Home Tour: One Mom’s Smart & Chic Office-Playroom Design
In my dream world, I’d have my own home office. But when we moved into our new home last winter, I soon realized a room to myself wasn’t in the cards. We have three busy little boys and their needs–bedrooms and a solid playspace–are a bigger priority at this time. So as we started mapping out the various rooms, we quickly decided that we’d take what was previously a formal living room, and turn it into a playroom, with a workspace on one end, so I could at least have a little area to work from, for both professional assignments and family admin.
Working from home is nothing new. Since early 2020, as the pandemic hit, many of us have been learning the ins and outs of integrating family and work life. As a freelance writer, I entered this world years earlier, and overall, love it. So while I’m on the experienced end of juggling working at home, with three kiddos under the age of six and the goal of putting us together in one room, I felt lost, logically and stylistically. I needed support, so I called on my friend and designer Jessica Klein of Oh, I Design Studio. Jess has over 12 years of experience in interior design, styling and organization, and I knew I could count on her expertise and keen sense of style to help me create a cohesive space for my boys and myself.
But let me be clear. I am not writing an intensive dissertation while my children play quietly on their own all day long. I was never under the assumption that I’d work for endless hours with zero interruptions; that was not the goal of the space. I strived for a space where I could be crossing things off my to-do list at the same time my boys built complex cities with their colorful Magnatiles. Where we could coexist and co-create, separate but together.
Design Goal
The goal was for this space to be clean, in both design and organization, gentle on the eye, while still maintaining a sense of whimsy and fun. I wanted the playspace to capture the boys’ sweet energy and sense of adventure. The work area needed to have an overall calm vibe–not to compete with the playspace but rather complement it–and help bring this tired mama a sense of order and inspiration, and thus, productivity.
Before
The room was in great shape to begin with; beautiful hardwood floors and white crown molding, two sets of French doors and two large windows on each end of the room.
We were looking to add, along with an intentional layout:
Rug/flooring
Toy storage and organization (of utmost importance!)
Lighting
Work/life storage and organization (aka files for school forms, memories books, etc)
Artwork and decor
The Design Process:
Jess reassured me that with small, simple, yet incredibly intentional decisions, we could create two distinct spaces—one for children’s play, one for adult work—without putting up some sort of divider and breaking up the room in a way that would be harsh to the eye. For this space, we went with the rug as the main piece that defined the different areas within the room and then used the chairs and other playroom pieces as a flexible, creative way to make a “wall” if needed–they can always be moved around!
We planned to put our large desk at one end, facing outwards onto our front lawn, making that area the workspace. It would take up approximately ⅓ of the whole room.
The rest of the space, the remaining ⅔ of the room, would be for the boys to play. We would incorporate a large rug to define the playspace as separate from the desk area. And then we planned to use various arrangements of the playroom furniture as a technique to further create the two distinct regions of this room.
Before and After
Product Details
RUG: We wanted a large rug, approximately 9x13, one that wasn’t rough on little ones’ feet and crawling knees but also sturdy enough to withhold a lot of play, tumbles and wrestling matches.
We chose the Polly Area Rug from Chris Loves Julia x Loloi collection, in Antique, Mist.
LIGHTING: The windows give a great amount of natural light, but we still needed more, especially for the evenings. Jess recommended a large tripod style for the end of the room where I’d be writing (less likely the kiddos would run around and trip on it there!), and then out of the way of running feet with a wall sconce on the other end, by our bookcase, creating a reading/library area.
We chose the Metal Tripod Floor Lamp in Black from Target’s Threshold collaboration with Studio McGee, and Serena and Lily’s Flynn Wall Sconce.
STORAGE & ORGANIZATION: Jess recommended we have closed storage options so that we could put toys out of sight, to help create a calmer scene. We chose these IKEA Havsta cabinets, putting three of them together.
