Hooked on kidspaces

I wrote this post a few days ago but decided I would save it to be a part of Julia's Hooked on Fridays blog party.

I would love to turn the small finished area of our basement into a neat kids' play area. Right now, it's a drab and unexciting play area. I have a few ideas in mind- like color for starters, perhaps some murals, some built in or updated shelves, maybe a chalkboard or white board or two, and perhaps a playhouse? Here are some neat playrooms that have inspired me, though we're really not looking for something too ambitious...

Our basement doesn't lend itself to something like this, but I think the loft is wondrous and would have loved a space like this as a child. See the playhouse underneath? Maybe in a future home.

I guess this is a nursery, but the colors are fun.

This is new for me-- a graded-color wall. Not sure how I would feel about that in our house, but in this space, which is more like an artist's studio, it seems to work.

Tiny picture, but the lights create a nice whimsical atmosphere.

Kudos on the organization. Don't think I have that much stuff to store though.

I have always loved window seats. The finished room of our basement only has one tiny raised window, but I still like the idea of a comfy padded seat with lots o' pillows piled high-- a place just to sit and read-- with hidden storage underneath.

I like how this room incorporates photography. Though it's a bit drab, for for me. I gravitate toward more color for a child's playroom.

I liked these Shel Silverstein murals that were in Julia's Indianapolis House Tours. Right now, we have murals courtesy of the previous preschoolers, a box of Crayola crayons and a ballpoint pen or two.

So anyway, here is our basement now.



There's a big pole inconveniently breaking up the space, which the previous owners used as a height marker for their five kids, but I think I'll be able to do one better and come up with some other creative use for it (other than the dolphin that's jury-rigged up there now)- maybe a wall between that and the existing wall, to be used for some kind of playhouse?


Aren't you a fan of the gaping holes in the suspension ceiling (complete with glow-in-the-dark stars)? Hey, my kids love this dolphin ("Dolphace") that once swung in our backyard.


My wonderful handy husband is going to put up double folding doors for the game closet, which is now just an open space eye sore with some exposed pipes and water meter and a La-Z Boy reclined there.


We have some hanging shelves, existing to the house and two shelves for toys that we got for free from a past apartment tenant, but I'd like to make better use of organization, maybe add a storage bench, like I mentioned before, or at least spruce up the shelves with some paint and wrapping paper for the backing. It'd be nice to store some things a little higher too. Gail gets into everything she's too little for, and we need a place to stow those types of things-- built in shelves?


The decor is currently limited to paintings from my youth and some bunny my parents were getting rid of. Something I do like: The African cloth print that our friend, Diana, who was doing missionary work there, gave to us.


You're pretty cute, fisher on the pier, but your days in our basement are numbered.


The "house" area is quaint, but it could use some sprucing. Jack loves the Fisher Price kitchen and wooden table and chairs that were mine and my siblings' when we were youngsters (and the Hoover that is an exact miniature of mine that we purchased for $2 at our church's rumage sale).


I'd love your input, suggestions-- color ideas? I'm thinking dual toned- maybe a pretty shade of orange, maybe guacamole. Like I mentioned above, this is much more low-key than most of the above examples. I'm willing to spend money on paint, doors for the closet and a few little accessories- like a chalkboard and maybe some cheap fabric for making pillows, cushions and a valance for the one window. I can always find wood, scraps of useful materials and sometimes even shelving on Craig's List.