Playroom Begins...

So.. we decided to change up the playroom. No matter what it was always a mess... we did not have enough storage. My child loves action figures. Loves them. They are small and they are EVERYWHERE.

I have found that starting a blog... people are supportive and encouraging.. and just down right nice sometimes. People I do not know... or people I barely know.. and they are supportive with emails. This blog has been such a great experience in that department. Making connections with people I would not have... people I would have never had the chance to get to know. I am so grateful for that experience with this blog.

I have also found though this blog brings the other side of the spectrum. People who want to tell me how much they dislike white trim, painted furniture, find it tacky to have so many mirrors in a house, etc.. etc. And I get that. Some people don't like white.. some people are afraid of it and think it will look dirty. But i have found it works the opposite. its easier to clean.. and looks brighter... I have not had any issues with it. I need to see the dirt though... so that way I do wipe down furniture. Otherwise I probably never would... because if something is not in my face... I tend to forget :) So I like white... white built ins and white trim.  But I also understand that it is not for everyone.. and that is okay.

Sometimes I am guilty at letting other people's opinions affect my choices and I begin 2nd guessing myself. And I end up going with something else and regretting it. Pinterest is a great source of inspiration... but sometimes we go with something we like in someone else's home and it doesn't work for us. So for me... it is important to figure out if it will be beneficial in our home. I realize that organization and storage is key... when your home is filled with toys. And having toy storage in every single room is essential. Even in the kitchen... I need storage in the kitchen. because somehow... legos end up in my kitchen... and action figures... and various weapons.

So lets get back to the point. eh?

Well this playroom stopped working for us. It became a nightmare for me... toys all over.. always a mess... and well it was just not what I had in mind. So we started talking about what the playroom was lacking... and the main issue was storage. So we decided rather than having the built in media center we would switch it up and build a sofa nook for us to hang out in and put the media console on the other side of the room, which would give us a lot more storage.

Here is what the closet looked like currently. We had some storage, but the shelves weren't very deep and there wasn't any hidden out of sight areas. These bookshelves in the closet were the only storage we had in the entire room.

So we actually started on this are last Sunday... and after a week of planning, building, priming, and painting.  We had the bases of the look we are going for.

So here is what we have done. We built a base for a twin mattress to lay inside the closet. After that we built two bookcases to go in line with the bed. Then on the insides of the closet we put in shelves for some hidden storage. We primed the back wall to go over the navy paint and we started priming the bookcases and the bed. So I am going to share a very very rough draft of what we have going on to show you a week's worth of progress Sunday thru Friday night.

That bottom shelf will be boxed in and act more like a side table to hold drinks and popcorn and whatever else lands there. But I am hoping to stack some toys up there on the higher shelves that don't get played with as much.

So right now it is looking a little rough... but I am very excited about the way it is turning out. I am hoping to convince Jerry to try arches for the first time to go on the tops of the bookcases and the top of the closet entry... but we will see if he goes for it or not.  I will have to be VERY convincing.

A little peak at the other side of the room (Don't mind all that dust from the building going on all around it) We are adding in a BRIGHT entertainment center. Hoping to add some more color to this room!

So the whole point in this post... is its okay to do a room and completely change your mind. It's even okay to do something... live with it for a while... and decide it doesn't work. I always try and use the stuff I am changing somewhere else. Most of the time I can find a better place for it. Your home works best if it is built around what your family uses... and as kids get older that will change. So I figure this is the 2nd time we will change this room, but I expect we will be changing it several times throughout the years. And its okay if other people don't like it. Go with your instincts and what you like. Its easy to get caught up in whats popular... but it is more important to stay true to yourself. Stick to what you like... You will be happiest in your home if it reflects who your family is.

I love surrounding myself with beautiful memories... caught in photos, souvenirs, Maddux's artwork, our favorite books, and pieces of furniture that tell a story.

What do you love to surround yourself with?
Do you find yourself redoing a room because it doesn't work how you thought it would. sometimes... it doesn't work out.. but its more important that we are happy :)