Chaos 2 Calm : Our Playroom is Ready

Okay, so the desk is still full of junk to be gone through, but it's ready to show you!

I've always wanted the kids to have a separate play room just for all their toys, games, and fun stuff. I'm a sap when it comes to de-cluttering toys. I mean seriously...they will eventually grow out of them anyway, right? Of course, I wanted it organized, too. A playroom was my dream extra room second only to a library.

Are you ready? Come on up the stairs. There's a little half bath right there beside them. There's even a baby gate that keeps kids from running up to the stairs too fast. (I'm taking the picture from the media room that faces the bathroom. No need to show that--boring little square room with an old couch and huge cluncky t.v.)

We spent some of our house money that we made on bookshelves and organizing bins for the playroom. The kids are so excited...and we can't wait to show you.

Remember when we put the shelves together?

New Shelves In The Kid's Playroom

So, here's the pictures you've been waiting for!

Just a little peek at the black bookshelves. I know, I know, show us already.

Okay, but first let me show you what happened when we set up the shelves, but didn't go up there to help them organize it...and then let them go crazy and wild up there.

So, daily we'd do our downstairs chores and ignore this...but they would bring all the toys found down there upstairs like I told them to.

Guess where they put it all? Yep. Right at the top of the stairs.

So, after two straight days of organizing and cleaning up....

Same basic view from the top of the stairs. There's tons of natural light up there, which we love!

I just love the archways in our new house. The stairs are right below the light, the bathroom to the left and media room to the right. The archway gives a simple, elegant entryway to the playroom without separating it.

Oh my goodness...I am SO excited about all the toy shelves!!! We already had the big ones on the right and bought the other three at Ikea. They barely fit on that far wall. Josh even had to cut off the end of the baseboard where they sit, which almost make them look built-in. I bought two of the medium size that have 8 box-shelf spaces and a tall one with 5 box-shelves to lay on it's side in between. We put all the pillows and big stuffed toys here and it can be used as a bench if they want.

We put Abby's Barbie house over in the corner and her Barbies in the nearby pink canvas bins on the shelves. All the Fisher Price big toys are on top and the little people and pieces in the blue canvas bins.

And if you keep scanning around the room past the Barbie house, Abram's dress up is in the tall white laundry basket, all the big toys that really take up space are in the big blue tub, and the clear tub next to it is our Lego collection. We put that little wood shelf back there as a display shelf. If they've made crafts or Lego buildings or stuff like that, they can display it there. If it gets too full, they have to choose what goes.

Then there's the (still unorganized) desk that we're going to use for a craft area. Abby's going to probably be glued to that area once we have it finished.

The big black shelves have a lot of sets: small stuffed toys, games, cars and tracks, baby doll clothes, etc.

The corner of the room is Abby's "house", with a toy kitchen and pantry, a nice soft chair and rug and a baby doll crib. She stores her dress up in the tall white basket beside the chair.

The kids have so much fun in here!