Playroom Essentials with a Modern Industrial Twist

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One night during our bedtime chat, little man told me that he missed our old house, because it had more room (read, more spacious).  I hear him for sure.  There was a ton of walk-through space at the old house, where he could run around with daddy during gun battles or played never-ending sessions of hide and seek.  

Of course, Daddy and Mommy can't wait to move into the new house either!  So far, it's making good progress, even in this dreary winter weather.  The builder had set up the scaffolding when we drove by last weekend (yes we still stalk our new house every weekend!), so they should be bricking this week.  In the meantime, the Mr. and I continue to play around with room ideas.  Looking at the floorplan, it seems our glass desk would be too large for the spare bedroom, which we naturally designated as our office.

Maybe we can get a smaller desk for the office?  Instead of getting stuck on the notion that we have an office, the Mr. came up with an ingenious idea (yet again).  How about we turn that room into little man's playroom?  

I was reluctant at first, but eventually gave in.  I guess we don't really need a home office - what I really wanted was the storage.  We would use the home office only occasionally back at the old house.  So I think the Mr. is right, the little man can use that extra space for toy storage and also for arts and crafts.

While I prefer the rest of the house to be a more traditional glammed up adult space, I also love the modern minimalist clean lines.  I think the playroom would be the best place to try out this modern and playful twist; maybe even adding some industrial chic!

I would love to incorporate these modern/ industrial elements for little man's playroom. 

image via Restoration Hardware

image via bliss-athome.com

I love the "kidified" modern and clean feel of these rooms.  But clean???  Not sure about that for a PLAYROOM.  So I've come up with a list of 8 essentials for my vision of the modern and whimsical playroom.

1. CLOSED STORAGE

To achieve a "clean" look, I would want most of the smaller toys out of sight.  Storage units can easily hide the puzzles, legos, etc..  These units have that modern/ clean/ industrial feel I'm looking for.  I'm leaning towards the Restoration Hardware style.  I'll need to get the Mr. onboard for this DIY project. 

2. OPEN STORAGE

When I was a kid, I don't think I had any problems fitting my toys into a storage unit.  Did I not get enough toys, or are boys' toys bigger than girls'?  I need the open storage because a Star Wars light sabre, or Nerf gun, wouldn't fit into a storage unit!  I would keep these open storage in a neutral tone, just so they don't attract more attention than need be.

sources:  1. home decorators; 2. redinfred; 3. restoration hardware

3. COMFY RUG

Kids love playing and rolling around on the floor.  A rug would also protect hardwood floors from being damaged by dropped toys.  "Oops, sorry mommy." - heard a lot of that when little man was a tiny toddler, trying to hold onto a toy too big or too heavy for himself.  

joss & main

As much as I love this rug, it's a no go for the playroom.  Have you ever stepped on a piece of transparent lego?  No fun.  And shaggy rugs conceal every little piece of toy.  OUCH!

To spare our soles (and souls), we would go with a low pile one.  Maybe even an indoor/ outdoor rug for added durability.  

sources:  1. IKEA; 2. kORHANI; 3. pOTTERY BARN kIDS

4. ARTS AND CRAFT AREA

Before the idea of this playroom came about, I was going to put an arts/ work area in his room.  I guess now we can spare that space in his bedroom, and move the arts and crafts area to the playroom.  Maybe he'll get even more inspired to channel his inner Picasso!  

I've always loved this round table from IKEA for its simple lines and great surface area.  Its modern look pairs well with any of these chairs, injecting some colours and whimsy to the playroom.

5. ART DISPLAY AREA

After little Picasso is done with his art, of course he would want the world to see it.  These are some pretty cool art displays to hang a ton of art.  

images via 1. living well spending less; 2. the project girl

6. COOL LIGHT FIXTURE

With all the going-on's in the playroom, we need some comfortable lighting.  These light fixtures reinforce the modern look of the playroom, while adding a touch of industrial chic.

sources:  1. DOT & BO; 2. IKEA; 3. RH BABY & CHILD

7. WHIMSICAL WALL ACCENTS

Just like any other rooms, the playroom can definitely use some accent pieces.  It's a legitimate space to add some fun accessories!  I've always loved these cardboard animal busts, and even better when they come in patterns!  The red plaid one would add a splash of colour!  

