To spark imagination and creativity.
Playrooms are the one space in the house where you can cut loose and indulge your sense of fun
Looking for playroom ideas? When choosing a decorating scheme for your children’s room, the more imaginative and colourful the better. It’s a play space for your children to spark and develop their little imaginations.
There are a few aspects to think about when planning your children’s room ideas. Firstly, compromise; you and your child will probably have different priorities when it comes to decorating the playroom, but try to meet in the middle. Find ways to create a flexible space that satisfies everyone’s needs and requirements. Next, plan for the future as decorating a playroom for a toddler is obviously totally different to creating a chill-out zone for teens. Try to choose furniture that will fit both and that will last through developing and re-decorating!
1. Create a den for children to play in
Create an area that will ignite your kids imagination with a cosy tent and a play kitchen. Children love nothing more than building a den, but protect your sofa cushions by creating a fabric teepee for your little nippers to play in. There are plenty of children tents to buy online, or why not have a got at making one with your children which they can personalise with fabric pens and offcuts.
2. Put together a dressing up corner
Dressing up boxes might be perfect if you’re short on space but why not make a feature out of your little ones princess dresses. Attach a hanging rail to the wall and display the dressing up collection so your daughter or son can transform into there favourite princess or superhero at a moment’s notice. It will also help keep the outfits looking as good as new for when their birthday and halloween come around.
3. Open up your playroom
Freshly painted wood and a huge sash window keeps this playroom light and bright with minimal fuss. Give your young ones ample and flexible floor space for imaginative play. Cover hard floors with soft, colourful rugs to create an inviting and vibrant room. Add plenty of seating so there is space to socialise with friends and to find some quiet chill-out time. If you have the space, a sofabed is a good option if there is room as then the playroom can double as an extra bedroom for sleepovers if needed. Bean bags are a good low-budget option, too.
4. Create a blackboard wall or cupboard
Let’s face it, occasional scribbles on your freshly painted white walls can sometimes be an inevitable part of having small children in the house. So think how pleased they will be when they are actually allowed to do it! A blackboard wall or cupboard door is not only a fun playroom addition, but the block of strong colour also looks striking against a white background. If messy chalk dust isn’t your thing, try whiteboard paint, which has the same function but is a wipeable surface for washable markers. Team with an array of bright accessories to add colour to the playroom.
5. Factor in plenty of toy storage
This playroom has had an alcove specially designed with a work station in mind. Two sturdy cupboards support the wooden worktop desk. The wood’s rich tones warm up the bright room, while floating shelves above store a multitude of toys in co-ordinating storage. When planning a playroom, think about including a workspace. From nursery ideas to the teenage rooms a designated space for colouring or homework is a must. Put a corner to good use and add in a low table and child-size chairs. If you don’t have much room, try a flip-down wall-mounted table. You’ll also need storage for stationery that will keep supplies and creative materials orderly. A moveable trolley is a great solution.
6. Think in themes
Once you have the fundamentals sorted you can let your child inject their own personality with decoration and soft furnishings that are easy to update as your child grows. This nautical theme is age-friendly and just a new coat of paint or quick removal of the boat rug will transform the boyish vibe instantly.
7. Factor in a floor mat
Make floor play child’s play and encourage them to use their imaginations with a themed road mat – perfect for driving toy cars and trucks around for hours of fun. Play mats are easy to roll up for storage when not in use, or treat them like a rug and use them to cosy up a wooden or laminate floor . Team with a daybed and a quirky chair in case all that playing becomes too much!
8. Use colour and pattern to add pizzazz
Here’s a playroom scheme where things are definitely looking up. The focal point is the bright yellow striped ceiling, which gives a lift to a grown-up monochrome decor. Texture plays a key role in this scheme with a cow hide effect floor covering and sheepskin rugs adding softness under foot and making playtime even more inviting.
9. Use wallpaper offcuts to update a white wall
If you want to keep the walls fairly plain, a stand-out feature such as a decorative sticker can add a burst of colour and a playful element, without requiring the room to be totally redecorated as your child grows older. Here, a woodland sticker can even double as a height chart. Carry on the theme with toy birds and a pretty birdhouse to encourage a love of nature.
10. Furnish your playroom with pint size furniture
Playing on the floor all the time is no fun – it does little knees no good – so pave the way for school with a dinky sized table and chairs that are perfect for doing jigsaws, or painting and drawing. And this retro table and chair set ticks all the style boxes as it’s an on-trend grown-up design scaled down for tots. Choose furniture in white and it’s guaranteed to work in any scheme.
11. Invest in a unique bed
Be creative with furniture or try adding a tent or den. Here a cabin bed has been turned into its own capsule playroom in the form of a timber treehouse-style structure ready for adventure. Vibrant blue-and-white striped walls ooze creativity and vibrancy, while a quirky coloured mattress makes a modern alternative to chill-out bean bags. A funky green rubber floor gives the impression of grassy fields and makes a safe alternative to hard floor.
12. Incorporate low-level storage
Accessible storage at the right height is a key element for keeping the room organised and inviting. Zone it off and arrange it by theme, so it is simple for children to identify what goes where. Keep it low level so it’s easy to access (and tidy away) and perhaps incorporate the storage into spaces, such as under a window to make sure it’s tucked away.
13. Create a cosy reading nook
Reading and picture books are a vital part of your child’s development and giving them a playroom with a place to take time out and practice there reading is just important as a space for lively play. Find a light corner and fill it with plenty of accessible books. Then make the area inviting with soft seating, cushions, bean bags and perhaps a cuddly friend or two. The wooden letters on the shelves are a perfect addition if your child is still learning to read and occasionally needs a little extra help with there letters.
14. Make it memorable
Displaying children’s treasured artwork is a must, create a corner where they can be shown off. A table beneath makes it easier for little ones to get involved – here, a blue table with a built in shelf above is perfect for storing art supplies.
No matter which themed idea you decide, in this small kingdom battles will be fought and won, magical tales told and future masterpieces drawn and painted and childhood memories created forever.