Last weekend design-savvy, DIY extraordinaire, Kate from Centsational Girl and her team of volunteers installed the playroom {and much more} for the Alma House Project. I had the pleasure of working with Kate on the initial design concepts for the room which flows openly from the kitchen. Kate envisioned a kid-friendly space that was colorful, multi-functional and provided loads of storage. We had to work with the existing navy carpet and ceiling, but every thing could be changed.
Over the phone we conversed and brainstormed ideas. Kate’s budget was $1,000 for the space, so we had to think creatively. And as you know, Kate is the best at taking inexpensive or yard-sale finds and transforming them, so I knew it could be done! In fact, with donations and smart purchases of Kate’s doing, the total cost of the room was $885.
Maps and wallpaper both are a huge design trends, but I also feel that the combined look can be classic and timeless. I knew that a large-scale world map wallpaper on the wall opposite the window would make a huge impact in the space and work well with the existing carpet. Kate was on-board and the green and blue color scheme was set! Not only do maps help educate young ones about our world, but my hope too was that it allowed these children to dream beyond the walls of their home.
Indoor / outdoor fabrics are terrific for kids’ spaces and it was a must for this playroom. I gravitated to the wavy pattern in Richloom’s Indoor/Outdoor Variation Poolside fabric – it had different shades of blue and green which I especially liked. Kate loved the fabric too and knew instantly that she wanted to use it for floor length drapes – which she made – yep, she sews too! Kate discusses the details of creating the drapes here. They turned out gorgeous! How does this girl find the time?
Kate also transformed the round child’s table she scored on Craigslist for $45. She is living up to her blog’s name, that’s for sure!
For throw pillows, I liked Richloom’s Indoor/Outdoor Bindis Summer fabric because it coordinated so beautifully with the Variations Poolside – We fell in love with the medallion pattern! Turns out Kate found floor pillows at a local store in the exact same fabric! How does she do it?
When my kids were babies, I used to sing “You Are My Sunshine” before they’d fall asleep. I’ve always wanted to use these prints in a project and am so glad it worked in this playroom! I love how Kate stacked them and placed near an art easel. Love!
Kate worked her magic with a series of three Billy bookcases from Ikea. Love the “Green Lane” paint by Glidden she selected for the back of the bookcases. They look custom don’t you think? Here are the details on how she did it.
I loved the Moravian Star fixture Kate found. It was the perfect accent for the subtle nautical feel. It was generously donated by Shades of Light.
To create a window bench for reading and additional storage, an Ikea Expedit bookcase was placed horizontally. I love the ikat pillow Kate found that coordinates with the drapes so beautifully!
Kate also sourced the fabulous Checkered Past carpet tiles in Laural/Lime by FLORwhich was layered over the existing carpet. I love to use FLOR tiles in kids’ spaces because they are so easy to remove one to clean or have it replaced. FLOR also generously donated the tiles too!To fully appreciate this project and all of Kate’s hard work, you need to see the incredible transformation:
Before:
After:
Amazing, don’t you think?
For a complete list of products used in the room or to donate to the Alma Project, please visit Centsational Girl. Wonderful work Kate and team!!!
*Photo Credit: Centsational Girl
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