Hi friends! Today I’m introducing you to the next project we’re going to be working on, converting our upstairs loft bonus room into a playroom. I’ve never shared this space in our home before. Mostly because it has never really had a purpose. It previously housed my Peloton and we keep a daybed in here for overflow guests. The room is large and open to the downstairs. Our fireplace is two-story and two-sided so we have a second fireplace in this space. While having a large stone structure in the middle of the room isn’t ideal for a toddler’s playroom, it’s what we have.

Upstairs Loft Playroom: The Before

Check out the before photos of the space.

One wall is entirely windows so it gets a lot of natural light. This room faces west so the afternoon light in here is quite intense so we will need a window covering solution.

There is currently a closet (the door to the right of the daybed) that I want to convert into a playhouse. It’s not a very deep closet so we may have to build it out a bit. I’m still working that out in my head. Eventually, I’d like to add built-in storage after the kid(s) outgrow the playhouse but I think in the meantime, a little house is perfect.

Since the room is a large rectangular space, I envision breaking it up into zones. A soft area for reading and playing, an arts and crafts area, an area for a small table, etc.

Here you can see how the room overlooks the downstairs. The guest bedroom and nursery are down the hall so the room is situated perfectly for a playroom. It’s out of sight when you’re downstairs but still open so I can keep an eye on the room from downstairs.

Upstairs Loft Playroom: Design Inspiration

We have little wall space so that makes things a bit tricky. Furniture and “stations” in the room will have to be floating. We can do a small toy shelf against the stair railings but I want to avoid covering the railings with much more than that. Right now there is a lot of hardness – the wood floor, metal railings, and stone fireplace so I’ve really got to soften it up.

Here is some playroom design inspiration I’ve been loving. I’ve saved a lot more on my Pinterest board.

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How cute is this tent?

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Here is a good example of what I mean by converting the closet to a playhouse. How cute is that kid-sized dutch door?!?

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I’ve thought about adding built-in seating, perhaps with storage, along the wall of windows. We wouldn’t do it immediately, I’d like to live in and use the space a little more before I decide if it would be worth it.

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Upstairs Loft Playroom: Moodboard

It’s early in the design process but here are my preliminary thoughts regarding the design. The shapes art reflects the color scheme I’m headed toward. Muted, earthy tones like much of our home. I’d like to bring in a rug and use the canopy that initially was in Shiloh’s nursery. The green nugget kids sofa is on order and my mother-in-law is giving us a low kids table that my husband used as a child. I’ll pair it with new kids chairs and bring in a shelf for toys, baskets for storage, and an easel when she’s big enough. The closet-turned-playhouse will be icing on the cake!

What do you guys think about the plan for our upstairs loft playroom? Any playroom necessities I’m missing or that you recommend?