As if our 10′ x 10.5′ home office / guest bedroom didn’t have enough requirements (must accommodate two bloggers 50+ hours a week and sleep two people comfortably every now and then all while keeping our paper clutter tucked out of sight) we ambitiously decided to force yet another function on the space: playroom. We wish we could dedicate an entire room to that playroom title, but with three small bedrooms – one serving as the master, another as the nursery, and the third one being this room – we had to face the music and make it work a la Tim Gunn. So we decided that along with making a lot of rug space an absolute necessity for Clara (think tummy time, bouncy seat, play mat, etc) we also wanted to dedicate this little sliver of wall to her as well in the form of a small already-had-it bookcase full of her favorite toys and books.
Not only is the new setup a pretty sweet deal for Clara, it’s also super convenient for us. Because we’re switch hitters over here at YHL, which means that one of us is on “entertaining duty” while the other person writes posts, coordinates giveaways, answers comments, and does all the other blogging stuff we’ve come to know and love. So having books and toys at arm’s reach really keeps the back-and-forth trips to the nursery to a minimum for whoever is hanging out with Clara. Anything to make it easier, right?
All it took was a few more half-priced baskets from Michael’s (just like the ones we used for our bookcase makeover) and items that we already owned (from stuffed animals and wooden blocks to books and even a fun little alligator pull toy that mesmerizes Clara every time we show it to her). And just as we mentioned, we already owned the bookcase which used to live in our sunroom. Oh and don’t worry, we plan to anchor it to the wall well before she’s mobile enough to pull herself up on it. Safety first!
Perhaps the best part of moving it into the office was that something that used to live in the office (before it became an office) found a perfect spot out in the sunroom to replace the bookcase we stole. Note: stay tuned for our mini sunroom makeover after we finish tackling this office project.
So for the price of two deeply discounted baskets (which are full of more toys, books, and stuffed animals) we worked in a sweet little baby-focused area for our sweet baby girl.
And since we can’t get enough of the whole multitasking thing in this room, we also hung an old mirror and seized the opportunity to make it work as a To Do list of sorts with the addition of a blue dry erase marker. The most fun thing about our little mirror presto-change-o is that we also love that we can erase our list and write a “Welcome To Casa Petersik” message for our guests whenever they come to stay with us. Plus every guest bedroom should have a mirror so family and friends can check their hair before emerging in the am.
So that’s the latest office / guest room / playroom news. Now we’ll pick your brains. Have you guys ever added a small item of furniture to a room and in doing so completely expanded the function of that space? We’d love to know how you make your rooms multitask with minimal effort and expense. Do tell.
Psst- Wanna follow the entire office/guest bedroom/playroom makeover? Click here for the intro post, here to read about the big sleeper sofa hunt, here for the DIY desk play-by-play, here for the homemade light fixture project, here for our hacked Ikea bookcase, and here for how we added some file storage.
katie @ k+b adventures in renovating says
Cute idea with the mirror! I love anything that multitasks..
Rosanne says
OMG! I was crackin up! as soon as I saw your post. I have the same avocado planters. I love them, but you should have seen my hubby face when I brought them home….this is a family blog, so I can say what he said, but something along the lines of What the…you can fill in the blank. I move them around the house alot, and put them on this nite stand so he sees them first thing every day!
Amy Wolff says
Is that the same rug that used to be in the old spear room???? it looks different??????
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amy,
That’s the rug we snagged at the Pottery Barn outlet a while back. Here’s that post: https://www.younghouselove.com/window-shopping-charlotte-or-bust/
xo,
s
Amanda@Our Humble A{Bowe}d says
I love the added storage! It looks so great. We added a small hand-me-down desk to our living room to serve as our office: http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/category/our-living-room/ We have since finished our basement, so we have a dedicated office, but the desk is still in the living room, holding our laptop.
beabee says
As a preschool teacher, I see first hand what can happen when parents just don’t care about their kids. Sure, they love them, but when it comes to spending time with them, they’re too busy. “Love” is not enough. Children need face time with their parents. I’m a little teary thinking about a baby that gets one-on-one attention constantly, from Mom *and* Dad. What an amazing gift.
