• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Interiors Addict

Heart Your Home

@interiorsaddict on Instagram   @interiorsaddict on Facebook   @interiorsaddict on Pinterest  
Subscribe
  • Job Board
  • About
  • Before & Afters
  • RENO ADDICT
  • Kitchens
  • Bathrooms
  • Kids Rooms
  • Bedrooms
  • Living Room
  • Shopping
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipes
  • Parenting
  • Travel
Interiors Addict
  • Job Board
  • About
    • Our Story

      Australiaโ€™s largest interior design, styling and renovation blog for the everyday Aussie. By former journalist and magazine editor Jen Bishop, the original interiors addict!
      READ MORE

      Weโ€™re big on Instagram!
      @interiorsaddict

      • About
      • Contact Interiors Addict
      • Work with Interiors Addict
      • Advertise / Find a job in Interiors
      • Press
      • Get Your Free Ebook

        This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
    • bookcover-jens-reno
  • By Room
    • Browse by Room

      Where you can search for all our posts about a specific room. Only interested in kitchens and bathrooms? We got you!

      • Kitchens
      • Bathrooms
      • Kids Rooms
      • Bedrooms
      • Living Room
      • Home Office
      • Dining
      • Laundry
      • Outdoor & Exteriors
      • Renting
    • bookcover-jens-reno
  • Before & Afters
    • Before & Afters

      Who doesnโ€™t LOVE a good before & after? If you want to be inspired by the whole reno process, and not just the shiny photos at the end, this is the place for you!

      View Articles

      • Before & Afters
      • Jen’s reno
      • Real Renos
      • RENO ADDICT
    • after buffet landscapeUpcycling project: buffet gets a glow up with paint and handles
    • KitchenSerial renovators embark on 15th house and this one’s for keeps!
  • Reno Addict
    • RENO ADDICT

      Looking for reno inspo? Find it all here, from other peopleโ€™s projects to the latest trends, tools and products, whether youโ€™re DIY-ing or employing trades.

      View articles

      • Reno Products
      • The Block
      • DIY
      • Reno Trends
      • Before & Afters
      • Real Renos
    • AFTER kitchenRun-down 1950’s house renovated with stylish farmhouse vibe
    • Brolga – James Hardie Shoot-5533Choosing the right builder: Neil Hipwell shares his top tips
  • Shopping
    • Shopping

      Want to know where to buy the latest furniture, homewares, rugs, art and more? Weโ€™re always sharing our latest finds and telling you where you can buy them.

      View Articles

      • Furniture
      • Homewares
      • Art
      • Smart Home
      • Appliances
      • Reno Products
    • IMG_2125Today’s tablescape is colourful and fun. We’re here for it!
    • Hali-Rugs-x-Jason-Grant-0374Recycled bottles feel so soft in new rugs by Hali & Jason Grant
  • Inspiration
    • Inspiration

      While Jenโ€™s a legitimate interiors addict, sheโ€™s no design professional, so she calls on an army of the countryโ€™s best to share their expertise with you. Be inspired by their stories too!

      View Articles

      • Decorating 101
      • Interviews
      • Expert Tips
      • Before & Afters
      • House Tours
      • Designers
      • Styling
      • Renovating
      • Real Renos
      • Covet my coffee table
    • AFTER kitchenRun-down 1950’s house renovated with stylish farmhouse vibe
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle

      Weโ€™re mostly about the home but Jen also likes to share other things she thinks youโ€™ll love, like food and travel.

      • Recipes
      • Travel
      • Parenting
    • Screen Shot 2022-03-15 at 4.23.09 pmFoodie Friday: Mild chilli, avocado & goats cheese toast
    • Isla-MotelHip new motel renovation on NSW South Coast
  • Jobs
    • Advertise on our job board
    • Job Board FAQs for advertisers

Playroom ideas: revealing a room I’ve never shown you!

March 23, 2020 3 Comments

FacebookPinEmailTweet

Welcome to our new and improved playroom! I’m finally proud of this room, but let me tell you how we got to this point!

It’s almost three years since we bought our “nanna house” and as we’ve ticked off transforming it bit by bit, I’ve never really shared the playroom with you and there’s a reason why! Before I tell you why I came to loathe it, let me first tell you how much I also love the fact we have one!

Having a playroom is the ultimate luxury for a mum of two boys who is also a bit of a neatfreak (that’s me, if you hadn’t guessed). I love my home to be tidy at all times (just don’t go into the master bedroom unannounced as that’s where it all comes undone!). I also have two energetic boys with lots of toys and I want them to have fun and to be able to pull things out and not get all antsy about it because life’s too short and I’m not going to be that mum.

