Do you remember when I shared my big playroom vision and imagined Robert and I racing through the biggest makeover ever, singing into hairbrush microphones like pop stars? Yeah, that didn’t exactly happen. (For the record, Robert would insist he’s not auditioning for a teen pop group.)
After I went a little mood-board-crazy, progress stalled. So to get serious about this space, we signed up for our very first One Room Challenge. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a six-week room makeover event hosted by Calling It Home where bloggers transform a room from start to finish. I’m equal parts nervous and excited.
One major struggle for me with this playroom has been the furniture layout. Many of the rooms in our house were easy to plan, but this space needed to accommodate our existing sofa and Olivia’s growing collection of toys while still feeling organized and functional.
My goals were clear: plenty of vertical storage, a couple of desks—one for Olivia’s art and play-dough projects and one for my crafting and blogging—and a layout that serves as both a kids’ playroom and a family media room.
That’s when I found Roomstyler, a free online room-planning tool. It’s intuitive, fun to use, and feels a bit like decorating in The Sims. You enter the room dimensions, search for furniture and decor items, then drag-and-drop pieces until the layout clicks. If you’ve ever struggled with furniture placement, this site makes the process so much easier.
After experimenting for hours, I finalized a furniture plan that balances storage, play space, and media needs. The platform offers both a blueprint view and a 3D preview, which helped me visualize scale and flow. (There’s a paid option for 3D videos, but I didn’t use it.)
Here’s the playroom plan I landed on, and why each element is important:
- Sofa slipcover: I’m debating whether to attempt a DIY slipcover or buy one. I don’t have much sewing experience, and I need something durable and washable, so I may opt to purchase depending on how ambitious I feel after completing the larger projects.
- Oversized storybook art: I plan to create large framed pages inspired by storybooks—simple, sentimental pieces to bring warmth and personality to the walls.
3. Rug: I want a soft cotton rug with subtle color so Olivia has a comfy place to play without the pattern being too busy.
4. Built-ins: I plan to install floor-to-ceiling built-ins along the long wall, with lower cabinet doors for concealed storage. The TV will sit in the center so the room can double as a media space for family movie nights and playdates.
5. Curtains and trim: I’ll add long, simple curtains to visually raise the ceiling and frame the window with our usual Craftsman-style trim to tie the room into the rest of the house.
Olivia’s larger toys, like a dollhouse and play kitchen, will go under the window where they’re accessible but out of the main traffic flow. The design tool’s toy options were exaggerated, but the final pieces will be appropriately scaled.
6. Paint: I’m leaning toward a light gray to replace the builder primer. It will provide a neutral backdrop that feels grown-up but still allows colorful accessories to shine.
7. Desks: I’ve already found two desks that will fit the small half-wall—one for me and one for Olivia. They’ll create a dedicated work-and-play zone while keeping the room tidy. (Robert is happy with his manly office elsewhere.)
8. Ceiling fan: We live in the Carolinas, so a ceiling fan is essential for comfort and energy efficiency.
I’ll also be planning wall decor for the hallway and stairwell—those areas are still evolving as I finalize art choices. Over the next six weeks I’ll share progress, challenges, and the big changes as this playroom comes together.
Are you picturing it better now? Have you ever had trouble with furniture placement or used a room-planning tool to mock up a space? Let’s embrace our inner nerds and plan beautiful, functional rooms together.
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