Arlyn Is Contemplating Turning Her Eating Room Into A Playroom: 3 Choices To Make It Work

The eating room in my earlier residence was *actually* the jewel field of that place. It was my showpiece, the room I beloved to only sit in and go searching. I used to be proud to host dinners and recreation nights there. I used to be grateful for a lovely area like that when it turned the impromptu residence workplace for my husband and me after we have been despatched residence to work at the start of the pandemic in 2020. We didn’t have a breakfast nook, so it’s the place we are saying like six occasions a day giving our child (on the time) purees and snacks in her excessive chair (RIP rug). After which we moved.

Don’t get me improper. I really feel like I usually discuss our residence now disparagingly. I like the place we stay for a lot of causes, but it surely’s positively missing the luster of our outdated place. Principally as a result of every thing that’s right here is only a holdover. It was picked for over there, however residing its subsequent life right here.

One other factor about the place we at present stay? It doesn’t accommodate all of our each day wants, particularly having workplace area for 2 working adults and an space for our toddler to freely play. We’ve alllllll of her stuff scattered between the lounge (which I affectionally consult with because the luxe daycare when folks come over), eating room, and her bed room upstairs. She’s completely content material as a result of she doesn’t know the rest. However we do. Lengthy story quick, she had a lot room to play the place we have been staying over our Christmas trip, in addition to at our buddies’ place the place we stayed throughout our fireplace evacuations.

So after we settled again residence after a whirlwind month, I sat down at my spot on the eating desk the place I work and regarded round, considering how I used to be utilizing the areas in my residence. (For the report, my husband now works in a small workplace downstairs that we name the dungeon as a result of it has no home windows, and I can’t stand the concept of writing in there so it’s all his.) Was I being honest to my lady by commandeering the eating room due to what I *want* it was? A whisper of my outdated jewel field? Positive, we used the 6-seater desk right here and there to host buddies, however actually no more than a handful of occasions per yr. Did I like sitting right here with an ideal view out the window that frames the attractive timber on our road whereas I tapped away at my keyboard? Yup, certain did. However am I additionally uninterested in my lounge being drowned by IKEA TROFAST models, play kitchens, make-shift ball pits made out of balls and a big storage container, and many others. and many others. and many others.? Additionally sure (particularly as a result of the precise ground area for my daughter to play is tremendous restricted).

Dwelling in a smaller residence that doesn’t examine all of your packing containers, when it comes to areas wanted, all the time means somebody or one thing is being sacrificed. If I’m being sincere with myself, I need a proper eating room. I need a lovely area to sit down down and luxuriate in a meal with family and friends (we now have a bit bistro desk in the kitchen we use when it’s simply us). I wish to sit the place I’m sitting with quick access to the kitchen for a snack, proper subsequent to the powder bathtub for fast restroom breaks, throughout the window so I can see when my husband pulls up from an errand or a piece outing. Seeing our neighbors strolling by with their canines’ leashes in hand, or the mailman popping over to the opposite facet of the road to make their deliveries is nice for my soul. However having a singular, massive and open spot for my lady to play and do her arts and crafts and zoom round as a superhero and browse her books below a Nugget sofa fort may simply be even higher for my soul.

All of that to say, I’m fairly torn on what to do with this area. The eating room is all the time the best choice to show right into a flex area. I do know even our personal Caitlin from EHD is speaking about altering the operate of her stunning eating room right into a spot for each her and her boyfriend to work out of. My household wants a lounge, however perhaps it doesn’t want a eating room as badly as a play area. So, let’s discover some choices.

What I’m At the moment Working With

That is the present state of my lounge. Like, I snapped this photograph as-is with out even making an attempt to make it look any nicer quarter-hour earlier than penning this sentence. Half of the big cupboard below the TV is filled with coloring books, dot markers, board video games, and varied different toys. In entrance of the couch chaise (at left in photograph), there’s a toddler armchair and a container of balls and random blocks my lady throws in there usually. The espresso desk all the time has one thing at present in play on it, and different toys simply completed being performed with on the underside shelf (and rogue MagnaTiles and drawings and building paper…). The ENTIRE proper facet of the lounge—I’m speaking plant to stair banister—is toys and toy storage.

Right here’s one other view. The left photograph is the wall proper by the touchdown 5 steps up into the eating room from the lounge (it’s a multi-level townhome). Guys, it’s not nice, however I additionally acknowledge that that is for such a short while. My daughter is about to show 3, and I’d be fortunate if I had one other 5 years of her little child toys taking on my lounge. It’s a blessing, I do know that.

Right here’s the eating room in query. We’ve toy overflow in right here, a mail touchdown spot (and let’s be sincere, a junk-landing spot most days), and my little work spot. The chair is NOT ergonomic by any means, however I’m solely ever sitting for like two hours of straight working time so it’s not a giant deal (I don’t assume). I’d like to get a giant rug in right here to interrupt up all of the wooden tones which can be all on high of one another, and certain would nonetheless try this even when it turned a play area.

That is the footie-pajamaed angel in query who wants extra room to play. Once more, she’s completely pleased fluttering between the small quantity of ground area in the lounge, to the small quantity of ground area within the eating room to the center of the kitchen however you recognize…there are the explanation why that isn’t ultimate. We don’t spend a ton of time enjoying upstairs in her bed room as a result of the structure of her room doesn’t enable for a lot toy storage (a difficulty to get into for one more day), and I don’t like leaving her alone to play up there whereas I get another issues performed round the home the best way I can when she’s downstairs.

All issues thought of, I’ve give you three doable choices if I determine to provide my ol’ eating room the official boot (gosh, that hurts to kind):

Possibility 1: Flip it right into a multi-functional area to examine all of the packing containers.

I’m speaking play space, small eating nook, and perhaps even a bit desk arrange. That or I exploit the eating nook as my desk the best way I at present do, and herald a little bit of a library vibe, too. As a result of I nonetheless have tons of packing containers of books sitting within the storage from after we moved in two years in the past that I’d like to get out and onto some bookshelves. I might probably get a 4-seater desk that expands right into a 6-seater after we want it, and tuck that right into a nook by the window.

Right here’s a messy sketch of some preliminary ideas:

• Execs of choice 1: I get every thing I need in a single area (however do I actually have sufficient room for every thing?). I may make it fairly sufficient that it doesn’t really feel too kid-like, however continues to be pleased sufficient for my precise child.
• Cons of choice 1: I’d should do away with all my furnishings that’s in right here, and that makes me very, very unhappy. Plus, I exploit that credenza to retailer plenty of small home equipment, platters, and different kitchen and eating issues I can’t match within the kitchen (however usually use). Additionally, me attempting to do every thing may find yourself being every thing performed poorly. Can you actually have all of it? (With good design, sure, probably).

Possibility 2: Attempt to slot in each a house workplace and a playroom.

So, perhaps there’s a world the place we get a folding desk and chairs that we hold within the storage when we have to feed greater than three folks, and I focus in on two main makes use of: workspace and play area. For anybody questioning how I might probably work with a toddler enjoying round me, the reply is: I don’t. I work whereas she’s at preschool or sleeping or being cared for by another person. I’d nonetheless should do away with mainly every thing in my eating room, however I’d get again my complete lounge. I might do a really fairly classic secretary desk in entrance of the window, flip the world the place the bar is now right into a studying nook for my lady, and have a lot area left over for all of her creativeness and playthings.

Right here’s one other hurried sketch of how I might make this work:

• Execs of choice 2: Loads of area for each work and play, and a chance to have some respiration room aesthetically (we now have an excessive amount of furnishings all over the place and it’s generally suffocating).
• Cons of choice 2: No extra eating room. No extra dining-related storage. Establishing a short lived consuming area in a playroom when the necessity arises.

Possibility 3: Use it simply as a playroom with tons of open area.

As I’m penning this, I can already let you know that I don’t assume that is the transfer. Whereas I do know I can discover a spot to work on this home (upstairs in my bed room, within the breakfast room, even within the “dungeon” if worst involves worst), I’m undecided it’s the most effective transfer for prime writing Arlyn. And writing is my livelihood so…yeah. I wanted to undergo the train of typing this out to know that I’d be the least proud of choice 3.

Now, for some cons about ALL of those plans: Sensible mother and father of EHD—Will my child even play in right here or will she simply go to the lounge anyway? I is perhaps okay with that state of affairs as a result of no less than I do know that every thing lives collectively in a single area on the finish of the day. However please, enlighten me together with your knowledge earlier than I make any drastic decisions like placing my beloved desk and chairs up on the market on Fb Market.

Oh, additionally! I’ve my sofa to sit down on in my lounge the place she at present performs and properly, I’m 40 now and would fairly not sit on the ground when she’s enjoying or I’m enjoying alongside her. A Nugget-esque sofa might resolve this, certainly.

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Earlier than wrapping up, I pulled some inspo of play areas with a few of her present storage items arrange in a approach that would work for us if all of them lived in the identical room, but in addition a number of rooms that appear to have a number of functions.

As a lot as I like this, we gained’t be doing any built-ins as a result of we’re simply renters and don’t know the way lengthy we’re even staying right here. BUT, I like the concept of the bigger low desk for play within the middle of the room. We’re massive Playdoh/coloring e book/watercolor/paper mosaic-gluing folks and extra floor space could be nice!

If you happen to stretch your creativeness a bit, I might see one thing like this for my area. A small desk (although perhaps one thing that extends), a number of chairs, a number of books/bookshelves, and a window seat!

Similar type of factor right here (the primary picture), only a bit too plain for my style. However good to see how a lot area is opened up with a a lot smaller desk (and one thing spherical is less complicated to put in a nook and nonetheless look good).

And type of simply what I need to have the ability to give my Evelyn. A bunch of open area to make a giant mess, have area to construct, climb, sit and browse, and all of the issues she loves.

SO: WHAT SAY YOU?? There’s so much to contemplate, and whereas I’m not locked into any “design” in the meanwhile, I do assume this train has no less than gotten the wheels churning a bit. The thought of promoting furnishings and discovering room for the issues *inside* the cupboards in my eating room is daunting, however so is each new challenge I suppose. Would love to listen to your ideas or encouragements. 🙂

Till subsequent time…

***Eating room after images: Design by Arlyn Hernandez | Images by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Arlyn’s Moody Eating Room Reveal Is All Concerning the Insane Energy of Paint