When we saw this house, with its “family room” off the living room, we didn’t hesitate to earmark it as the playroom, and that was when we only had one toddler! Another huge bonus is that the boys’ bedrooms are only for getting dressed, reading and sleeping and, as such, they stay really tidy! So at least I am dealing with just one messy room, not three!

Fast forward to now having two kids and there are even more toys and a 16-month-old who loves to pull everything out and is too young to know how (or want to) tidy up his mess. Things were reaching a peak level of chaos in the playroom, with nightly tidy-ups a battle with the eldest and me only being able to cope because we have doors between the living room and toy town crazy, which meant I could at least hide it!

But the reality of our home is that those doors are always open so we can keep an eye on the boys and interact with them while they do their thing and we do ours, frequently crossing back and forth into each other’s spaces. And we love that we can do that.

We can now leave these shutter doors from the living room to the playroom open a lot more!

But the mess. Oh, it was an eyesore! We had a lot of baskets with stuff chucked in them. We had one large inherited (from Damian’s room at his parents’ house!) IKEA Expedit (now Kallax) unit full of felt boxes. We started off with different boxes for specific things, but as they weren’t easily identifiable or labelled, we soon ended up in a position where any old thing ended up anywhere, just to get it off the floor. And the toys need regularly removing from the floor so I can deal with the crumbs. Don’t get me started on wandering children with snacks! Every few months I’d say “enough!” and have a declutter and sort out. But it never lasted long.

Adding Charlie to the mix (particularly when he started walking a few months ago) made everything so much worse. Everyone told me you couldn’t have a nice or tidy playroom and that there was no point trying to improve it. And I probably listened for a while, which is unusual for me because I believe everything can look nice (if not perfect) and you can have nice things, even with kids. And I suppose there’s part of me that felt bad about wanting their room to be pleasing to me as well as them, like that was a bit selfish.

But do you know what, it’s okay to want organisation which makes tidying up and keeping things tidy easier. It’s way less stressful having a room that doesn’t look a right mess from your living room all the time. And Sebastian (Charlie’s too young to care!) really loves how his new room looks and feels and how easy it is to find what he wants to play with. ย I’m actually surprised at quite how much of a difference this new playroom has made to our stress levels, and that includes things like the nightly nag to put the toys away before bed.

The room also looks so much bigger and nicer. Having all the storage at the same, kid-friendly height along the back wall, gives the impression of more space. An unexpected bonus of the IKEA TROFAST units is that they’re the perfect height for the boys to play cars or draw at, which I’d never considered.

There’s so much more to say about the playroom that I’ve decided to split this into two posts, and, in part 2, I tell you exactly what we picked for the room and why it works so well for the kids (and us!).

Thanks to IKEA, who collaborated with me to finally get the storage and organisation under control in this room!

See more of our home | Charlie’s nursery | Our master bedroom

Photography: Jacqui Turk

FacebookPinEmailTweet

Primary Sidebar

Popular This Week

  • Serial renovators embark on 15th house and this one’s for keeps!
  • Room reveal: my new lighter, brighter master bedroom + shop it!
  • Australian kitchen dimensions: standard sizes for every last detail
  • Palette Cam 15 apps to help you build your dream home
  • Hard to sell house transformed into forever home

Follow us on Instagram

Seeing double Seeing double
Dream breakfast right there!๐Ÿฅ‘ Featuring my fav Dream breakfast right there!๐Ÿฅ‘

Featuring my favourite @thewholefoodsrefillery product EVER, mild chilli nut butter. Get the recipe and your code for 20% off your first order with them, on the homepage now, via link in bio.

#notsponjustmyfriendsanddeliciousqualityfood #iafoodiefriday #avotoastagram #nutbutters #avocadoporn
When interior designer @sarah_yarrow was renovatin When interior designer @sarah_yarrow was renovating her 50s home to sell she was determined to move away from the cookie cutter flip to sell look and went for something warmer, paying homage to its roots.

"People are much more likely to connect with something that feels warm and friendly and that doesnโ€™t feel like the home up the street, or the one that their friend has just bought. And once they connect, they usually pay more,โ€ she said. Sarah believes people usually crave a homely feel but donโ€™t know how to create it themselves

See the whole home before and after on the homepage now via link in bio.

Pic: @the.palm.co 

#beforeandafterrenovation #beforeandafterremodel #homelyhome #vjwalls #wallpaneling #bedheads #headboards #bedroomlighting #modernfarmhousedesign
This is the pits. Geddit?! ๐Ÿ˜† This is the pits. Geddit?! ๐Ÿ˜†
This family home is next level. Literally! A stee This family home is next level. Literally!

A steeply sloping block isn't a typical prerequisite when building a new home. But it was for Perth architect Sam Klopper and his family who desired an elevated balcony (hello roof terrace!) AND a back yard that was accessed from the living area. And wow, they sure made the best of it!

