It’s exciting to envision endless design possibilities as you plan out your space, but it’s necessary to also consider more practical matters, like storage and layout. Rather than feeling limited by the many pieces of the playroom puzzle, we encourage you to view the experience as the ultimate design challenge. To help you get off on the right foot, here are 5 tips to think about when creating the perfect playroom space for your tot.

How will your child use the room?

1. Include your child. It’s important to consider your child’s interests when designing a playroom. This may seem like a “no-brainer” but it can also be a very simple but common oversight. Sometimes their ideas can spark inspiration for a winning décor concept.  In addition, including your tot in the process will give them a stronger connection to the space no matter how big or small their involvement.
2. Be specific. When brainstorming your design concept, focus on only a handful of specific elements for your overall design. For example, you want to incorporate arts and crafts as a main feature. Doing so will allow you to add fun and key elements like a chalkboard wall or interesting storage units for supplies.
3. Keep it simple. As a rule of thumb, we encourage parent’s to steer clear of the need to incorporate every toy your kiddo owns into their play space, sometimes less is more!

Layout

Next, as you plan the layout for your playroom, pay attention to the allotted space. Is the room large? Will it be shared by multiple children? Or perhaps the “playroom” is a section of the child’s bedroom, making compact living a must. If space isn’t an issue, consider placing storage and seating pieces along the wall and leaving the center of the room free for creative endeavors.

Storage

Storage can be one of the biggest playroom design challenges. How do you accommodate a large number of toys and supplies while avoiding clutter?  It never hurts to have a lot of storage.  The real challenge is getting it to look effortless.   Luckily, today’s storage options provide many answers to this question.

A mix of open and closed storage is key. Closed storage allows you to put away toys with lots of tiny pieces (these create visual clutter). Open storage lets you display those beautiful, colorful toys that will add some personality to the room while still keeping them within reach.

Invest in storage bins that don’t feel too kid-specific. Choose a slightly more sophisticated color palette or wood finish. This way they’ll last for years. Some of our favorite storage bin picks include:

Lorena Canals Bubbly Basket

Oeuf Toy Storage Shelf with Bins

Never forget the power of a large bookshelf. Even if some of it’s shelving is too high for kids to reach, these spaces are the perfect place for items that aren’t regularly used, such as toys out of the main play rotation, or books and supplies that children will enjoy when they are older. A few Tot picks include:

Oeuf Mini Library

 

Ubabub Booksee Wall Bookshelf 

 

Babyletto Tally Storage Bookshelf 

Don’t get too specific with a color palette or theme

Sure your child may be crazy about a certain cartoon or color now, but their tastes can change faster than you can finish your playroom design!  If you really want to add a pop of color to the room, try painting or wallpapering just one wall. It makes a statement and when your kiddo inevitably changes their mind about their love of fuchsia or dinosaurs, then there’s only one wall to cover.

A sitting area

When it comes to playroom seating, the possibilities are endless. From simple wooden chairs to a more modern take on children’s furnishings, there are a myriad of styles to meet your design needs. For a playground effect, consider pod chairs that hang from the ceiling.  A comfy sitting area is another way to utilize the space efficiently.  A couple of kid-sized armchairs or lounge furniture can designate a reading nook. No matter your design approach, make sure your child’s personality shines through. One great way to do this is by hanging your kids’ artwork on the wall. This will also add some great vibrancy to the room.

Always remember, less is more!

Here are a few of our Playroom furniture & decor picks! 

Oeuf Play Table & Chairs 

 

 

Babyletto Lemonade Play Set

           

Lorena Canals Air Natural Pouffe

 

Ruggish Lulu Play Rug

 

Barette Widell & Christina Boschetti are the duo of Widell + Boschetti,  a boutique interior design firm and Babytalk Creative Directors based out of Philadelphia. Widell + Boschetti is best known for creating spaces that embrace a stunning mix of styles and periods, design elements pieced together in surprising ways, and are masters at staying on budget while still exuding luxury.  As mamas to Dillon and Hudson, and with two baby boys on the way, these mamas know how to create a space that accommodates the functionality that a family needs while staying on trend.