SOURCES:  1. CARDBOARD SAFARI; 2. UNCOMMON GOODS

Lighted marquee letters are everywhere these days. It's also a great way to add accent lighting.  I think I just found another DIY project for the Mr.!

Image via RH BABY & CHILD

These art prints are too adorable and they can make up a small gallery wall.  Having them all in grey frames would bring some uniformity to this accent wall. 

sources:  1. Etsy; 2. ONE KINGS LANE; 3. CHAPTERS INDIGO; 4. ZAZZLE; 5. HAUTELOOK

8. A PLACE TO CHILLAX

Last but not least, it's nice to have a spot to chillax in this chillaxing room.  Maybe after all the fighting with action figures, little man would want some quiet time and sit down with a book (in my dreams).  He would need a comfy spot for that, and these bean "chairs" just look so inviting.

SOURCE:  FAT BOY USA

Kids go bonkers with tents...  they love hiding in their own private space (as much as parents want to hide from them sometimes?).  I can see little man playing with his action figures in this teepee and then using it as a closed storage :-)

SOURCE:  RH BABY & CHILD

So how will everything fit in little man's tiny playroom?  I've tentatively come up with this layout/ moodboard.

It's not a large room, but I want to pack it with fun stuff to look at.  The modern feel is accentuated with clean lines and neutral tones, while accent pieces infuse colours into the room.  This is a room that he can easily grow into as his study room once he's over the toys stage...  but will boys ever be done with toys?!

This room has large windows, which will bring in lots of natural light for little man to play and colour...  especially great during weekend mornings, when Daddy and Mommy prefer to sleep in.  

Did I miss any essentials for a playroom?  Please let us know...  whatever helps us get more sleep on weekend mornings!

Powder Room Touch-up for the Holidays

By:  Sherina So

With the Black Friday hype soon to pass, it also marks the start of the holiday season.  Gatherings with families and friends will be at full force in the coming weeks.  Have you been browsing Pinterest for the latest trends in holiday decorating and tablesetting?  Take a peek at my design board for winter and holiday accessories for the living room.  Aside from the living and dining rooms that will be obvious destinations for your guests, there's another room they will most certainly visit during the gathering - the powder room.  It's a small space that is usually neglected, but you can easily touch it up with some holiday decor to enrich your guests' holiday experience at your beautiful home.

I've put together a short and easy list of powder room touch-ups that will show your guests how thoughtful of a host you are!

Holiday-themed Soap and Lotion Sets

This is by far the simplest way to add any holiday glamour into your powder room.  Let the holiday infused scents of the soap and lotions put your guests in holiday spirit.  This set from Fruits & Passion even comes with a ceramic plate, so all you need to do is just unwrap the package and voila!  The powder room instantly looks much put together!

Create an Area for Holiday Display

If you have a pedestal sink with minimal space on it to put anything, a small display shelf would be a safer place for guests to place their belongings on.  An elegant glass shelf would easily blend in with any existing style. 

Source:  emily bathroom glass shelf

If you're blessed by a spacious  powder room, a small side table would complete the space.

source:  joss & main

PILLAR CANDLEHOLDER AS RING AND BRACELET HOLDER

I love mercury glass decor!  It adds the bit of glam and sparkle to any vignette, so it's especially fitting for the holidays!  I saw this mercury glass pillar candleholder, and thought it would be an awesome ring/ bracelet holder for your guests in the powder room.  It's an interesting use for a candleholder, and takes up just as much space as a regular ring holder,  It also gives some height to your display surface mentioned above, and also to the holiday vignette...  see below.

Creating a Simple Holiday Vignette

A holiday vignette doesn't only belong to the entryway or entertaining rooms in your house.  You can quickly put one together in the powder room on the display surface.  All you need are 3 simple items:  a display container for interesting ornaments, holiday art piece, and of course, something green.

