At the start of quarantine, I panicked. Not so much about the actual disease, but more about what I was going to do all day every day with my kids now that school was cancelled indefinitely. And also, how could I distract myself and keep from going crazy? The answer….redo the playroom.
My children, ages 15, 13, and 9, had never painted a wall before. This seemed like a great life skill to teach them while we were quarantined at home!! So I headed to Sherwin WIlliams and loaded up on Pure White, rollers, plastic, and anything else I thought we might remotely need, in case the paint stores were forced to close forever. I also researched {yep, that’s right. Researched.} how to spackle and fill in holes. We were basically going to be professionals when this was over!!
E-learning started, and we filled our days with online tests and printing out worksheets, with a splash of paint on the side. It turns out we are terrible at painting. When I say “we”, I literally mean me…I’m the one who spilled the paint on the carpet. I can’t even blame that on the kids! I had inadvertently taken on the largest room in our entire house, a big open space whose walls connected to all three of my children’s bedroom entrances and a bathroom. Lots of space and lots of cut work. Also, painting is not fun after you finish hours of online schoolwork. We painted a little each day, dragging the project out for weeks. But finally, thanks to some motivating distraction from the Tiger King podcast, I finished up the Pure White!!!
Y’all. It made SUCH a difference! The whole space was so light and bright! I hid the paint spill under the sofa, so no one will ever know!
It was time for my next fun idea…STENCILS!!! I was so excited to collaborate with Cutting Edge Stencils on their Ella Herringbone pattern. I was nervous that I was getting in over my head again, but it was soooo easy! I used their roller, blue painters tape, and some leftover SW Peppercorn, and it turned out amazing! I was planning to just do one wall, but it went so fast, I just kept going and did the whole room!
It was finally time for the actual fun part…decorating!!!! I had a fabulous leather sofa I found on Craigslist about 10 years ago. {side note, leather sofas are THE BEST for kids. You can literally wipe every spill right off.} And I had 2 grey chairs from HomeGoods. With those basics in place, it was time to add the texture.
Rugs are one of my favorite ways to change up a space. This Warrandyte Area Rug from BoutiqueRugs was the perfect fit! It kept the black and white theme, but introduced an interesting pattern and a soft pile for the kids to lounge on.
Next up, lighting!! This room is more modern boho than the rest of my home, and I wanted to push the envelope a little more with our lighting choice. The Eyely Coconut 10 Light Sputnik Modern Lamp was epic. My boys have nicknamed it Sputnikolas. It’s literally the coolest lamp I’ve ever seen.
We needed a coffee table and side tables that would offer storage and hold up to my kids. I also was really hoping to find pieces that looked good, as well! I was so happy to work with Sauder…their Steel River Collection pieces have a mesquite wood and black metal finish, and the coffee table has a lift top!!! My kids love being able to use it as a desk or dining table, depending on their mood.
One of my favorite companies in the world is Antique Farmhouse. They have such gorgeous pieces…I have something from them in most of my rooms. They sent me their 3 Tiered Wood and Metal Shelf for our playroom, and it was a great spot to add some family photos and treasures.
Last, but wow, not least, I knew my kids and I would need some reminders in this playroom. Dana from FaithInspired5 sent me this gorgeous sign of 1 Corinthians 13, aka The Love Chapter. We’ve actually been going through the phrases in this passage during our family worship time. It cuts like a knife {love is patient??? Sigh.} but it is helping us love each other better.
So there’s our Playroom Refresh!! It only took me 47 months to finish {ok, ok, it only SEEMS like that long} But it turned out so beautifully…I wonder if I could talk my kids into painting something else?
P.S. Here are a few promo codes you can use!!!
Boutique Rugs ALIETA55 for 55% off
Faith Inspired Signs ALIETA20 for 20% off
Cutting Edge Stencils ALIETA for 15% off
Alieta, I love the stenciling, I think it looks great on all of the walls. My daughter wants us to stencil doily-like patterns on one of her walls. I’m going to make a mantle shelf to put above her headboard. After reading a few of your posts I feel much more confident, thank you for that! Have a blessed day.♥️