Our Playroom Reveal: A Room with Purpose (and plaid)

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We moved into this house four years ago this month, and for a loooooong time, this room sat mostly empty. Okay, well design empty—with leftover bits and bobs from living rooms past. And a trillion toys. Plus my hopes and dreams of what it could be.

We knew it wasn’t time yet. Our three boys hadn't fully outgrown the giant-toy phase (they were 3, 8, and 10 at the time), and we weren’t ready to invest in a space that would be covered in plastic light-up chaos and dings from banging literally anything into everything.

But now? We’re in the sweet spot. Our boys are growing fast—into books, LEGO builds, movie nights, video games, board games, art, and spontaneous sibling wrestling. It was time to build a room that could meet them there. Plus, be good-looking and functional enough to work for Steven and me when they move out (😭 it's happening too fast).

A room that says: this space is for you. But also: you’re going to treat it with respect, or I will end you.

So here it is—after much ado and a YEAR to pull off—our Playroom Reveal. A layered, lived-in space designed for the stage we’re in, full of personal touches, intentional choices, and a hell of a lot of plaid.

Here we are on move-in day! See how tiny they were?!

THE BEFORE: SAD WHITE BOX

Here's how it looked the day we moved in. Well, what can I say about this?!

The Pros – It is a good-sized room. It has natural light. It is upstairs and blessedly far away from my eardrums.

The Cons – so dull. SOOOOOO DULLLLLLLLL. But full of potential?!

Here's how it looked up until this reno kicked off. A mish-mash of furnishings left over from past living rooms. No cohesion. No clear style direction. And no storage, so stuff just sat everywhere.

I honestly hate to even admit that this is what this room looked like! Don't judge; designers always tackle our spaces last. The cobbler's kids have no shoes (or in this case, built ins).

Let's fix him up, shall we?!

BUILT- INS: FUNCTION MEETS FLEXIBILITY

The custom built-ins were by far our biggest investment here—and the heartbeat of this space. We waited until our boys were old enough to be kind to nice things, and it was absolutely worth it. These adjustable shelves hold our epic book collection (our kids are avid readers; more on that in a minute) and their best LEGO creations.

Both of these collections were the main reason behind finishing out this playroom. They were taking over the upstairs, getting broken and lost, and needed a home base. We thought the shelves would leave us room to grow. (Spoiler: we filled them almost immediately.)

The drawers are deep and practical. They hold our DVDs (yes, we still have—and use—DVDs), endless amounts of kids' artwork creations, and extra blankets. Can't have enough blankets.

And the real gem? That window seat. We used a Pindler fabric for the custom cushion and installed sconces on dimmers for evening reading. It is, without question, the most fought-over spot in the house. Layered with Pendleton blankets, plaid roman shades (cordless for kid safety, light-filtering to cut glare on the TV), and plenty of pillows, it’s the unofficial heart of our summer reading routine.

THE FURNITURE: SENTIMENTAL + STRATEGIC

The blue sofa is old—like 15+ years old—but it’s still comfy and in great shape, and we weren’t ready to part with it yet. We'll let the kids continue to destroy it for another decade or so. I've linked it below—this thing is indestructible.

We chose a paint color (Benjamin Moore Knoxville Gray) that worked with the sofa but didn’t tie us down forever. Eventually, we may swap it for a sleeper sofa for cousin overflow, but for now? It’s staying.

And that plaid chair? She’s got a story. Steven and I bought it at an estate sale when we were newly married and wildly broke. It’s been reupholstered checks notes three times: once in an inexpensive fabric that stained in five seconds but was the best we could afford, then in something more durable that the kids and cats absolutely destroyed, and now—finally—in a commercial-grade plaid from Stinson that can stand up to our personal brand of mortal-combat-level chaos. And plaid forever, obviously.

THE GALLERY WALL: COLLECTED, NOT COORDINATED

This wall makes me smile every time I walk in. The console is actually a vintage dresser I found on Facebook Marketplace. And I didn't get murdered when I went to pick it up, which is a win.

The art? Collected over the past four years. Some vintage, some new, all centered around a vintage Americana camp vibe.

Pro tip: Your gallery wall doesn’t have to be made entirely of art. We added vintage tennis racquets for dimension and personality. Plus Max's cowboy hat, on an attractive hook so the wall still looks right when he decides he wants to leave the house in style. And of course, our growth chart measuring stick we’ve had for nearly 14 years had to make the cut. (Spoiler: my oldest is officially taller than me. Make time slow down, please.)

DESIGNING FOR THIS STAGE OF LIFE

We designed this room for the age they are now—tween-ish. Big enough to read and rest, small enough to still pile up together on the floor for "sleepovers" with their brothers. The toys are fewer. The books are multiplying. The movie nights are getting more epic.

They read here. They build here. They make art here. They argue over whose LEGO goes on which shelf. And when it’s quiet, I find the cats curled up in the sunniest spot like they own the place. (Which, let’s be honest—they kind of do.)

CREATING A ROOM THAT BHILDS CHARACTER

This playroom isn’t just a hangout space. It’s part of our bigger parenting strategy—what started as “Camp Lenney,” and now that the entire internet has noticed, is evolving into something we’re calling Camp Homebody.

This is born out of the fact that we work from home and run a business full time, and driving to and from three different camps from 9–12 each weekday is a pain in the BUTT and not actually helpful. So mostly they are at home, and only lightly supervised. (Part of the whole building grit and independence thing).

A few years back, Steven and I sat down and named the values we want to instill in our boys—faith, ownership, kindness, adventure, grit, etc. We only have such a short window of time with our kids. We named our values, and then reverse-engineered our way backwards. What do we need to teach them TODAY so that when they leave, this is the kind of person they are ready to be?

Each summer, we build a loose Summer Camp, with each week centering around one of those themes.

But don't miss this part: the kids plan the activities, not me. This isn't about creating a bunch of Pinterest-y extra work. One year they had an Art-themed week. They made a different type of art each day, invited their Grandpa (an artist) over to teach them, and then held a Gallery Opening with snacks and drinks (that they made!) for us to all come and see their creations.

Creativity. Ownership. Calling a human on the phone. Cooking. So much goodness.

And, back to my point above, one of those values is: screens are kind of out of control and you should read more books.

Hence—the window seat. And also the Camp Homebody schedule that has reading time before screen time on the daily.

Want to grab our full summer setup? We’ve made a free guide and template with our exact process, editable templates, and a flexible summer rhythm. It's our Lazy Mom Summer strategy that helps you go light on screens without going bat sh*t insane.

👉 Get the guide here!

GET THE LOOK

Lamp | Console | Roman Shade | Raquets | Flag | Green Plaid | Brown Plaid | Sconce | Guadalupe Mtns Poster

Nat'l Parks Poster | Cowboy Painting | Hardware | Blanket | Couch | Throw Pillow

Thanks for joining me on this little tour. Now if you need me, I’ll be in the window seat... until someone kicks me out.

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