The playroom—often a catchall for old furniture and piles of toys—can present one of the biggest design challenges in any home, says iVillage home design expert Susanna Salk. For Michelle and Nick Gibbons of Sayville, N.Y., the problem was the lack of storage space for their two kids and a design plan that started and ended with their orange couch. Salk went to work and transformed the room in one day and for under $1,000. Here's how she did it:
Pick pieces that do double-duty. In place of the wooden coffee table, Salk brought in a striped ottoman that can be used as both table and, when the top is lifted, secret storage space for toys. Colorful canvas storage bins capture more of the kids' playthings.
Go bold with window treatments. The room has several windows, and Salk picked boldly patterned blue-and-white curtains that are both "elegant and fun," she says. Although the pattern is strong, the curtains are inexpensive enough to experiment with and instantly gave the space more personality.
Don't worry about matching. Be fearless! Salk dislikes the "matchy-matchy" look. She paired whimsical flowered pillows with multicolored striped accents to make the room a place for playing—and relaxing. "The playroom is not just about toy storage," Salk notes. "You should enjoy being in the room as much as your children do."
Here are the items Salk used to transform Michelle and Nick's playroom:
Ikea Stockholm Blad curtains, $60 per pair at Ikea. Image credit: Ikea
LSpindle floor lamp, $165 at Cost Plus World Market. Image credit: Cost Plus World Market
Dwell upholstered storage bench in Oxygen/Chocolate, $170 at Target. Image credit: Target
Mika 18-inch square pillow, $33 at Crate & Barrel. Image credit: Crate & Barrel
Happy Blue 20-inch pillow, $15 at CB2. Image credit: CB2
I Think I Canvas storage bins, $8 each at Land of Nod. Image credit: Land of Nod
