Creative Spaces — by Guest Mom Zanne Blair
Bonjour! Bonjour!
I've just finished making this wonderful chicken soup. I roasted up a bunch of heirloom tomatoes and garlic (after looking at this article on Instructables.com), covered them with rosemary, put them into some chicken broth with onions and even more garlic. The head cold is much better. ahhh Now I can think clearly (at least I think so).
We are in the process of putting a new roof on our house. While doing this we uncovered (of course!!!!) more work, and we're losing this, but adding that. This means we are losing Izzy's playroom. It's ok, the improvements are wonderful, but what to do with all those TOYS?
Here's a shot without toys, during the early stages of demo. It was a really great space, shelves lined the walls, room for everything!
Here's a hole in the ceiling/roof, looking out to my husbands studio (barn).
We decided to move her playroom into a room that we weren't using very well. It's a bigger space than her first playroom, with better light, and will be warmer in the winter (have to think about those things in New England...). There is still a ton of work that needs to be done to make it even closer to "her" space, like pack up some books and move some shelves.
She does have a corner now with a big yellow chair (it was her great grandma's), a reading light (from Pearl River), and a bookshelf of books, puzzles and toys.
A dress up bucket with a mirror (that has yet to be hung...but it will be!!!).
She loves the room, she says it is "Beautiful Mom, I LOVE it" and has corrected me when I call it her playroom, "No Mom, it's my studio". OF COURSE IT IS!!!
Rob has his studio in the barn, I have my studio upstairs, why wouldn't Izzy have her studio too. Funny though, when she called it that, I really started thinking about it differently. I thought about my studio, where everything has it's place determined by it's use (ok - it wouldn't seem like that if you were to walk in this very minute....but really things do have their place...promise.) I now think about how I can arrange her toys, musical instruments, art supplies, books, costumes, blocks and more, so she can use them, put them back (***key) and remember where they are. I'm looking for a work table and a few chairs, shelving with a few drawers, fun containers to hold/organize those small things. All of these grand ideas on a frugal budget. I know we can do it, through hand-me-downs, tag sales, craigslist, freecycle and IKEA (oh...IKEA! - have you all seen this: ikea hacker).
I think this wallpaper from Graham & Brown would be awesome on a wall. We tape up Izzy's art on the stairway wall right now, and will still keep that as her gallery, but I think we will also have it hanging in her studio.
I love these decals from Mimi Lou at Kindergallery.
I love this Caleb's room in Cookie Magazine. I really love the climbing wall.
I'm liking this Trofast Storage System from Ikea. Pull out drawers and I can choose colors other than white or add doors.
Iz would get a kick out of these mini poofs from Zac & Zoe. The characters are super sweet.
And how fun would it be to have a shelf like this! Also from Zac & Zoe .
Oh my gosh - there is just so much cool stuff I'm loving at Zac & Zoe. Like this table with cushions — handmade!
Oh - and this mille fiore rug.
Ok, I could link forever, but I'd love to hear what you all have done for fun spaces in your homes (or what's on your wish list) for your kids.
I've just finished making this wonderful chicken soup. I roasted up a bunch of heirloom tomatoes and garlic (after looking at this article on Instructables.com), covered them with rosemary, put them into some chicken broth with onions and even more garlic. The head cold is much better. ahhh Now I can think clearly (at least I think so).
We are in the process of putting a new roof on our house. While doing this we uncovered (of course!!!!) more work, and we're losing this, but adding that. This means we are losing Izzy's playroom. It's ok, the improvements are wonderful, but what to do with all those TOYS?
Here's a shot without toys, during the early stages of demo. It was a really great space, shelves lined the walls, room for everything!
Here's a hole in the ceiling/roof, looking out to my husbands studio (barn).
We decided to move her playroom into a room that we weren't using very well. It's a bigger space than her first playroom, with better light, and will be warmer in the winter (have to think about those things in New England...). There is still a ton of work that needs to be done to make it even closer to "her" space, like pack up some books and move some shelves.
She does have a corner now with a big yellow chair (it was her great grandma's), a reading light (from Pearl River), and a bookshelf of books, puzzles and toys.
A dress up bucket with a mirror (that has yet to be hung...but it will be!!!).
She loves the room, she says it is "Beautiful Mom, I LOVE it" and has corrected me when I call it her playroom, "No Mom, it's my studio". OF COURSE IT IS!!!
Rob has his studio in the barn, I have my studio upstairs, why wouldn't Izzy have her studio too. Funny though, when she called it that, I really started thinking about it differently. I thought about my studio, where everything has it's place determined by it's use (ok - it wouldn't seem like that if you were to walk in this very minute....but really things do have their place...promise.) I now think about how I can arrange her toys, musical instruments, art supplies, books, costumes, blocks and more, so she can use them, put them back (***key) and remember where they are. I'm looking for a work table and a few chairs, shelving with a few drawers, fun containers to hold/organize those small things. All of these grand ideas on a frugal budget. I know we can do it, through hand-me-downs, tag sales, craigslist, freecycle and IKEA (oh...IKEA! - have you all seen this: ikea hacker).
I think this wallpaper from Graham & Brown would be awesome on a wall. We tape up Izzy's art on the stairway wall right now, and will still keep that as her gallery, but I think we will also have it hanging in her studio.
I love these decals from Mimi Lou at Kindergallery.
I love this Caleb's room in Cookie Magazine. I really love the climbing wall.
I'm liking this Trofast Storage System from Ikea. Pull out drawers and I can choose colors other than white or add doors.
Iz would get a kick out of these mini poofs from Zac & Zoe. The characters are super sweet.
And how fun would it be to have a shelf like this! Also from Zac & Zoe .
Oh my gosh - there is just so much cool stuff I'm loving at Zac & Zoe. Like this table with cushions — handmade!
Oh - and this mille fiore rug.
Ok, I could link forever, but I'd love to hear what you all have done for fun spaces in your homes (or what's on your wish list) for your kids.
posted by Gabrielle of Design Mom at Tuesday, September 18, 2007
6 Comments:
I like a lot of your suggestions. But one thing that I think is important to keep in mind, is how will your child's studio change over time? Is it something that you will have to change in just a couple of years as she gets older? Will it last 5-6 years? How will it need to change when she enters her teenage years? It would be good to have items that are "changeable," so to say, that can be refurnished for different ages in life, instead of having to totally redo a room every so often
I love all the links you provided! We do not have a playroom, but tried to make our boys' room a place that is good not only for sleeping but for playing and pretending (we have three sons in one room). Ikea to the rescue! I LOVE the whole Trofast line and have several pieces of it. I think it is so versatile and will grow as the boys grow, as you can take out the drawers and add shelves or doors, as you mentioned. We also have one boy in a loft bed, so the space underneath has become a great place to put pillows and a big air mattress (also from Ikea)...we call it the wrestling place.
Thanks for all the great ideas!
I love the kindergallery!
Yummy stuff - thanks for the ideas! I'm wishing I could offer an idea; instead I am stuck wishing for a "studio" in our next house! :)
Melissa - thanks so much for reminding me to think ahead. Excellent advice! thanks!
Katharine - I love hearing about the Trofast in works. Good to know!
Julie - :-)
Jen - I have lived in many studio or one bedroom apartments and have kept my "studio" on a cork board (my inspiration wall) and a bin or small desk that could fold away for safe keeping. While the space is wonderful (I day dreamed about it when I don't have one), making it from what you have can be fun too.
Love all the ideas!
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