Home Tour With A Twist: The Office and Playroom

Welcome Back to my Home Tour With a Twist Series.  There will be links to the previous stops on the tour at the end.  Today I will wrap up the first level of our home.  We will stop by the office and revisit the playroom.  I have lots of ideas and projects in mind for both rooms.  Let's take a look.

The Office

This room is our home office.  Mostly the hubby uses this space when he works from home or when he's researching something (he's addicted to google searches just like me).   I have also allowed Munchkin to use the computer for Starfall.com (excellent reading and letter resource, I used to use it in my classroom).  Any how it's painted the same Clary Sage as the kitchen.  It's located to the right of the family room.

When I met my husband he had this same desk but it was literally covered in papers and clutter.  It's been fun helping him to get organized.  Yes it does have moments of messiness still, but it's much easier to clean up when everything has a specific place to go.

We bought the Billy Bookcase from Ikea shortly after we moved in.  Both of us have always wanted an in home library so that's the look we were going for.  We have been slowly adding to our book collection and hope to all the shelves filled at some point.  I love that we still have room to expand it if we need to.

The left wall is a total blank slate.  I'd like to add some inspirational quotes or framed posters, as well as our degrees on the wall.  To keep it fun I also want to add some of Munchkin's and Little Bear's framed art.  I've been stalking pinterest and I've found some super cute ideas.

The back wall is also a blank slate... (what's new? this is my big ol' empty house we're talking about).  At some point I'd like to add a homework area for the boys, but I know that will be a long way off.  I also considered a futon or set of chairs.  Don't ask why the radio is there.  it's probably something he's had since college and he can't let go... smh.  I think I've mentioned before that hubby is a pack rat.  The amount of storage in this house has saved us from quite a few arguments.  One day it will disappear into the basement where it will continue to collect dust and not be used.

The Plan Summarized:

Find some great inspirational quotes, and some great frames at the thrift shop.

Decide on a cute art project for the boys that they can both handle and will compliment the space.

Find the floor plan of the house and frame it... I just think that will be cool.

Actually take my degrees out of the envelope and add them to the wall, sheesh I worked really hard for them!

I need your help!  

What should I do with that back wall where the radio is?  Beside losing the radio, I'm all over that.

The Playroom, Welcome Back 

I swear my house isn't as dark as it seems!

If you walk out of the office and go through the living room, you'll come to the playroom.  I am soooooo glad we have this room (there aren't enough o's to express this), it helps to keep my home clean, no... it keeps my home clean.  Technically it's called the conservatory, but who actually says that?   I have a few friends in our development with similar floor plans, some use it as a grown-up playroom complete with stocked bar and pool table.  Some use it as the family hang out room.  My husband actually thought it was going to be his man cave, you can see how that turned out.  I originally posted about my playroom here, but I thought I'd show it again since I have kind of rearranged it, and I have some cool ideas for the space (at least cool in my head, ever wonder why things don't come out as awesome as your imagination dreamed it would?).

From the doorway, the left side is all about play and fun.  I decided to take the pics as is.  Clean playrooms are fun to look at, but mine only stays magazine clean while there are no children in it.  It still gets messy since I've organized, but it's so much easier to clean up and easier to get Munchkin to help.  He loves looking at the pictures and playing the match game.  I know I need to get tons more storage, but if you haven't already realized I don't spend money like crazy.  I save or pick up things little by little, which is why you may notice some of the trofast bins chillin on the floor, the entire Ikea trofast system will have to wait.

FYI, the Triple Fun ExerSaucer is awesome we've used it since Little Bear was about 4 months old, and both boys love it.  It's growing with them so it's totally worth the money.

He loves that train whistle, and what's funny is that he can't quite make it work yet.

See the books up there.  They will be finding a new home once I get my reading nook in order.

I added some fun art and a thrift store clock up on the wall.  The art is finger paint made with corn syrup and kool-aid packets.  It makes a cool shiny product once it dries, but be careful, in humid weather it will start to drip even after it has "dried".

The opposite side of the playroom is my school area.  I try my hardest to get the boys to keep cars and trucks out of that area, mostly in vain.  Ideally I would like to get some type of furniture divider.  It'd have to be low so there was no risk of falling over.  I just think a more concrete line or division will help the boys understand the difference between the two sides.

This is my art area, I moved the easel to this side of the room but I feel like it's missing something.   I use the wall here to hang their art and on the floor are puzzles.  I want the boys to have easy access to them, but it doesn't look so hot.

On the middle wall (where the alphabet is hanging) you can see that we're up to letter x in Tot School.  I have this cool idea to add some painted cookie sheets on the lower part of the wall for a cool magnetic center.  Again, in my head it's an awesome idea... I'm still working out some kinks like how to hang them and what colors to paint them.  I know I want to stick to a red and blue color scheme but still wondering if I want the cookie sheets all one color or some type of pattern.

This corner is my attempt at a reading zone.  I want to add a tree behind the rocker, and do some cool letter art on the wall.  I also want to cover the pillows and chair with some kind of fabric to make them match.   I saw a cool inexpensive way to display books thanks to Jen at iHeart Organizing.  Can't wait to do this project, but again can't decide how to do the colors or precisely where to put the spice book racks.

The old TV sits on the floor because I'm afraid to put it on a stand and the boys knock it over.  Sometimes they play in here without me, so this space needs to stay very toddler friendly.  They usually watch Baby Einstein videos here, but i'm sure before I know it they'll be asking for some sort of video games.   One day when they are older they will get an upgrade, but for now this works fine for them.  My husband and I are in agreement that they will not be getting TV's in their rooms.

So here is my summarized plan:

Add some letter art for each section of the room - CREATE, EXPLORE, LEARN...  Wooden letters can get expensive so I'm devising a thrifty plan.  I'll let you know what I come up with... but I'm leaning toward cardboard.

Cover the pillows and rockers with fabric.

Add painted cookie sheets for magnet fun.

Purchase some more storage at some point, including a room divider.

Create a fun letter tree in the reading corner.

Help Me Please!  

I'm still trying to figure out what my art area needs... right now it's basically just the easel and the Elmo table.  Keep in mind, Munchkin is 2 1/2 and Little Bear is 1.  Art supplies CAN NOT be kept with in their reach.  I just feel like it needs something.

Well, thanks for reading and your help.  I can't wait to get started on these spaces.  Next we'll go upstairs and check out the bedrooms.

Here's the rest of the home tour room by room if you want to check it out.

The Mudroom

The Laundry Room

The Kitchen

The Family Room

The Living and Dining Rooms