Perfect Playroom Office Combo
When we moved into our new house, I was determined to have a space for myself. Back up...When we decided to move, one of the must haves was an area for the kids to play and some office/personal space for myself (whatever that looked like), and of course another room for baby #3 on the way. My husband is obsessed with the front and back yard and, lets be real, the kids get the entire rest of the house, so why not a space for mom that doesn't include a stove or washing machine?
Fast forward, low and behold in the house we bought, there WAS a desk nook in the kitchen that would have been perfect...but then we remodeled and out went the desk. We thought of ways to salvage the material and recreate the built in look in our "bonus" room but it wasn't worth the effort. Also, once we actually got to taking the cabinets out and down and removing the granite, it was basically ruined in the process. No further comments there.
The bonus room we scored in our new house is rectangular, so dividing the space was luckily pretty easy. Using large rooms for different purposes is always challenging! You will probably rearrange the placement of furniture a few times until it works, because your idea probably can work! I kept in mind what I wanted people to see when they walked in the front door, since this particular space is the first thing you see when you walk in. We thought a TV and kids space on that end, first, but quickly realized keeping it "tidy" would be a challenge since there is a lack of wall space for storage. Storage galore for all things toys and arts and crafts and dinosaurs and trucks and dress up stuff and blocks and eek - the list continues.
We flipped the script and ended up with mom/office area on the end you see when you enter the house, and kid/play area on the opposite end of the space. We settled on a beautiful, dreamy and modern desk and some wall mounted shelving (uh, yes, those are from IKEA! WHAT?!) for my end of the space. It's actually better (and more feng shui if I'm getting technical) that way because the view from my desk is spectacular, the view from the entryway is beautiful and inviting, and plus, there is more wall space for toy storage and a small table/chair set for the kids on the other end of the room. We debated on keeping our 'click clack' couch because of the space it consumes but while the kids are little, it makes sense to have a space for parents or babysitters to sit and play or supervise.
Keep in mind, for any space you're trying to make work - think about what the space will be used for and your lifestyle and personality. We chose the set up we did because 1. I wanted it to be aesthetically pleasing and an inviting space to get work done 2. My kids do more arts, crafts and floor play right now so they needed more of the room than I did 3. I use my desk a few hours a week, nothing crazy, but it's nice to be able to work and watch the kids at the same time (plus a view out the window doesn't hurt). Make your space work for you - even in your design. Making a space functional and practical doesn't mean it has to be ugly, either. Space planning is hard and usually takes a lot of arranging and rearranging. Get advice or input - or call me!
Fast forward, low and behold in the house we bought, there WAS a desk nook in the kitchen that would have been perfect...but then we remodeled and out went the desk. We thought of ways to salvage the material and recreate the built in look in our "bonus" room but it wasn't worth the effort. Also, once we actually got to taking the cabinets out and down and removing the granite, it was basically ruined in the process. No further comments there.
The bonus room we scored in our new house is rectangular, so dividing the space was luckily pretty easy. Using large rooms for different purposes is always challenging! You will probably rearrange the placement of furniture a few times until it works, because your idea probably can work! I kept in mind what I wanted people to see when they walked in the front door, since this particular space is the first thing you see when you walk in. We thought a TV and kids space on that end, first, but quickly realized keeping it "tidy" would be a challenge since there is a lack of wall space for storage. Storage galore for all things toys and arts and crafts and dinosaurs and trucks and dress up stuff and blocks and eek - the list continues.
We flipped the script and ended up with mom/office area on the end you see when you enter the house, and kid/play area on the opposite end of the space. We settled on a beautiful, dreamy and modern desk and some wall mounted shelving (uh, yes, those are from IKEA! WHAT?!) for my end of the space. It's actually better (and more feng shui if I'm getting technical) that way because the view from my desk is spectacular, the view from the entryway is beautiful and inviting, and plus, there is more wall space for toy storage and a small table/chair set for the kids on the other end of the room. We debated on keeping our 'click clack' couch because of the space it consumes but while the kids are little, it makes sense to have a space for parents or babysitters to sit and play or supervise.
Keep in mind, for any space you're trying to make work - think about what the space will be used for and your lifestyle and personality. We chose the set up we did because 1. I wanted it to be aesthetically pleasing and an inviting space to get work done 2. My kids do more arts, crafts and floor play right now so they needed more of the room than I did 3. I use my desk a few hours a week, nothing crazy, but it's nice to be able to work and watch the kids at the same time (plus a view out the window doesn't hurt). Make your space work for you - even in your design. Making a space functional and practical doesn't mean it has to be ugly, either. Space planning is hard and usually takes a lot of arranging and rearranging. Get advice or input - or call me!
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