Theresa says
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed tracking your progress on the home office/guest room/play room. We just moved into an older home and have an room that currently serves as an office, but also as a dumping ground for unpacked boxes and various “stuff” still waiting for a permanent home. I’d love to make it a more pleasant and multi-functional space, and this room makeover has given me lots of ideas of how to make it happen. Thanks!
shanna says
Oh I love it! So functional.
In answer to your question, absolutely. My house is just shy of 1400 square feet, so space is an issue. We have two kids and the layout is such that the coat closet is all the way across the living room when you enter the front door. Not exactly ideal by any stretch of the imagination. So to eliminate the pile-up of coats on the dining room table, we bought a really inexpensive bench & shelf from JC Penney that is a dead-ringer for one from Pottery Barn. It has cubbies with baskets for tons of storage. The kids throw their coats and hats in their own baskets under the bench and we can store sunscreen and other things in the top shelf’s baskets. It’s been life changing. Plus, the bench is functional as extra seating. I just recovered the original (ugly & boring) bench cushions with super cute and durable fabric. :)
Lisa says
Love how you use what you have and “always” make it work!! By the way….your little princess is sooo cute.
Amanda@reno366 says
I love that you have a home for your toys. I have a huge pet peve about toys that just lie around and have no place to put them away. I however, don’t have kids yet, so maybe this is easier said than done!
Erin says
Another great idea. Gosh is there anything in the world a basket doesn’t make better?
I’m so worried you guys are going to decide you’ve outgrown this house and end up in some kind of McMansion where you won’t need to find creative solutions to these kinds of problems! You have no idea how useful this type of information is to those of us who live “small.”
And, um … when are you guys going to be back to design boards? I’m freaking out about the new master bedroom and I’m gonna need some help (and some luck to be able to catch one when you do open them up again).
YoungHouseLove says
Aynsley- Great idea! We love it. Thanks for the suggestion!
Erin- We’re just taking it one day at a time over here, so we’re not sure when our mood board maternity leave will be ending. But we do promise to make a little announcement so everyone knows we’re back on duty.
xo,
s
Aynsley - WrenLife.com says
I’m sure you’ve already thought of this, but that piece would be perfect for all of your ‘welcome guest’ items too. When you have someone over you could move the Clara-phenalia and put their sets of towels, a travel candle, a plug in night light, tiny toiletries and a small stack of magazines there.
Love the blog!
Patti says
I added a very small item of furniture to my den, it’s almost too simple to mention, I wasn’t even gonna comment about it, but it’s such a winner! I bought one of those $20 kidney-shaped laptop tables from Ikea. Now I don’t have to balance the hot heavy laptop on my lap and I also have a place to lay a magazine while reading or put snacks or a drink while I watch tv. And if I have company, I put a potted plant on it and place it under the window, it’s red so it gives the room a little punch of color. It’s priceless to me!
Kate says
Everything looks so great! Your house always seems much bigger than it is because you make such a great use of the space, I’m sure lacking a dedicated playroom will be no problem.
I also love your made over items (especially Clara’s dresser). We have a lot of (really cheap) particle board furniture from our college years that I’d love to replace, but it seems silly for me to replace working furniture that it will cost time and money to find, buy, and fix up. Maybe once we get a house we’ll need additional furniture and then I can work on finding some non-cardboard stuff to fix up.
Pam Redington says
Love the paint in this room! What is the color?
You guys are awesome – can’t wait to read you every morning!
YoungHouseLove says
Pam- It’s Glidden’s Sand White. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
candace - thecandace.com says
Totally cute set up for your little sweetheart! I love the mirror – what a fun way to add some spice!
Keep it up!
Carmen says
We added a small secretary desk to our living room and I don’t know how we ever functioned without it. It’s a great repository for all our office supplies, checkbooks, various directories and phone books. Its really command central at our house.
Jessica @ How Sweet says
Love the to-do list on the mirror!
Kristine says
Great job! You guys are so good at styling book shelves (and any shelves)! I love how the pink sheep looks like it’s coming out of the wicker basket. Too cute! Also the addition of the mirror/message board, that was genius! Can’t wait to see the finished office, and the sunroom.