Display container  

A simple and popular display amongst decorators is to fill a small apothecary jar or cloche that's proportional to your display surface with some beautiful holiday decor.  Similar to this idea.

image via eab designs

This small present lantern has some cute holiday details and is a good size for the display shelf.

source:  Pier 1

It would be a great spot to display your collection of novelty ornaments and tie in with your holiday decor theme colour.  Canadian Tire has a new CANVAS line of holiday decor.  These are some of my favorites.

In place of beaded garlands, you can use string lights as filler inside the container.  These battery powered string lights from Pier 1 would give your simple decor much added drama.  

source:  Pier 1

Framed art

If you're a hoarder of celebration cards like I am, you'll probably find a beautiful Christmas card in your stash.  Simply put it in a frame as an art piece!  This is a cute and understated winter themed frame that would go with any of your decor.

source:  Pier 1

If you're a purger and don't have stashes of holiday cards handy, these holiday foil prints add more sparkles and glam to your powder room.  You can never have enough sparkles and bling during the holidays!  

source:  SS Print Shop

Holiday Greeneries

No vignette is complete without something green.  These mini wreaths are just the right size for a simple display.  If it's too plain for you, just add a bow with a ribbon of your choice.  Either just lean it on the display surface or hang it with 3M command hooks on the wall. 

source:  Anitque Farm House

Monogrammed Fluffy Towels

Indulging your guests with fresh and fluffy towels complete their holiday experience in your powder room.  Instead of plain towels, how about a set of monogrammed hand towels?  These designs look elegant and sophisticated.  They'll make you look like a professional party host!

Sources:  1. the monogram room  2. MissMelsMonogramming

I'm usually not a fan of themed hand towels, but this design with a subtle nod to the Holiday season has a sophisticated air to it.  I think this may just be my choice for the holidays!

Source:  sewsewcutesewing

I hope you have found this list of quick powder room touch up helpful and inspiring.  It's a space that we all tend to forget, but could well be the easiest to tackle in preparation for guests over the holidays.  It's little details like these that your guests will truly appreciate your effort in throwing them a holiday party at your house.  They will come out of the powder room all refreshed, after having indulged in your holiday spirit and be ready to party on!  Perhaps you may want to decorate your guest bathrooms also, in case some guests have too much fun and decide to spend the night!

What else would you add to ready your powder room for the Holidays?

New House - Kitchen Appliance Choices to Free-Up Counterspace

*** CHECK OUT OUR NEW KITCHEN! ***

With the Fall weather upon us, so is the craving for some sweet baked goods to go with a warm latte.  Before our move, I had been lazy to do any baking.  Now I just crave to power up my mixer to churn out some sweetness, but it's packed away...  somewhere.  How ironic is it that I only want to bake when there's really no counterspace at the rental that's conducive to baking?  The best I can do to satisfy my craving for warm baked goods is with this personal-sized mug cake.

Counterspace in a small kitchen is like premium real estate - every single inch counts.  Limited counterspace means the chef and sous chef have a higher chance of being in each other's way.  To spare ourselves from yelling over each other like we're on Hell's Kitchen, my Chef Honey needs an efficient kitchen, and that starts with ample counterspace.  Remember my goal from last week's post on kitchen design?  Happy Chef Honey = More yummies in our tummies!  

My minor problem of not being able to bake is not as serious as the Mr.'s having to prep meals with limited space.  Now that we're experiencing this lack of counterspace efficiency, the Mr. and I can't agree more that we made some right decisions on appliance choices to maximize counterspace for the new house.  

