Under the Stairs Makeover
This room under the stairs has been a dumping ground for a while. I put in the peg board two years ago and hung all our Nerf guns. I even outline the guns to make it easier to hang them back up. It was adorable… but kids, man, they are the worst sometimes. Despite my effort to make it easy to clean up, I was the only one ever doing it. When I went on strike, it became a massive pile of stuff that greeted us when we walked in the front door. I had enough.
I went through the room with a vengeance and cleaned everything out. I took stuff to the thrift store, banned Nerf guns from the downstairs (now in a playroom that is out of sight), and dreamed up a new space for the kiddos.
My kids have been into playing “camp” since this summer when they experienced going to a summer day program through the local rec center. Each will think up activities, and that person becomes the camp counselor. Since we already had a bunch of campground-type stuff, I came up with the idea to make a campfire-type area.
The half bathroom, painted black (check this post out for that journey), is two steps away from this space. So, the dark colors paired well after painting the walls and shelves. I painted a quick pine tree in the corner to keep the vibe outdoorsy. Then, I got the idea to add greenery to make it even more cozy.
The only things I purchased for this renovation were paint, one gallon of black and one gallon of blue, the moon lamp, and the pine tree blanket. Our house has so many quilts and blankets that I didn’t need one more blanket, but for $10, it seemed totally worth it. We already owned everything else in this space. The kiddie camp chairs were bought in an after-season sale. The fabric campfire is something I bought years ago, even before we had kids, because I had this dream of being a Mama bear with a bunch of cubs. I bought it from Crate and Barrel. They don’t sell them anymore, but this one on Amazon is similar. Or if you are crafty, Ana White has an easy wood DIY, or I found instructions for a fabric set. The kids could even make one from paper!
I think the best ideas come from stuff you already have. Buying stuff is fun, but dreaming up new ways to use the items you have around your house brings a deeper love for your belongings. The kids LOVE this space! Of course, after day one, it was a train wreck. But that is life with kids.