Kristine says
Also, btw, I have the 2 of same exact bookshelves that you have (in a deep walnut brown stain) from Container Store. I’ve carried them everywhere from each of my many apartments to now my house. I was about to retire them (donate or sell to craigslist), but you guys have changed my mind! You are giving me so many ideas on what to put on them to renew their usage. Thanks!
Kathleen@Betweenblueand Yellow says
Looks nice, eventually you will be able to put Clara in her room and she will play by herself for a little while. That’s the advantage of having a girl.
Also my girl who just turned 1 cries whenever I get on the computer, I hope that’s not the case wit you guys!
Good luck working and staying at home, I’m sure it’s not easy.
Dana @ House*Tweaking says
I love your sweet lil’ setup for Clara Bean (is it okay if I call her Clara Bean?). Too cute. We actually have a bedroom that serves similar multifunction purposes: guest room, craft room and playroom. Adding a secondhand train table to the room really gave it a “playroom” feel but I hand painted it to make it work with the “guest room” purpose as well.
Take a look if you like…
http://www.housetweaking.com/2010/02/24/i-think-i-can-i-think-i-can/
Thanks for sharing all your kid-friendly additions as your home evolves!
Kristi W. @ Life at the Chateau Whitman says
Isn’t it amazing how one little piece of furniture can add so much? We added a ton of functionality and storage by adding a mail cart between our kitchen and living room. We stow all of our mail, magazines, and other papers that need to be filed there, and also our hats, gloves, etc., and shopping receipts. It’s on wheels, which makes it even more convenient. Here’s a post about it:
http://chateauwhitman.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-punched-clutter-in-its-stupid-face.html
Aimee says
*chuckling*
Okay – first of all, very cute, well done! Absolutely adorable, functional, smart…
Now – here is from an experienced parent….baskets with lids are wonderful! They store lots of toys out of sight and don’t have heavy lids to fall on little fingers. On the other hand…keep a couple of spares handy in an out of the way place to replace them because your little one will find extra special enjoyment when they realize that the very best thing about baskets is that they come unraveled. The crockery is very cute! But move it to a lower shelf because once the little peanut starts climbing up that bookshelf the first thing that she will grab for is that cute bunny and the crock will fall on top of that adorable little head. And one more thing – make sure the shelf gets bolted into the wall. My son was not a climber, my daughter on the other hand will probably scale the heights of mt. everest one day. I LOVE your blog! Your ideas are wonderful!! Just one experienced mom to another new parent. Live and learn.
Kelli says
This reminds me so much of our dining room turned playroom/guest room/office. We have a 3 bedroom house with 2 little boys. We decided that we never used our dining room anymore so we converted the entire space by adding some Expedit bookshelves for all that toy storage, a sleeper sofa for our guests, and taking the closet (yes, our dining room had a closet!) and adding shelves and a desk for an office nook. The change was dramatic and so much more valuable to us.
Love this blog. I’m always(im)patiently waiting for the next post. Thanks for all the great ideas! We’re currently looking for our forever home and I know by using some of your ideas, I’ll make that next fixer-upper our cozy little space in no time.
Jenee says
Great job guys, love everything about it! Can’t wait to see the finished room. Can you give me the deets on the pillow on the sofa?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jenee,
The off-white tabby pillow is from Crate & Barrel and the scaly looking blue and green larger pillow is from West Elm. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Mallory @ R. Simple Life says
Love it! I’m so excited for the grand reveal (and now of the mini grand reveal of the sunroom!)
I picked up a small little table on the side of the road the other day, plopped my microwave on one shelf, a basket for fruit on the top shelf, and voila! An organized corner! For free!
jja says
I love mirror idea!
With putting a cat tree in a living room I got cat paradise in there :-))
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31SB2018RQL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
And with so called ears-chair for reading in bedroom
http://www.hopffer.de/images/ohrensessel.jpg
Mel says
Hi ………..that looks adorable for sweet Clara. I added a small desk table to my kitchen to pay bills etc. I have an unrelated question,what reverse osmosis undersink unit is good? Or do you use Brita or ? Also, do you have any safe ways of getting rid of ants. Thanks in advance. Your blog is the BEST as you guys attend to it FAST. Mel
YoungHouseLove says
Crystal- We did consider doing just that- but since the desk and the other bookcase are white we thought it might be too much. And since the desk chairs and floors are wood we decided to keep it wood toned for now.
