroom #kidsdecor #toyorganizing

But even when this room isn’t organized- when toys are strewn all over the floor and crayons are spilled all over the table and I find slime stuck in my hair, I’m thankful for the crazy chaotic stage of the young years. They go by so quickly, and I’ll be holding on tight for as long as I can.

If you want to know about any of the sources or projects we used in this makeover, you can find them all here:  (Some affiliate links are provided below.)

Apparently this is the year of the kid spaces for us because now that this one is finished, Olivia’s bedroom is next on the list, and then the nursery! There’s going to be SO much cuteness. I don’t know if my mama heart can take it!

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64 Comments

  1. What a fun playroom! Your kids will have so many memories in it! Where is the wood colored pencil holder from? I assume its been repurposed but my little artist is always looking for storage! Great blog, it’s so fun to follow!

    1. Thanks, Brittany! I found the colored pencil holder in an antique shop. It’s an old sugar mold. ๐Ÿ™‚ They’re all over Etsy if you don’t have luck finding them in stores.

  2. First of all, it’s amazing!!! You have a gift for tying all the things together, it just is mind boggling!
    I have a question on an item in your before photo, as I really like the colors in the blue rug outside this room I that photo. Do you have a source you can share?

  3. Could you print those storyboard art pics on like an 8X10 or 5X7 scale if I wanted to put them on a top shelf of my girls book shelf??? I donโ€™t have room to hang above the bookshelf because I have floating shelves with some of their figurines and pictures of my twin girls from when they were infants already above the actual bookshelf! I follow you all the time and love everything! I totally stole everything from your pantry cabinet designs! Thanks for always posting your finds at the end of the blog post for each project! Iโ€™ve turned friends on to you!

    1. Hi Rebekah,

      You can definitely print them as an 8×10. Just set your printer settings to see if you can shrink it to a 5×7. I am glad you enjoy the blog and thanks for telling your friends!

    1. It came from IKEA a couple of years ago, but sadly they don’t make it anymore. No idea why! I get asked about it a lot.