Playroom vs. Family Room

The playroom has been started and mostly finished!  We sold the dining room table last weekend and then headed to Ikea this weekend to buy the furniture/baskets.  Here is what the dining room used to look like:

So pretty basic dining room.  I was never a big fan of this dining room set, so I must say I was VERY happy to see it go.  So when I was thinking of what I wanted to do with my "playroom", I decided I needed to get shelving and some sort of storage. 

I turned to my friends - first I asked my dear friend Beth Kershner where they got the black cubed storage shelving that they have in their playroom.  She let me know they bought it at Ikea.  Then I read my lovely friend Stephany Taddeo's blog (which if you are interested in an awesome blog, you should subscribe) and while being an amazing mom and person also happens to be an interior designer - she described her living room that she turned into a playroom/guestroom.  So I completely copied her design, except for the guestroom part.  So Steph, sorry that I copied your design, but it looked so perfect for our needs, I had to - copying is the best form of flattery right?  :)  And let me tell you if we ever remodel/redesign our house, I am going to Steph first because she has amazing ideas!!!

So here is part of the transformation:

Things I still need to do:

• have Mike secure the bookcases to the wall
• get the chalkboard labels from Pottery Barn Kids for the baskets to keep organized
• get two large baskets from Pottery Barn Kids for stuffed animals and over sized toys
• unload the large wicker basket that we used to use as our toy storage
• figure out what lighting I want because we currently have a brass chandelier and that does not necessarily go in a playroom
• find new artwork for the room
• put up the video monitor so I can be in the kitchen/family room and still see what the kiddos are doing

The nice thing about this transformation is we get our family room back...it is no longer just a pile of toys here and there...the giant black coffee table has been moved back to it's original location pre-kiddos.

I am also excited because I feel like I can now have play dates and there is a place for the kids to play and the adults to sit.

So cheers to keeping my resolution of getting more organized!


Sidenote:
I am a huge fan of holding dinner parties and the way we have the new "play room" set-up, I can move furniture around and still have dinner in this room.