Take the tour on the homepage now. Via link in bio.

#roofterrace #roofgardens #slopingblock #architectshome #perthhome #wahomes 

Project: @klopper_davis_architects
Photos by @dionrobeson
Before & after goodness alert โš ๏ธ Head on ove Before & after goodness alert โš ๏ธ 

Head on over to the blog this morning to meet serial flippers @renowayoflife Back in Australia after more than a decade renovating for profit and living debt and mortgage free in the UK and USA, they're onto their 15th house, a Queenslander, and this one they plan to actually keep and live in with their 3 kids!

It's an inspiring tale and we're sharing before and afters of 3 of their previous projects. Looking forward to sharing the progress of their current house in the coming weeks and months too ๐Ÿค—

Via link in bio๐Ÿ’›

#queenslanderrenovation #houseflippers #serialrenovator #renowayoflife #queenslanderhome
How's that for a pool?! This Noosa riverfront ab How's that for a pool?! 

This Noosa riverfront abode just won Home of the Year in the 2022 HIA-CSR Australian Housing Awards. 

Take the tour and find out why. On the homepage now via linknin bio.

#poolsofinstagram #poolhome #swimmingpooldesign #houseoftheyear #riverfronthomes 

@jwconstructions @shaunlockyer @christopherfrederickjones
(WIN!) It's not the weather to have damp washing e (WIN!) It's not the weather to have damp washing everywhere!

Let's make your life easier with this amazing laundry prize from @hillshomeliving 

One lucky winner will get a bamboo concertina, a bamboo sorting centre and 3 bamboo foldable baskets worth almost $250.

For your chance of winning follow us and @hillshomeliving and tag a friend below by midnight Sydney time next Friday 27 May. One entry per person.

The concertina and sorting centre are available at Big W and the baskets at Bunnings.

Open to Australian residents only. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Instagram.

#laundryinspo #laundryideas #laundryday
We've entered an exciting phase in our home: non-s We've entered an exciting phase in our home: non-synthetic rug land!

With two young boys, I've always advocated for the synthetic and easily scrub-cleanable rug! Now they'reย a bit older and observing the shoes-off and no-food-in-the-living-room rules, I thought it was time! And I'm in love with our bold newย @castleryau Lorenzo Wool Rug.

You can't beat the luxurious look and feel of wool and I've also stepped outside my comfort zone with a design that stands out rather than blends in. Get me!

Can someone remind the kids about the keep-the-toys-in-the-playroom rule though?!

Would you be brave enough to go for a cream wool rug in your house?!

This rug is on display at Castlery's popup at Moore Park SupaCenta until October. 

#athomewithcastlery #rug #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #statementrugย #gifted
Follow on Instagram
Visit Jen's profile on Pinterest.

Get Your Free Ebook

Ebook cover

Never miss the latest renovating and interiors products, news and inspo again! Sign up for our newsletter and we'll send you the best bits from the blog, direct to your inbox. Plus you'll get our latest eBook: What Made The Biggest Impact in Jen's Own Reno.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Avatar

About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 8 years. She is married to Damian and mum to Sebastian and Charlie.

More from Jen’s reno

Upcycling project: buffet gets a glow up with paint and handles

Room reveal: my new lighter, brighter master bedroom + shop it!

My DIY polkadot wall in the boys’ bedroom

Popular blog posts: Our top 10 most read in 2021

Can DIY measured and installed blinds actually look good? My verdict!

My broom cupboard makeover: you may be surprised how exciting this is!

My amazing pantry makeover with pullout storage drawers

Charlie’s big boy room makeover

How to use VJ boards in your home: 5 ideas!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarBec Senyard says

    March 23, 2020 at 1:09 pm

    I LOVE it! Love how its accessible from your living area too.

    Reply
    • AvatarJen Bishop says

      March 26, 2020 at 6:45 am

      Thanks Bec! It’s ideal really! A very modern layout for a 60s house. I believe it was the garage once upon a time!

      Reply
  2. AvatarGraysonau says

    March 24, 2020 at 8:04 pm

    Thanks for sharing. Amazing in room

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Footer

Interiors Addict

Interiors Addict

  • About
  • Contact
  • Work with Jen
  • Press
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy

Browse

  • RENO ADDICT
  • Jen’s Reno
  • House Tours
  • Real Renos
  • Interviews
  • Styling
  • Designers
  • Bedrooms
  • Covet My Coffee Table
  • Expert Tips
  • The Block
  • Art
  • Furniture
  • Recipes

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RENO ADDICT

Copyright © 2011–2022 Addicted Media Pty Ltd
Website care by ClickWP ยท Log in

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!