Mel- Those two questions are answered on our How To page (under the Healthy & Green Living category, we believe). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Crystal G. says
Have you considered painting the shelves white? I have been known to be a white-a-holic when it comes to wood furniture, but in this case, I think it would really make the shelves pop against that wall. And I think it would make the items on the shelves pop as well! Just a thought!
Paige says
Ah, baskets are great! They hide a multitude of problems.
Our guest room is also an office/library. It has a double bed (though no nightstand yet, whoops), the desk we share, and my bookshelf that’s really too big to go anywhere else. It’s kind of a mish-mash of stuff and doesn’t look as nice as your room does, but we’ll get there eventually!
Jennifer says
I love the mirror for notes! So cute!
Our master bedroom is 10×9 so we utilize every inch. I love having things at my fingertips. But some things (shoes, for example!) just don’t fit. So we have lots of nooks and crannies for hiding away our necessities.
Kate says
Last summer I added one $15 bookcase to my dining/living room and it made a world of difference! I already had a laminate, solid-as-a-rock, two shelf bookshelf that I had dragged in from next to the trash at my last apartment. I made a little curtain to go across it and had been using it to store table linens, vases, glasses, etc. After my husband and I got married we had a huge influx of such things. I added a small, $15 Walmart bookcase on top (in the same fake black/gray wood) and use it to store wine glasses, vases, pitchers, etc. Everything looks nice and out on display now and I got a ton more storage space!
Ethan@OPC says
I recognize that book. I practically have it memorized by now because Izzie (my daughter) loves it so much.
Handy Man, Crafty Woman says
so cute! Babies don’t need huge play areas; most of the time they are just happy to be near where YOU are. :-)
Celia says
What a sweet idea. Well it will work for a few months anyways. Whatever happened to playpens, anyway?
Lesley H says
Loving the progress here and the mirror idea is FAB! Noticed the little Clara block on the top shelf – looks like a great DIY baby gift. Did you make it? Do tell!
The best addition to my big bedroom has been an IKEA Expidit, the 2×4 version placed vertically as a room divider for my office/den. It’s like getting 2 rooms for the price of a bookcase:)
RC says
Is there a reason the nursery couldn’t work as a playroom? Was the issue that you all wanted to be together in the same room? Maybe I don’t understand because I don’t have kids.
YoungHouseLove says
RC- The idea of a separate playroom was initially appealing to us because Clara’s nursery is very small (around 10′ x 9′) and because there’s a dresser, crib, and chair in there, there isn’t a lot of space for things like a drawing table or a large toy like a play kitchen. We also thought it would nice to have a communal place for multiple chdren to play when our family expands. But even though we ran out of bedrooms to make it happen, we are really loving the mini playroom corner of the office- especially since we’re all in there so we can enjoy each others company. Hope it helps!
Lesley- That was actually a DIY gift from a friend of ours! She used printed photos and patterned photos along with non-toxic child-safe sealant to attach them to okay blocks. Adorable!
xo,
s
Sarah @ The Ugly Duckling House says
What you did on the mirror reminds me of what my friends and I did when we were living in Italy for a brief time: we found these really fun dimensional gel pens that were perfect for non-stick surfaces. Once they were dry, you could peel them off without leaving any trace that they were ever there. I still use them for car windows, sneaking them into friends’ houses for fun messages on their mirrors, etc.
Shelley @ Green Eggs & Hamlet says
Is that the same bookshelf that at one point was painted a soft green and lived for a while in the living room or am I thinking of a different shelf?
Can’t wait to see the entire office reveal! Oh, and the sunroom makeover as well.
Kelly says
I have the same book! My son Kai loves it. I bought a storage unit from Ikea that I use for his art supplies. I wish I had a picture to show. But it works perfectly.
http://www.kellyloves.wordpress.com
Jennifer says
Very cute and functional- love it. I swear I’m going to have a house of baskets before long but they’re just so darn useful!
