Kids & Play Rooms

It’s that time of year! If you’re going to show your love, why not have some fun with it! I’m a huge fan of noncommittal wall art – and love WallCandyArts.com.

There is more than one way to dress up your walls; here are few of my mushy love favorites:

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While I visited many showrooms at the Las Vegas Market, I would have to say the GuildMaster showroom was one of my favorite because it has so many unique painted pieces.  There is something for everyone – muted tones to bold colors, and unique reclaimed items you can use to embellish furniture pieces. So creative!

At the end of this post, I’ll show you where you can buy them, or – if these ideas stir your DIY instincts, I’ll share some “how to” tips with you!

First, let’s look at the neutral hued pieces.

zebra dresser

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Basements rarely get top priority when you move into a house. This was the case for us.  It was already finished when we bought it a year ago. Finished, but not particularly inviting. Dark gray walls, gray berber carpet, and mismatched furniture. We had other rooms to focus on.

But that all changed on a random August night – hurricane Irene was not kind to us.

But after adding a second sump pump with a battery backup, we fearlessly set out to refinish the finished basement. One catch – most of the furniture and many toys were lost in the great flood of 2011. So we started with a refreshingly clean slate.

We had the walls redone and carpet replaced, then we (meaning us, ourselves) painted the whole darn thing DIY style (whew). We opted for a lighter, neutral palate. While there is good height and many pot lights down there, it’s still a basement with only a few windows.

Below are some before and after pictures. But first, a few things to look for:

  • We added a yoga space.
  • We moved the TV to the former art nook, and move the art area to a more open space.
  • There is remarkably little furniture. But we did reuse the old mirrors we took out of upstairs bathrooms to create a fun dance area. Zumba, anyone?
  • Can you pick out the few pieces of furniture that made it?

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My daughter turns 11 today! December birthday’s can be tough, especially now that she’s a tween (or is that pre-teen?). It’s a challenge to separate birthday from Christmas, as documented a couple years ago in the “How to make a December Birthday Special” post. But she’s older now, and I really need to step up my mom-game.

tween girls room after

I wanted to surprise her, so I’m tweaking her room while she’s at school. Yes, we recently designed her room when we moved earlier this year, as document in the “A Blue Tween Room for Girls.” Remember this room? –>

Because she loves art and has a passion (understatement) for horses, we found her a lovely horse painting from HomeGoods as inspiration.

horse painting

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Today’s guest post hits close to home for me as we’re in the process of refinishing our basement after flood damage from Hurricane Irene.  Little tip here: spring for the battery back up for your sump pump!

If you are looking to add square footage to your home, the easiest and most affordable way to do it is to finish your basement. There are some tips that can help you do it yourself to save the money you would otherwise spend to hire a contractor.

Finished Basement

1. Start with a Plan

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Gender Neutral Kids Rooms

A big thanks to Susie from Design Shuffle for contributing this post today. Great info that I just know you’ll love. And please add your ideas in the comments section! Sometimes a pink girl’s room or a blue boy’s room just won’t work. Maybe you have siblings sharing a space or need a guest room [...]

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A Blue Tween Room for Girls

Got a tween girl in the house? Then you know how hard it is to please her. “Too old for toys, and too young for boys.” If you want her to take (some) responsibility for keeping her room manageable, you’ve got to include her in the design process.  My daughter’s latest room (yes, there have been many [...]

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Purple Bedroom to Ooh La La on a Budget

My five year old articulated it well when she first saw her new room. “It looks like Barney threw up in here.” The walls and doors were dark purple, and all the trim was dark pink. Seeing how we would be the ones painting it, I thought I would throw up too. That’s a big [...]

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Designing Trendy Tween Rooms for Girls

Got a Tween? Yea, it’s (mostly) a girl thing. If she is too old for bunk beds and trundles, then it’s time to ban the bunnies and butterflies from her room. The key is to be adaptable! She’s going to change her mind many times. What is a “Tween?” This Tween Definition from the Urban [...]

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The Power of Color in a Playroom Nook

Awhile back I shared a wonderful meditation nook I discovered on a “girls spa weekend” in North Carolina (see post here).  Simply put, it was a bed placed at the end of a hall for guests to relax in while in-between treatments. Of course the vibrant drapes and oodles of comfy pillows added to the [...]

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