When it came time for containing the individual toys, Jess introduced me to SortJoy, maker of sustainable bins and organizational tools that are absolutely gorgeous. We stocked up on their Original Sculpted Bins and their Wide Sculpted Bins and started filling them with our Magnatiles, Legos, trains, planes, and automobiles. SortJoy bins are so structured, they don’t tip or bend over, even with little hands tugging and pulling. And the icing on the cake? They are simply beautiful. My heart is so happy just looking at them.
It didn’t take long to realize another benefit of these simple yet effective containers: they look nice enough to leave out, and by keeping a few out and about, my boys have been dipping their hands into toys they haven’t played with in awhile, newly curious.
CHAIRS: When Jess recommended some adult chairs in the playroom, I was a bit skeptical. But she was adamant: let’s give the grownups a place to sit so that they aren’t always on the floor when playing with the littles. So I put my trust in her hands… and I’m so glad I did. My husband and I are obsessed. This is where we sit with our coffees as we chat and watch the boys play.
We went with the Latitude Run Swivel Barrel Chair from Wayfair. I love the comfort meets chic style, my boys love that they can curl right up in them to read, and we all love the faux shearling texture.
My Must-Have for Working From Home With Kids
DESK: We already had a desk that we loved (my husband had built it years ago) but we decided to raise it up into a standing desk. With the higher level, little hands on lots of paperwork were less likely to be an issue and I enjoy the ability to just pop over to the desk and get something little done, while still being active with my boys, without the temptation of sinking into a chair. I highly recommend this; as time has gone on, the raised desk has proven to be more helpful than I could have ever imagined.
WORK/LIFE ADMIN ORGANIZATION: Less exciting, but equally important, was the need to house some of my own items, copies of magazines I’m published in, books that I reference for personal or professional use, files for children’s school forms and current to-do’s, plus some storage for stationery and office supplies.
We ended up going with the Hemnes Glass Door Cabinet (with three drawers) from IKEA, and I’m beyond thrilled with it. It looks absolutely lovely and grown up, which I wanted for my workspace, and conquers the tricky balance of storage vs. display.
WHY I LOVE THIS FLOOR PLAN: With the areas distinctly defined, with the help of the rug and the layout of the toys and playroom pieces, the kiddos have kept to their space for the most part. Sure a few Legos find their way under my desk and yes, my toddler toddles over for a hug from time to time, but overall, when each of our own spaces is understood and we each have our needs and wants arranged effectively, we’ve been doing well keeping to our sides. Another pleasant surprise benefit to smart design.
Inspired to set up a similar integrated space?
Here’s what to keep in mind, courtesy of Jess Klein, Oh, I Design Studio:
To create separate spaces within one room, think beyond faux “walls” and other literal dividers. Spaces can be defined in a variety of ways, like flooring, lighting, and furniture.
Little details can make a BIG difference. Case in point: hardware. Jess recommended this simple but chic hardware upgrade for the IKEA cabinets and I was shocked by what a difference they made. For less than $50, they elevated a basic piece of furniture into something a bit more sophisticated and chic.
When it comes to storing all the endless toys, games, and more, it’s best to go with the same type of bin, just in different sizes if possible. For example, when you open up the IKEA storage, you see all the same SortJoy bins, not a bunch of different storage boxes in different colors and sizes. This creates a sense of calm, even when the toys are of all different shapes, sizes, and colors.
Keeping with a simple color palette helps to unify an entire space, and especially in a playroom filled with bright toys, helps to create a calming backdrop.
Go bigger when it comes to art and lighting! I often see homes that have lots of smaller items in a room, whether it’s furniture, rugs, or decor. For example, if you have a 60” console table you are looking for a mirror to hang above for instance, let’s go at least 48” (assuming you have the space).
Group like items together. This may sound simple, but grouping books, trains, games, etc. will help you figure out what type of containers you need and help to contain the chaos
When toys have been placed in certain containers (and labeled!), it’s so much easier for kids to clean up after themselves.
I always recommend a variety of lighting—overhead, task and/or some ambient if the overhead isn’t already present.
Whenever you get stuck, think about how you want your space to FEEL vs. look as it will often help guide your decisions.
Read More:
