Dream Playroom Makeover~Part III-The Desk

In the past two days, I discussed the overall plan of the playroom featuring four distinct areas: the closet which holds the toys and is also a play area, the vanity, which I showcased yesterday, the desk, which we'll talk about today and tomorrow will be the reading area and the big reveal! You won't want to miss all of the final accessories-the chair, the rug, the bookshelf and a few more surprises.

Today's post focuses on the third area of the playroom, the desk area. First, I worked on the overall space plan. While I wanted a clean, modern design, I did them in a traditional way, using pairs of things to create some symmetry in the room. While the overall color scheme was white and black, I tried to keep a lot of white in the room, since the little girl was only seven. I started with two IKEA three drawers chests, along with two picture frames and two shelves from Target. Early on in the project, I came to the home and saw the little girl who recently had a manicure and pedicure. I thought it was so cute, I snapped some pictures but wasn't sure where I would use them. I knew she would be seven only once and thought this was a great way to capture the little girl in her and also create a nice memory for the mother. Here are the before photos of her manicure and pedicure.

I framed the photos and put one on each side of the desk. At this point, the room is still very plain, in need of some customization. I tried to personalize this room as well as embellish a lot of items, so many in fact, I could have called this post, "before and afters".

Photo of the chest of drawers and shelf without embellishment.

Next, I added some detail to the shelves. I purchased some black and white ribbon and used a glue stick to attach it to the shelving. The ribbon can be removed later without damaging the shelf.

For the shelf accessories, I simply went to the dollar aisle at Target, at the front of the store, and purchased these little black vases and some black animals. I used two on the shelves and I am using the other ones on the bookshelf, which you will see tomorrow. I embellished them with polka dot ribbons and added some gerber daisies for a pop of color. You can see photos of her pedicure and manicure in each of the photos.

Photo of the pedicure above and her manicure below.

Another photo of the room.

In the three drawer chests, I used the one on the right to store her sticker books, coloring books and/or school supplies. I labeled each of the drawers and kept things very simple to make it easy to put things away. I also downsized a lot of stuff. When I started she had three gallon zip loc bags of crayons. She has less than one now. At seven years old, or any age, you have to keep things simple and have less stuff. The more stuff they have, the harder it will be to stay organized. I also talked to the mother and daughter about the one in/out rule. When you buy something new, something has to go. In the entire room, you will also notice that I create finite amounts of space for things. That helps keeps things manageable.

Picture of the labels on the drawers and the old carpet.

To keep things youthful, I added some color to the top of the three drawer chests. I found this print in the gift wrap aisle and thought it would be perfect for the dresser tops. I purchased glass tops for each of the dressers. I purchased magazine holders at IKEA and then attached labels to the polka dot ribbon and put that in each of the label holders.

Next is a picture of the shelf, picture frame and three drawer chest.

Another photo. The polka dot ribbon really pops against the green walls.

In many of the photos, you will notice the valence. I found this panel at Target and loved the print. I purchased one panel and made the valence for the room. The width was perfect. I then embellished the bottom of the valence with some black trim with some black beads that sparkle when the sun shines in.

Next came the chair. While our vanity was child size, I wanted to reuse the desk she already had in another room in the house and reuse a chair as well. While I used an adult chair, I also painted a small wooden stool under the desk for her to put her feet on. The before picture of the chair is very formal and not suited for a seven year old.

I used the leftover fabric from the drapery panel that I created the valence with, to recover the chair. Better, but still a little drab.

I had the chair painted black and suddenly, it all came together.

And now, the desk with the chair. The heart cut outs on the desk keep the room sweet and not too grown up. Had I used a regular desk, it would have made the room look too grown up. As she grows, the desk could be upgraded and the room would still function nicely.

While I am on the topic of before and afters, I'll show you a cow that I madeover for the bookshelf, which I'll show tomorrow. This room cost approximately $1300 or so-most of the budget went for the bigger ticket items like the new wood laminate floor, the rug, the bookshelf, the vanity and the chest of drawers. For the accessories, I spent very little. I found this cow at a second hand store and repainted it then added a little bling.

Below is a picture of the cow after the makeover. I purchased a little bling at the craft store then tied it around her neck with the same polka dot ribbon.

And finally, a view of the vanity and the desk area with the valence, picture frames, shelving, chair, magazine holders and three drawer chest of drawers, all embellished.

And a final look of the desk area. You will also notice that I placed the desk in front of the window so she can get natural light when she is creating artwork as well as doing homework. The tree is a white flowering crab apple that looks beautiful against the green walls in the spring. In addition, there is a koi pond and fountain in the backyard. You can see the fish and hear the fountain when you sit at the desk.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the big reveal! You'll see the reading area with the bookshelf and chair, the new wood laminate flooring and the beautiful black and white rug. You will be amazed at the transformation!

To see the entire playroom makeover, click here.

Note: I am a Professional Organizer/Home Stager and run a business called "Dream Organizers". My motto is: "Keep it simple. Get organized. Make it beautiful."