Our Family-Friendly Playroom Design

Family Friendly Playroom Design

Our playroom area (off of the living room) has been a pain point for us since we moved into our house. It’s right off of our kitchen, dining room, and living room and very central on our first floor… which makes it a perfect space for the kids to play while I’m cooking meals or chatting with another mom during playdates.

On the other hand, it’s visible from multiple rooms and you can see it across the house when you walk in our front door, so we wanted it to look designed but also feel comfy and work functionally. That was a tall order and no easy task!

Enter Modsy, the online interior design service, who helped us create an elevated playroom set up where the toys can be hidden in a cabinet, the rug is washable, yet it looks quite pretty.

The process:

Modsy pairs you with an expert designer to tackle your toughest design challenges and gives you 3D designs so you can visualize what all the changes will look like in real life. For all three projects, I sent in images of the room from every angle and filled out online forms with my budget, style preferences, and Pinterest boards for inspiration–you can choose to have a kick-off call with your designer as well! You can also use the Modsy app to do a quick scan of your room to automatically capture the photos and measurements.

A couple of weeks later, I received 3D designs of the space. I shared what I liked and didn’t like from each design by messaging the designer and got the next update a few days later. Then we went back and forth through Modsy’s messenger until the room is exactly what I want. Once it’s finalized, I order the furniture and decor pieces directly from their site.

Cost & discount code: Modsy is a really great affordable option if you don’t want to spend a lot on a designer, but want a polished and well-thought-out design. Modsy’s premium service costs $159 per room and includes designs (with unlimited revisions!), phone and email communications with a real designer, and discounts on certain products. Modsy has an upgraded Luxe design package that costs $499 per room. With this option, you have video calls with your designer, unlimited revisions, and you can see paint, wallpaper, or flooring changes alongside your room designs–you also get extra discounts on furniture and decor purchases made through Modsy.

You can use code LEMON20 for 20% off luxe and premium packages through 8/30/21!

My favorite part about working with Modsy is that they send a 3D design of what your room will look like redesigned. This is great for Anel because he has a hard time picturing the finished product when I show him fabric samples alone. While describing each area below, I shared an image of the finished product next to an image of the 3D design so you can see how similar they are.

Toy storage:

I was getting so frustrated with Amalia’s toys looking messy on the open shelving we had previously. It was a constant project to keep it looking nice. That is actually what started this whole project. I had bought this cane console and had the Modsy team design around it. We still use the labeled IKEA bins in the console to keep toys mostly organized but if things get messy in there, we can re-organize every few weeks as opposed to every few days.

Before bed every night, we clean up together and in the morning I can wake up without staring at a huge mess. It’s been such a nice change. I also added a big basket to the side of the console for dolls and stuffed animals so we can easily throw them in.

One note on the console is that the knobs were really small and impossible to grab onto so I replaced them (after we took these photos) with brass and lucite pulls.

“Mudroom” area:

This is one of my favorite changes because it was a hot mess before. We use this back door to go to the garden, to take Boots out for walks, and for Amalia to run outside with her friends. We had piles of shoes and hats/leashes hanging off of hooks and it always looked messy. Our designer, Mackenzie, came up with the solution of placing square baskets on a narrow white and brass bookshelf to keep this mini mudroom area clean and organized.

It has worked like a charm! Amalia’s shoes are in the bottom basket for easy access.

Window treatments

I had never thought to hang curtains on these windows because of their shape. But Mackenzie suggested we treat this oddly placed window as if it were a regular shape and height by adding curtains and a rod. She picked these blue and white drapes that add some color and tie in the living room across from them.

Play Table:

Amalia loves to color and paint so we moved her play table and chairs (gifted from Lalo) to the other side of the room (it was previously in the kitchen) once we saw how it would look in the 3D designs. I organize all of her markers, crayons, and pencils with a lazy Susan that always lives out on the table, then swap out coloring books once/week.

Rug

A ruggable rug was something we definitely wanted in the space. We had another one in here previously but it was too small and too bright. We moved it to the basement play area and it’s perfect there, but for the main floor of the house, we wanted a design that looked a little more elevated. Mackenzie chose this rug that ties in the blues from the living room and dining room but sets the stage for more neutrals. We have the 8×10 with a cushioned rug pad to make it softer underfoot.

The brown also hides the mud that Boots likes to drag in the backdoor every so often. Ruggable rugs are great because you can literally pick up the top piece and throw it in the wash which I do every 2-3 weeks. It comes out looking brand new!

Art

I told Mackenzie we’d be using our own art so she included placeholders that were roughly the same size for me to picture it better. All three prints are by Kerri Rosenthal, a local artist, and friend who I adore. All of her work is colorful, positive, and just fun.

Scroll down for more photos, before photos, and the 3D designs of the space from Modsy!

Thank you to Modsy for sponsoring this post. All opinions, as always, are 100% my own.

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Comments

  1. Brynna said:

    Love how everything came together! Weird question: when did you start having Amalia help with cleanup? Have a great day! 🙂

    8.2.21 ·
    • Julia said:

      As soon as she could! When she started protesting, we got her a chore chart and that has made a huge difference.

      8.3.21 ·
  2. Anna said:

    Wait I’m confused – the rug IS from Ruggable, yes? Did you maybe mean
    “non-negotiable” rather than “a non-starter”?

    8.3.21 ·
    • Julia said:

      Correct 🙂 Mom brain central over here!

      8.3.21 ·
  3. Kelly said:

    Love! Where are the lamps from?

    8.5.21 ·
    • Julia said:

      They are old from Annie Selke!

      8.6.21 ·
  4. Kelly said:

    Love! Where are the lamps from?

    8.5.21 ·
  5. Lisa said:

    Thanks so much for the tip on those Lucite knobs – I have the same cabinet with the cane doors (mine is from Lulu & Georgia, but it’s exactly the same) and I also found the knobs impossible to use, particularly for my kids! We have a more industrial/farmhouse vibe in our city apartment so I got them with the black hardware, but they were so easy to swap in, look great and most importantly WORK SO MUCH BETTER!

    8.23.21 ·