The layout of the kitchen at the new house is similar to the photo below - L-shaped with the sink at the island (or peninsula since there's a wall at the far end of it).  The stove is behind the sink, and forms a work triangle with the fridge on the side wall.  Our kitchen is around 13'x9', so it's similar in length to this kitchen below, but a bit shorter on the side wall where the fridge is.

image via Courtney Giles Interiors

Chef Honey requested to have a 36" range to speed up his cooking process.  My first reaction?  That'll take up some counterspace.  Then we started looking at some wall ovens and microwave combos.  But again, I couldn't help but realize more counterspace will be given up.  With the wall oven and a fridge at the side wall, our counterspace at the L-shape would be like so, shaded in yellow:

I could probably have configured the wall oven elsewhere, but the L-shape counter real estate would still be the same.  We also have a countertop microwave, so that means even less available space for Chef Honey.  

So we looked for alternatives and came up with a plan that offers a lot more counterspace.  In fact, the whole L-shape part minus the range will be available counterspace, shaded yellow:

Here are some of our appliance choices to make this ample counter possible.

Forgo wall oven, opt for conventional stand alone range

Our original plan was to go with all drawers under the counter for a minimalist look.  Naturally, that led us to consider a cooktop (with pots and pans drawers underneath) + wall oven combination.  To free up counterspace, I think the best option is to go with a stand alone range instead.  That saves at least 30" of counterspace, ie. the width of a wall oven.  Not to mention configuration problems in a smaller kitchen.  I think wall ovens are best saved for larger kitchens.

Forgo conventional fridge, opt for undercounter fridge & freezer combo

While we were pondering the minimalist look during the wall oven stage, the Mr. was searching for panel-ready fridges.   Then an ingenius idea lit up...  Since we're on the path to hiding things, why not hide the whole fridge under the counter?  We're a small family, and usually get our groceries on a weekly basis (if we're good).  Stocking up doesn't work for us...  we tried that, but we tend to lose sight of the inventory in the freezer, and more food would go to waste this way.  So for us, 24" of fridge + 24" of freezer drawers combo should work out just fine.  It forces us to keep our inventory moving and be organized inside the fridge space.  Not to mention the main point of freeing up valuable counterspace of almost 3' wide for a conventional fridge.

We would still be discreet with the fridge, and have chosen a fully-integrated unit with panel-ready fronts.  That would give the kitchen a much cleaner look, as the fridge and freezer units blend in with its surrounding cabinet fronts.  We loved the bottom freezer drawer of our fridge at the old house - we didn't have to rummage into the depth of the unit to look for stuff.  For the undercounter fridge and freezer, we'll be going for the drawer option as well.  They'll look similar to this photo:

Kitchen by St Louis Appliances True Professional Series

Forgo the table-top microwave, opt for microwave drawer

The last bit of appliance that takes up counterspace is our existing microwave.  I've seen numerous examples on Pinterest of clearing off the counter of this piece, such as these:

hidden inside a pantry; image via Better Homes & Gardens

high up in the upper cabinet; image via Terra Cotta Properties

tucked under the counter; image via Better Homes & Gardens

We occasionally use the microwave to reheat dishes, and it just doesn't seem like a good idea to have it too high up above the counter.  For safety reasons, I think it is best to have the microwave under the counter if we're trying to clear up the counterspace.  On the other hand, I don't think it's very ergonomical to lift something hot out and up onto the counter.  Then I found out about microwave drawers.  The drawer opens up and we would only need to lift the hot item upwards.  That solves the problem!

Sharp Microwave Drawer

Wolf Microwave Drawer

To leave the lower cabinets of the L-shaped side undisturbed, we decided to put the microwave drawer at the island, on the left side of the sink.  In order to accommodate its size, we had asked the kitchen supplier to extend the island by approximately 9".  Unfortunately, that would have to eat into the space of the kitchen entrance from the hallway, but it should still be decent enough at around 3' wide.

With these space-saving appliance choices, there will be ample counterspace for Chef Honey to prepare some 9-course tasting menus!  He can practically spread out his prepping around the whole kitchen arena.  Did I just set myself up for a ton of washing and cleaning up after him?  Not a problem at all, he enjoys cooking and I want him to enjoy the time he spends in the kitchen, every single inch of it.  Maybe I can even prepare dessert for his tasting menu at the same time he cooks.  That'll be a first!  Let's just hope he shares his space...