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collage_playroom.jpg

updating the playroom and pondering the accent wall

November 17, 2014

With Thanksgiving right around the corner and Christmas not too far off, plans have been in the works to finally change up the play room, note that I'm using the word "play" loosely as no one seems to enjoy hanging out in the draftiest and dimmest room in the house, shocker! Kids enjoy warmth and light, especially since spiders and cobwebs enjoy the dark corners and the chill. Oh, did I mention the 20 some-odd quotes scrawled in vibrant hues decorating the walls and ceilings of this room, courtesy of the high school girl who lived here before us. Although I shouldn't devalue affirmative quotes like "Keep dancing in the rain and partying like a rockstar" or " You must be the change you wish to see", but it's genuinely creepy. So, the bar is set pretty low and now the task is to convert it to a family room and guest room - basically the hub of the home, no pressure. This project, which was really set in motion by inadvertently inviting people over for the holidays (they took us up on it, who knew!), has unfortunately usurped the kitchen project (for now), but does add completely unused square footage to the house, it's like a free addition!! I'm just psyching myself up here! 

So how to make this room warm and inviting? Well, a good paint job will go a long way, but there are some positive things about this room that we will try to feature. Topping the list is a fireplace (currently holding a decommissioned wood stove) and a pair of (currently drafty) French doors out to the backyard patio. To update these items with working and weather tight features will take up most of the budget, so the rest of it needs to be fairly simple. To begin my inspirational quest I chose two designers I really enjoy, one is Victoria Smith (from the blog sfgirlbybay) whose style veers towards bohemian modern with a healthy dose of Scandinavian chic and and pure color and the other is Emily Henderson, who I've featured her love of all things colorful in the past. When I think of that new family room, that's the inspiration I land on: comfortable, colorful and modern  - it's a mid-century after all. I know a fairly good size couch will anchor this room and based on the fact that the last time my hubby and I were forced to agree on a couch it took for-e-ver. We're both stubborn in what we like and have to agree 50-50 (not sure who agreed to that). Thankfully we have a very similar aesthetic but there's a lot of different couches out there in the world, just saying'....  Anyway, so let's just start on the room color, and ideally that will solidify the couch and make life a little easier. I really enjoy rooms with a lot of art, and since this is a family room it seems like a lot of creative energy on the walls is appropriate. These are a few of my colorful inspirations....

I really like how the art pops off these white walls! I know you might be thinking, "Jen, why are you cluttering up the walls when you just painted over all those crazy quotes - shouldn't we opt for some calming zen? Yes, well, this seems so much more curated, doesn't it? It's a big room, too, so it can handle some bigger pieces. Other than art these rooms rely on some greatly textures rugs and open leg furniture, all things that I will keep in mind as I choose furnishings for this room. My concern is that the white isn't necessarily screaming a warm, cozy, hang by the fireplace (oh, yes, there will be a working fireplace!) vibe. That's where these more dramatic wall colors come into play....

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A little moodier, right? I had also wanted to incorporate some wallpaper into an existing window niche, but unfortunately the wall is seriously textured and getting it down to an appropriate flat finish will be way down the road. A little pop of gilded wallpaper in there, with these blue or bluish-grey walls? Hmm, my motivation is coming back. I'm not quite sure if all the walls being a dramatic color will make the room feel too dark or if the dark is just an accent wall, is that still a thing, having accent walls? Googling that just made my head hurt, so I'll give it a little personal thought and get back to you. I appreciate your weigh in!! Stay tuned for further updates as this room comes together...

Images courtesy of sfgirlbybay, emily henderson, apartment therapy and greenteadesign



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I'm an architect & writer based in Portland, Oregon. I'm passionate about broadcasting the value of design and established  Y/Wd in 2012 as a design resource with a mission to connect, create & communicate. 

I design spaces both large & small. I'm a list maker, researcher & a card-carrying introvert. I relish problem solving & finding the perfect fit. I'm a fan of process and storytelling - finding connections between seemingly random ideas is my super power!  

Life is full of daily doses of inspiration, I'm happy to share a bit with you. ---- Jen

@yellowwooddesign on Dwell

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