Color Me Orange - Project: Children's Playroom, Part 2

Part 2On Monday I posted the beginnings of the Children's Playroom project, but now the real transformation begins.

The Middle

So based on the needs and wants of the kiddies along with the most crucial element - the budget - it was time to start making a little magic happen. I started with selecting the base color for this space and when I say base I don't mean painting the room a certain color. I only mean selecting a color that would be great as a subtle accent color, blending seamlessly in with other colors, while still adding a little extra umph. *drum roll please* So I selected a beautiful shade of pumpkin orange. Why orange you ask?

Orange Can Be:

1. A unisex color (especially for the youngins) 2. It can grow with the kiddies, transitioning nicely across the ages 3. It's fresh, it's bold, and it can pack a colorful punch

But...you have to make sure that you are selecting an orange that's not to peachy or pastel or too dark and almost red. =)

The Presentation Board 

Just a little reminder about some of the key elements selected for this space.

Storage and Shelving

To begin this project, I visited my local iKea to source some bookshelves and possible shelving options. I selected the Lerberg shelf because of it's charcoal color, light weight, and it doesn't take up much visual space. I also selected the Besta bookshelf because it has great height and wasn't too wide for this small footprint. One thing I didn't like was that the bookshelf was not a bright white. It was actually off white (believe it or not it makes a difference) and that was not the right look for the space. Remember...all whites are NOT created equal. So you have to find the right white for you! To fix this little discoloring, of course I painted it along with the media console that was initially in the room.

Because the iKea bookshelf was not made of real wood and had a shiny top coat, I had to sand it with my orbit sander to rough up the surface a bit. I also sanded the media console although it's made of real wood. This just helps the paint adhere to the surface better and it also helps to make sure that over time it doesn't scratch or wear off so easily.

After sanding both pieces, I primed them with Zinnser 1-2-3 Bulls Eye Primer. It sticks to just about every type of surface you can imagine. You can pick this and many other primers up from your local hardware store. I have tried a few primers and this one so far has worked out the best. I'm still searching for that perfect primer though. So if you have any suggestions please feel free to leave them in the comments sections! Thank you kindly!!

 

SN: Sometimes designers have grand ideas that just so happen to not work out. Keep in mind, it's not always about the fail, but about how fast you can recover, come up with another brilliant idea, and keep it moving. So, to remedy this, I scrapped all the magnetic goup/clumps off the walls, primed that baby, and coated it with a wonderful custom shade of chalkboard paint. Moonlight, which is a super deep gray (almost black) was one of the tintable colors, but I knew it would be a little to dark for the look we were after. I had my Home Depot guy tint it at half percent to create a lovely shade of charcoal gray. WoooHoooo!!!Up next was the worst project I have ever attempted - a magnetic chalkboard wall - epic fail! So I had this wonderful idea (as a surprise for the kiddies) to have the anchor wall in the space painted with magnetic mess paint and then of course the chalkboard paint. Well let's just say things didn't go as planned. After buckets and buckets of that magnetic paint, including the horrible stench that came along with it, it did not even magnetize! I was however, able to take the empty buckets back to Home Depot and get the money spent back (awesome right?) So all wasn't lost!

Furniture

To keep costs down, we decided to keep the massive brown sofa, but to change it up a bit. The sofa was in great shape, but the pillow backs had become a little deformed because of years of back squishing. They were filled with a loose cheap stuffing that doesn't hold shape very well. So DIY to the rescue. I made some new, more clean lined boxy shaped cushions in an oatmeal color, not only to firm up the back, but to modernize the sofa a little. I also made a ton (and I mean a ton) of throw pillows to add a little extra comfort and that much needed color.

And remember that "too much space" between the sofa and the TV? Well I sourced from my local Garden Ridge some ottomans that were the right size and shape for only $15 - YES you heard me $15! Talk about bargain shopping!! After a little TLC with new fabric and a little something extra special I decided to do to them (you'll see in The Reveal and I'm doing another post on recovering these ottomans), they turned out to be just what the space needed!!

I also picked up two side tables from iKea for $20 each. I was going to build some tables, but remembered all the other DIY projects I had on the list, so I figured I better just find something that looks great and serves the function needed. Believe it or not the original use of these little tables is not as side tables at all, but as plant stands. See folks, you have to get outside of that box sometimes!! I selected them because of their slender size and because of the bright white surface and steel legs. I also liked the lightness of these little stands visually. Because they are open below they hardly take up any visual space. Kinda helps to keep things a little more airy.

Accessories

Last but not least, the accessories - these are the things that really make you smile. The things that add life to a space. The things that make you want to live and be in that space. The things that make the space feel like HOME.

To bring about some color and add a little excitement, I turned to two of the best artist I know, the kiddies!! Some of the best artwork that you will ever find is children's artwork and these kiddies had a ton. It was actually hard to pick and choose because they had so much good stuff. Already having an idea of what I wanted to do to liven this room up, make it feel like a kid's space, but make it just as beautiful and fitting for mom and dad, I had to carefully curate the art and select a series of cost efficient frames. Coming in at $2, $4, and $6 a piece for the frames, the budget was right on and the space would be whimsically filled! You'll see all this in The Reveal!! In addition to the children's art, I also created some yarn letters from some cardboard letters I picked up from Joann's Fabrics. You can do soooo many things with these letters and they look super adorable! A tutorial on making the yarn letters will also be coming up.

So, I hope you enjoyed this post, learned a little along the way, and even more importantly, I hope that you will come back for The Reveal on Friday!! Thanks so much for stopping by and please feel free to leave a comment or ask me a question!!

Making Home, Home!!

Kathleen