When I was putting our new playroom together, I put a lot of thought into what I thought a stylish playroom needed to have.  Obviously, I wanted it to be a space that would stand the test of time and really grow with my kids.  But, it was important to me that it was a space that I enjoy just as much as they do, even if we love the space for different reasons.

Once I stepped back to view the finished room, I felt like I was able to create a space that’s loved by both kids and adults alike.  If you have a playroom on your decorating agenda, consider these tips I put together on the subject.  I think they’ll help you to create a stylish space.

Five Tips to Creating a Stylish Playroom

1.  Hide it.  Storage is king in a playroom.  If your kids are like mine, they probably have more toys than places to put them.  Adding additional storage to our playroom was the primary focus of my design.  We added “built-in” bookcases with doors to hide large, plastic toys and the books I knew would never be placed neatly on a bookshelf.  I rehabbed an old stereo cabinet that is now not only pretty, but it holds Lego, Little People, and puzzles.  I even added a side table that has six drawers to conceal remote controls and art supplies.

2.  Let them spread out.  Kids need lots of open space to play.  Make sure that whatever layout you choose has room for them to build Hot Wheels tracks or just lay down to read books.  My kids tend to fill whatever open space they can find, so I made sure there was plenty in the playroom so that it wouldn’t spill out into the rest of the house.

3.  Take a load off.  It was incredibly important for me to have adult seating in the playroom.  I wanted to be able to sit in the room with the kids while they were playing or have a place to enjoy with another mom while we supervise a playdate.  I know that I am lucky to have a playroom space as large as I do, but if you can fit a small sofa or a pair of comfortable chairs in the room I think you should.   I’ve even found myself sitting in there working on my computer when the kids are at school.  There’s no reason that a playroom can’t be multi-purpose.

4.  Give it grown up styling. The hardest part of the playroom redo for me was to style the room appropriately.  I definitely didn’t want to just put some toys on the bookcase shelves and call it a day, but you can’t really add your typical styling decor to a playroom – candlesticks, vases and decorative plates don’t exactly make sense in a playroom.  Instead, I added a mix of my kids’ toys, some vintage toys that adults would like, a few tschotskes that couldn’t be broken, and some books.  You’ll also notice that I used fixtures and furnishings that would work equally well in a typical adult room.

5. Let there be fun.  Color choices in a playroom are huge.  In this room, I mixed peacock blue, cobalt blue and fire engine red with charcoal gray, black and white.  Without the gray, black and white, the room would have been way too bright, even for me.  With the more neutral colors, the brights are able to be fun without looking like a Wiggles set.

More photos and the playroom reveal post here.

Playroom Sources

I put together a source list for the playroom’s furnishings, paint colors and tutorials.  If there’s something I forgot, please let me know!

Wall Color
Peacock Blue by Glidden
“Lindsay White” (ask the paint counter to add 1 oz into a can of bright white Glidden paint)

Furniture
Sofa: Ikea (I replaced the legs)
Rocking Chair: One Kings Lane
Side Table: Ikea
Stereo Cabinet: Vintage with new paint treatment
Bookcases: Ikea (“built-in” look tutorial here)

Lighting
Chandelier: Lowe’s
Dog Lamp: Target
Bookcase Lighting: Ikea

Accessories
Throw Pillows: Target and Ikea
Throw Blanket: Ikea
Rug: Urban Outfitters
“Fun” Sign: Custom (DIY tutorial here)
Curtain Panels: Ikea
Curtain Rod: Home Depot
Chalkboard Easel: Ikea

Books and toys are generally personal or vintage.

What are your thoughts?  Do you have any more playroom tips to add to my list?