On another note, I’d love to know how you guys are adjusting to being working parents! Do you feel like you’re being pulled in a million different directions or has it been easy to find balance between being with Clara, working, cleaning, sleeping, etc…
simblythe says
looks great.
we have a dresser in the kitchen, which adds storage for the random stuff and an extra “counter top”.
Jessica M says
Cute! Our sunroom (which is part of our house, not an outside room) multi-tasks as the location of our kitchen table/chairs and playroom for our daughter (and future son, due in about 2 months!). Sometimes my husband and I even work from the table with our laptops. We have one of the Trofast toy storage systems from Ikea with different colored buckets for stuffed animals, musical toys, books, etc. There’s also a toddler-size table and chairs set for her, as well as a small play kitchen that we made ourselves (inspired by an Ikea hack)! The sunroom also boasts a beautiful HUGE picture window with viewing to all the wonders of our backyard! :)
Ally says
We used a banana leaf picnic basket that we got as a wedding gift to house our baby’s toys in our living room (right next to a comfy rug). As her toy repetoire grew, we had to improvise with using baskets in our entertainment center. It (mostly) works!
{The Classy Woman} says
You guys are always so clever! Love the mirror/dry erase idea!
Karla @ {The Classy Woman} says
I also just wanted to say that as much as I love white and know you do too, I think the natural wood tone for the shelf was necessary and a smart choice. With lighter and even white toys/books, it would have blended in too much. Looks great!
Judy says
Love the “play station.” Clara is too small now to grab the edges of the shelf, but that day will come. Please make sure you fasten the shelf to the wall! You don’t want her making a grab for something and bring the whole thing down on her. Also, is that green artichoke object on the top shelf something fragile? It looks like glass in the photo. If so, I wouldn’t keep it there. Again, once Clara is mobile she may try to use the shelf to pull herself up and even if it’s bolted, anything on top might fall on her. Safety first!
Rachel says
Nobody knows how to multitask like you guys! We also have one small guest room that we put my “desk” in. It’s a set of three shelves from IKEA, but the center shelving unit has a half-moon shaped “shelf” that I pull my chair up to and use as a desk. We love it. And I also love what you’ve done with your office/guest room/playroom. I’m a huge fan of keeping kids’ stuff minimal and unobtrusively integrated into the family’s space. Well done!
Lorraine says
Is your ceiling in your sunroom painted a teal/blue color? It looks that way from one of your pictures but I can’t tell for sure! I really like it if it is…
YoungHouseLove says
Lorraine- You must have snuck a peek at the ceiling in our Clara album on Flickr. Stay tuned for the big reveal with tons of photos and more info after we finish the office makeover!
Judy- Yup, just as we mention in the post we plan to anchor the bookcase to the wall (and remove the ceramic item) when Clara gets more mobile!
Jennifer- So far so good! We got extremely lucky that Clara is an amazing baby (sleeps through the night, eats like a champ, very happy in general) so she has made being parents an absolute joy. Love that girl!
Shelley- Good eye! We actually have two of those bookcases, one that we painted soft green for the living room and one that we left au naturale.
xo,
s
ErinEvelyn says
We have a few small rooms in our 1550 sqft 2BR house’s lower level that my husband was able to finish a few years ago, including one at the bottom of the basement steps that serves as cozy family den, uber-organized home office, guestroom (thanks to the sofa bed and attached 1/2 bath), and playroom (the “official” playroom is an attached storage room/closet, but our twins tend to spill out for more room). On top of ALL THAT, my husband cleverly carved out space for a much-needed broom/cleaning closet, and turned a dirty space under the stairs (where the former owners installed a makeshift gate to use as a kennel for their 2 dogs) into a cute finished/drywalled storage nook that is the perfect size for his cat’s litter box. By adding a tiny curtain that’s the same color as the walls, placing the our large desk in front of it, and using a Tidycat pellet system (odorless, dustless & graveless!), our feline family member has he
r very own commode their too. Our overnight guests don’t even notice!