DIY Network

Playroom Playroom From "Weekend Decorating" episode WDC-209

Everyone needs his or her own space, and that's particularly true with kids. Learn how to turn a cluttered and unorganized spare room into a bright and cheerful playroom in this episode of Weekend Decorating. Join host Nancy Golden as she creates a room that's sure to become a family favorite, especially with the little ones, who in this case are lucky enough to have areas of the room designed to match their individual interests.

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 having the greatest degree of difficulty, this project rates a solid intermediate-level 4. It took 13 hours, spread over the course of two days. Prep work, done in advance, included painting the bland cream walls a cheery shade of yellow and measuring an odd-shaped space in the room to determine how much wood will be needed to build a stage for a budding young actress. The cost of materials, supplies and accessories for this room was $2,000.

Playroom: before.

Playroom: after.

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If you plan to finish a project like this in one weekend, it's important to be organized with your time and planning. Golden uses a computer decorating program that allows her to enter the dimensions of the room into the program and create a detailed diagram of the room without having to physically move the furniture around the actual space. This room will have an area for video games and TV (figure A), as requested by 9-year-old Ben. The area also features a futon and a beanbag for comfortable seating. Shelving lines one wall for easy access to books, games and toys. One corner of the room, designated for arts and crafts, features interlocking foam floor mats for easy cleanup, a table and chairs large enough for friends to join in the activities, shelves for crafts storage, an area for displaying favorite artwork, and a truly unique approach to storing paper needs for any child's latest artistic masterpiece. And finally, for Meg, age 5, there's a stage that's guaranteed to inspire the performance of any young thespian (figure B).

Figure A

Figure B

Now that the floor plan is complete, it's time to gather all the needed furnishings, tools and accessories prior to the weekend project.

Materials:
Hammer
Lumber
Plywood
Paint
Paintbrush
Paint pan
Paint roller
Painter's tape
Ladder
Chop saw
Nail gun
Nails
Vinyl tiles
Commercial-grade self-stick base molding
Tape measure
Marking pen
Fabric
Curtain rods
Drill
Wall shelves
Chalk line
Speed square
Level

Preparation:

• Paint the walls.

• Measure the stage area for dimensions before purchasing wood and plywood.