Basement Playroom Furniture and Decor Suggestions?

[jamsmu]

We're finishing the basement and my "job" is the playroom. I'm SO excited--this will be fun! I already have a little bit of playful wallart. Looking for an area rug (we decided to go with Pergo flooring) that is colorful as the walls will be kept neutral. Carson has an anywhere chair, and I'm ordering another for Wes.

I'm thinking of deep shelves, small table and chairs.... what else? I want to keep it simple, and low on furniture as Wes hasn't even started crawling and we're planning to have a third. And we already have a train table.

I'd love your ideas!

[lizamann]

An easel or other art area, with a place to display art on a rotating basis, like string and cute clothes pins, or a bulletin board

Chalkboard paint on the wall, if you don't do an easel

Desk and comfy chair for yourself so you can read the boards while supervising play?

[ribbit1019]

OOH! How fun!

I love the FLOR tiles, you could design your own fun rug that way! We are using them for DD's big girl room to creat a stone effect for her "castle" bedroom.

I agree with an easel or art center of some type. Chalkboard paint is a great idea, and you could even put a couple layers of magnetic paint underneath to make it magnetic too.

A little lego table? DD has one for her mega blocks and loves it. The one we got has a cover so you can use it as a regular table too.

Be sure to add some fun lighting. I really like the anywhere chairs too.

Have fun!

Christy
Maddy born 6/09/04
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Little Man due 3/02/06
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Co-Owner Ribbit Baby

Frogs are lucky, they eat what bugs them.

[Elena]

I would recommend buying a Quadro construction set. We currently have a little playset constructed in our family room and it's a MAJOR hit with all visiting children. DS is only 20-month-old and he likes it, but visiting older children (3-6) just go crazy: they climb that thing for half an hour before they even approach other toys. I love Quadro because you can build so many different configurations with it.

Here is a link to my previous post about Quadro:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=12&topic_id=46265&mesg_id=46265&listing_type=search

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/32416.jpg

[smallestangel]

Fun! That's my dream, to have an awesome playroom for Jacob.

I love the idea of chalkboard paint too. I've always liked the idea of having a chair rail (I think that's what it's called) and painting the bottom half all around the room with chalkboard paint.

Also, what about a baby safe wall mirror? That would be fun. Babies love to look at themselves, and you could put a dress up area next to it for your older one. A trunk filled with different costumes.

Some big comfy pillows in one area for quiet time/ reading time.

Maybe you could do something fun with the ceiling. A mural of the sky? I bet clouds would be something pretty forgiving to do youself, it wouldn't have to be perfect.

Good luck and have fun! And please share pictures when you're done. :)


Amanda

[jamsmu]

We have an easel and a splat mat, and I'm planning on putting that down there, too, as an art center. Love the idea of a reading corner--bean bags are great for that.

And the FLOR things are SO cool. I'm forwarding that to DH.

I also found this site: http://www.classroomcarpets.com/ Cute playroom rugs at a great price. Since we'll be keeping the walls pretty neutral, I wanted a bright rug. And this is great because the price is so good, I can replace it in a few years and not feel guilty. And I love the size!

Can't paint the ceiling (though it sounds SO cute. We're doing a drop ceiling as the builder did a really sloppy job with the wiring and pipes and stuff. So we're picking a pretty pattern for our ceiling so that its not too bad to look at.

Any suggestions on a table and chairs? I love the Carolina table and others at PBK, but want to spend less. I just remembered I have a "schoolhouse desk" and chair from PBK in DS' room that I plan to move down there. Its pretty small, only fits one as its a desk idea. I got it when they were discontinuing it when DS was a newborn.

Keep the ideas coming! Isn't this fun?!

[american_mama]

We are halfway through remodeling our basement, which will create a guest bedroom/playroom. Someone here mentioned a padded floor mat that you can buy at IKEA for about $40... I think judegirl posted the question, if you do a search. I am also getting some of the big fake bricks made out of cardboard to build with, and I will store them under the guest bed, if they fit. Others store them disassembled flat.

Also, my girls aged 16 months and almost 4 years seem to love slides when they are indoors, so maybe a small Little Tikes slide. Also, I notice that my 16 month old loves to climb stairs and I think one of those Rubbermaid 2 step step stools would be very cheap and entertaining for her. They aren't designed as a toddler toy, but look very much like Little Tikes stuff if you look at it in that light.

Also, some people here built small playhouses under their stairs. We couldn't do it, or even do side doors for easy access to the deep storage area, but I pass the idea on.

Finally, some people elsewhere on BBB suggested... let me see if I get this right... a toy like a sandbox, which is an underbed storage box filled with some kind of coarse livestock corn bought at a farming store. It is far easier to clean up inside than sand.

My girls also love a pop-up nylon house filled with little plastic balls, and they can both play happily and safely in it.

On another note, we too had to do a drop ceiling and picked an Armstrong commercial product that will hide the gridlines (Vector, I think). It will be up in a week or two. We looked at the pretty patterns (and requested samples) but couldn't install recessed lighting in several of them, so had to choose something different and, ultimately, better.