This large basement was virtually empty when I was first briefed on the project. My client wanted a very monochromatic and Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic which I was very excited for! It was important that the basement serve many purposes, so I started by delineating the room into 3 areas: a general lounging space with closed and open storage for books and other toy collections, an arts & crafts area with lots of room to create and a space to encourage pretend play! So we got to work…

I started by selecting a plush geometric rug and paired it with simple storage units from IKEA. We added in black and white art prints and textiles and some light wood tones and rattan accents to warm things up and to tie the whole design together! Two large sherpa bean bags provide extra seating and a rounded edge coffee table is the perfect spot for playing board games — it would even make a great LEGO table in the future.

The basement had a great built-in wet bar and the natural place to position the large art table was in close proximity to the sink for easy clean-ups. I love using IKEA dining tables for craft spaces because they are inexpensive (so you’ll never need to worry about them getting covered in paint and glitter glue)! These wheat fiber chairs are also my favourite to use in playrooms because they have a full back which is safe for kids, are very light and easy to move around, come in lots of fun colours and are quick to wipe down! To finish off this area we added three wall-mounted bookcases to provide extra storage for art supplies and to display special masterpieces!

Last but not least, we turned a small secret nook under the stairs into a pretend play zone, with a kid’s kitchen, a small table and chair set for tea time and a low bookcase to store play food and extra toys. We even personalized the nook with a custom name banner! And to bring a little more interest to the space, we installed a black ceiling light and thin wiggly line wall decals for some added punch.

The end result is a bright and airy play space, filled with endless function and a super cool style… these kiddos are now ready to Play All Day!