Playroom Shopping? Here are Some Ideas

Kid Furniture is Hard to Shop For

…and it’s not for lack of choices. I’m having trouble narrowing down which of THE CUTEST PIECES EVER I want in our (very small) playroom. Scroll to the very end to see what I picked if you don’t want to read!

If you do…here’s the back story: I follow Caitlin of The Mama Notes and saw that she was designing a playroom for Piper, which will soon turn into a nursery for her next babe. Her aesthetic is lovely (after all, she’s worked at Glitter Guide for almost a decade) and she’s much further along than me in that her room is already done.

Our playroom has been something on my “I’ll get to it when I get to it” list for some time in that it’s sort of out of site, out of mind (basement locale). I also don’t want to invest too much time, effort or money in the space since we may decide to relocate our play area at some point (or we may move). We have a couch (that’s a leftover from my apartment) in the room so that the supervising adult has somewhere to sit (and truth be told, the guest room connects to the playroom, so prior to Elle the couch functioned as a living space for guests). I think the couch may have to go judging by all of the furniture I’m finding (and loving).

Here are the different categories I’ve been perusing…

Organization / Storage

This is top of the list because though our interim stacking bins from The Container Store worked when Elle’s toys were tiny, I’ve learned that as she grows, so do the size of her playthings. Side note: The Container Store is having a 30% Off Sale on “customer favorites” which basically means everything, so I am about to go down the rabbit hole of home organization projects when I’m done with this post.

We’re considering a few pieces like this, with three bins. I love the colors available on this Land of Nod piece, and, of course, there’s a Restoration Hardware version that matches Elle’s Nursery decor but is a bit too expensive in my opinion. This is very similar to the Land of Nod version for a fraction of the price.

Beyond furniture, baskets are always necessary. My favorites are Eliza Gran (as pictured in the main image) and I also like this one, since you can bring it outside, too. Since as I mentioned, we’re likely losing the couch, I’m thinking about getting one of these, that is more bin than basket but it also doubles as seating.

Indoor Furniture

Although she just started walking last week, it’s evident that Elle has gained a sense of independence. She isn’t as eager to be stuck in her high chair for long periods, so I’m starting to think about testing her out at a mini table. We may get one and stick it in the playroom so she can do art projects and if all goes well down there (since the floor is carpet versus the hardwood we have upstairs), maybe we’ll change our dining set up, too.

I’m thinking something like this, this or this might be a good fit. Since we already have a gray kitchen (as a Hanukkah gift), I need to decide whether to stick with that color for the table and chairs, or go with white (or a white table and ghost chair combo). I was trying to resist “decorating” this room, but the more I think about it, the more I want to just go ahead and do it! There are so many options (I’m writing this post as I’m perusing) and I think I’m going to really have to do a full fledged mood board since I also may want to incorporate a teepee and clothing rack for dress up, though not necessarily immediately.

I’m also considering a little chair or couch for Elle but again, since the space is small may have to wait.

Outdoor Furniture

While our backyard situation isn’t much to write home about, these picnic tables are the cutest things I’ve ever seen and could easily work on the patio (though I fear Elle may fall and crack her head open so we may have to put it in our small shade patch in the grass). Here’s another one because it’s so cute.

I really wanted a pretty and simple outdoor water table but found this one to be too expensive (though it’s the best looking). Let’s be honest, we’re not exactly DIY pros either, so I went with the (ugly yet much more economical) Fisher Price version…though I tried to pick the prettiest of the (ugly) plastic options.

 

Tell me, are any of these ideas helpful? I’m thinking about putting some temporary wall paper on one of the walls, instead of art. I also am toying with getting a rug, although it’s carpeted underneath. How did you decorate your playroom space?