Marissa, mum and founder of the beautiful  Little Sybarites blog recently saw a kids playroom I designed and  completed for a friend of hers and asked if I would write a piece on  “HOW TO DECORATE A KIDS PLAY AREA”

A designated space in your home that kids can call their own  is the ultimate enjoyment for a playroom. From the toys, to the unlimited supply of interactive games and supplies, the playroom is a sanctuary for kids!

You can definitely go all out with the design, as there are so many amazing design inspirations, however if you follow a few basic steps, by including the standard items required you can really design the most beautiful play area which are functional as well as practical.

Things to consider when planning a kid’s playroom:

Firstly, create designated areas for the play area

Open Floor Area: Provide an area where they can spread out toys, roll around and have fun. Place an area carpet in this area and house larger toys adjacent in a closet where there is easy access.

Reading Area: This area can consist of a small table, chairs next to bookshelves, puzzles and other ‘quiet’ time activities. Quiet areas should have an area for colouring, craft projects or other activities that requires children to sit down.

Play Area: This area can be adjacent to the open floor space area. Small push toys and noisy activities should have toy baskets close by in which kids can access on their own.

I believe in starting off with neutral colours and then adding some colour with accent pieces and accessories, which always provides a more elegant, yet playful design. By coordinate matching colours to area rugs and window treatments will pull the play area together beautifully. A specific theme can also be selected and designed accordingly. The walls can be painted creatively and one wall can be done in a beautiful wall paper, so many options….

Sufficient storage is a must, as this will prevent the area from becoming messy easily.

There are so many creative design ideas, which won’t cost you an arm and a leg, and combined creatively will make a huge difference on the final room design. The colour selection and the furniture layout is also an important factor to keep in mind. Space planning is important, as this enhances the flow of the room.

For instance, the beautiful black writing board shaped as a house is such a stunning piece, which adds a beautiful feature on the wall and has practical use, and not expensive to produce.

Even a normal open storage box from IKEA can be transformed into a beautiful wall feature.This is so easy to do by only adding yellow washi tape around it shaped as a house. Wooden storage boxes can be made with graphic stickers with castor wheels, which is movable and practical. These type of pieces really adds something unique to a space.

To add something even more special to either girl or boy’s playrooms the latest teepee tents and wooden frame houses are winners as these items create a magical element to the room. This is where the kids can just escape into there own little cocoon, to read and relax. These can be accessorized as much as you want. Garlands are an inexpensive accessory and adds something playful and colorful to the room.

These beautiful kitchen areas can also be added to a playroom which adds hours of pretend play
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If you want to add some totally innovative items, how about an indoor swing or a wall climbing ladder. (add a large cushion below for safety).