The Under $200 Playroom Makeover

The other day Danielle said our playroom was "boo-ring!" When I asked why, she replied that it was "too grown up."  Hmmmm.. 

I looked around and saw dark colors, adult sized furniture and piles of disorganized toys. Sure, it was big and there were a lot of toys down there, but I had to agree that it didn't really look like a  FUN place to play.

I didn't want to spend a fortune making over a room to suit a 6 year old. After all I had just bought the dark rugs few years ago - they hide dirt so nicely! And I hate to paint so that wasn't going to be the main focus of my redecorating strategy. (I just finished repainting Amanda's room - more than a year after I stripped her ugly wallpaper.)



Looking at the room I could see that two tables in one space was just too much. I need to move the big table out of the room. I repainted  the child sized table and chairs pink & white so they are more "girl-y".



I moved the dolls and got rid of the rolling cart that held doll clothes & dishes.

My concession to painting was to create an accent wall at this end of the room. I wanted to use chalkboard paint, but I didn't want a black wall in an already dark room.

I donated the easel. Danielle prefers to sit at a table to draw or paint so there was no point in wasting the floor space. Not only was this an inexpensive make-over, but I donated so many of the girls old toys and things that we ended up with a nice tax write off as well.

I moved the air hockey table out and brought  in an old chair from another room. I added an inexpensive floor lamp and a hot pink chair from WalMart to make a kids reading area closer to the Craft Center (total cost $40). I found the furry pillow at Goodwill ($3).

Cozy reading area on a gray day

the "pillow pile" featuring converted baby quilt

The rug was from Danielle's baby room. I made a floor pillow by folding her baby quilt over 2 inexpensive pillows ($10) and sewing the edges together - by hand.  This end of the room is now my Quiet Zone for art, reading,etc.

Before - cluttered

The center of the room is now the Medium Zone for TV and the girls' computer. I raided Dollar Tree for brightly colored bins to store the toys and things that were piled into this unit. These bins hold the girls' games, Legos, blocks, etc.

After - bright & organized with easy access

  

Now Amanda has her own space to watch TV or use the computer, but can still be included in the action of the other kids playing.



 

 

 

The final area is the Active Zone.

I confess that I wanted (and bought) a swing and a rope ladder for this area, but I was vetoed. They are both outside now. I had to settle for a very cute, brightly colored Alex Hopscotch Rug.



Before - no definition

I moved a lot of furniture around. I searched other rooms of the house for things that would work in this room -- like the hanging Moravian star light.

I removed the two tan arm chairs and used the space for a tent that was blocking traffic in another room (you can see it in the picture above). The chairs are now in that room which makes so much more sense.

The pallet was free from Lowe's.
 I used leftover plywood and paint to finish it off.

Next I moved the pallet stage I had made for Danielle's ballerina birthday party into that end of the room. I stapled some colored lights along the border and used leftover tulle for curtains. Within a day every musical toy we own migrated over to the stage area - and I wasn't the one who moved them!

The Memorex MKS-SS1 SingStand Home Karaoke Systemstand microphone was one of the best gifts the girls have ever gotten (thanks to my generous in-laws). It was less than $50 from Amazon I highly recommend it for both boys & girls of all ages. Even our adult friends like to get in on the act! You can just sing into the mike or you can plug in your phone and run music through the base. Add a karoake app and you've got a party.

The microphone & the hopscotch rug were
gifts from the girls' grandparents.

 

I cleared out the shelves and moved the dolls, toy food & dishes, Barbies, cars, etc. all into that area.  

 

 

After - "Active Zone"

 














I created a dress up space with a $20 adjustable garment rack and an inexpensive ($10) full length mirror. The dress up clothes which had been stuffed into a toy box are now being played with almost daily.

The wooden wall decorations came from Goodwill. I painted
the low wall with hot pink chalkboard paint like the table top.

 

This all cost just over $100 dollars.

The rest of the money went for paint and drawing boards. I spent about $30 for bright pink paint on the accent wall by the craft center and $10 on the white pain for the table and chairs. I painted a few flowers on our old bulletin board, added a white board ($20) and a stick on erasable flower decal ($7).

I bought 2 small jars of hot pink chalkboard paint ($7 each from Jo Ann's --without a coupon.) I painted 2 low walls and the top of the small table and I still have some left.

This was clearly an instance where less is more. Reorganizing toys and furniture with a plan in mind was the center of this "make over" project. I didn't move walls, buy rugs, a lot of furniture or even repaint the entire room. I thought about how I wanted us to use the room and what we needed to make that happen. I tried to take the girls' interests and preferences into account rather than just making this another adult room. 

  

Individual Upside Down Pear Gingerbread Recipe

These are Kevin's absolute favorite dessert. I've been making them for him since the late 1990s. I think I first found the recipe in a Best of Gourmet Cookbook - now long out of print. I've made them for so long that I do it mainly from memory. I thought I'd better write it down somewhere in case my memory fades in the coming years.


Individual Pear Gingerbread Recipe

For the topping

• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

For the cakes

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 Tablespoons crystallized ginger, minced
• 1 cup molasses (preferably mild)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2-3 firm pears, diced

Melt 1/2 stick of butter and 3/4 cup of packed brown sugar together in a small saucepan. Pour into 6 individual ramekins. Decorate with bits of diced pear.

 Preheat oven to 350°F.

Sift together flour, baking soda, ground ginger and salt in a bowl.

Whisk molasses and boiling water in another small bowl.

Next, using a mixer beat remaining stick of softened butter, 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar and egg until creamy. Combine with flour mixture and molasses imxture. Stir in remaining diced pears and candied ginger.

Pour batter over butter/sugar mixture in ramekins. Bake 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Invert ramekin onto a plate to serve. Garnish with whipped cream and more crystallized ginger.