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Reader reno: A calm and creative playroom that's easy to keep tidy

The kids will love this! - by Olivia Hart
  • 13 Oct 2020
Reader reno: A calm and creative playroom that's easy to keep tidy

When Danielle Watkins and her family upsized their home last year, a playroom was at the top of the list of how to use the extra space.

Danielle took her time creating this calming playroom, making sure it was easy to tidy and keep clean at the end of the day.

Better Homes and Gardens Online caught up with her to find out more about the process. 

playroom wideshot

A neat, stylish playroom with plenty to keep the kids busy

Danielle Watkins

What did the playroom look like before the renovation?

The room used for the playroom is the second living area of the house. It is situated opposite the kitchen so the positioning was perfect. We started with a blank slate – the room was a good size and shape so no structural changes were needed. It measures approximately 4.3m x 3.9m.

kids playing in playroom

Danielle's kids playing together in their new playroom

Danielle Watkins

What inspired your renovation?

We moved into our current property from a really small house. There wasn't room for the kids to have a designated play space and I was forever tripping over toys and picking them up. So a playroom was a priority for my husband and I when we moved last year.

I wanted the space to be neutral in some respects but still have colour. Green is my favourite colour so I chose this as the accent colour. I took inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest but really developed a lot of my own ideas as I went along.

ikea kids kitchen
Danielle Watkins

Have you done any renovations before?

No renovations as such but I love doing hacks! I have made over my kids’ cubby house, a Kmart play treehouse, my daughter's dollhouse, and my kids play kitchen to name a few. Plus, I've painted a lot of little bits and pieces throughout the house.

What kind of look were you after?

My main goal was to create a functional play space where everything has a place and is easy to tidy at the end of the day! The kids have plenty of space to play in the middle of the room and can access all their toys easily from the Ikea Trofast units.

I chose every piece carefully as I wanted to ensure it had a purpose and would be used often. I wanted the space to have colour but also be calming. 

close up of tubs with labels in a wooden bench structure

A cute world map and plenty of storage!

Danielle Watkins

What was the biggest challenge of the renovation?

I would often visualise things in my head and found that when executed it didn’t look nearly as good as I’d imagined. To solve this I played with the space a lot, moving things around as I went until I was finally happy with the layout.

How long did it take?

It took around 6 months in total from when we moved into the house until I felt like it was completely finished. As we didn't make structural changes, the kids could still use the room as I was designing and acquiring furniture and décor.

playroom
Danielle Watkins

How much did you spend?

I bought a lot of things but I also sourced things from op shops and FB marketplace. Many items were gifts as well. At a rough estimated, around $1750 (including things I was gifted).

Budget Breakdown

Ikea Trofast units: From $126

Desk top: $99 from Bunnings

Stuva Units (sides of desk): $60 each

Rug: $199

Craft Trolley: $80 (roughly) Made with the Kmart bamboo trolley, large tubs from Kmart and hanging tubs from Ikea

White Stools: $9 each

Table and Chairs: $49- Special Buy from Aldi

World Map: $198 (custom size)

Ikea Play Kitchen: $129

Kmart Train Table: $39

Ikea White shelves: $23

Hanging Rack: $9 (no longer stocked at Kmart)

Kmart Treehouse: $39

playroom
Danielle Watkins

Favourite part?

I love the Trofast toy storage and the world map. The storage is so practical and easy to use and the map just looks awesome and fills the wall so well. I wanted a statement piece there that was educational as well, so this really nailed it!

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