For families with young children, the living room is usually the busiest space in the home. And now, perhaps more than ever, many of us are spending a lot more time at home and our living rooms are seeing a lot more action. Whether you use your living space for lounging, watching TV, working, working out, homeschooling, or even as a playroom for the kiddos, having a functional space that can support all those needs is important.
Because, as parents with young kids will know, when your living room becomes your playroom (and home gym, office, movie theater, etc), things can easily start to feel pretty crowded and even cluttered. It’s no wonder that customers frequently ask for ideas on how to incorporate a play area for kids in their living room designs. To help, we gathered 8 of our favorite ideas on creating a kids playroom within your living room.
Read on for 8 tips for designing a play space in your living room!
1. Delineate With a Rug
Add a colorful rug as a way to “zone” a kid’s playroom and create some visual separation from the main living space. This is also a great way to visually let kids know where it’s ok to leave toys out for play.
Adding a rug is a quick and easy update that everyone can immediately get on board with. We say opt for a sturdy area rug (like an indoor/outdoor or natural fiber option) that can stand up to lots of wear and tear.
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2. Dedicate a Storage Spot
Some spaces might be better suited to a play corner rather than a full-on playroom. If this sounds like your home, try dedicating a corner to a kids play space, complete with ample storage solutions for all their toys.
Not sure where to start? Try tucking in a storage bench or a few baskets into a corner. These are easy and kid friendly toy storage solutions. It’s a great way to minimize clutter and contain messes since everything can be stowed away quickly and neatly.
For an added bonus, you can repurpose the bench in a new area in your home once the kids outgrow their toys.
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3. Carve Out a Cushy Corner
Little nooks in your space, such as a tricky-shaped landing at the top of your stairs, are perfect places for setting up a small kids’ corner in your home. (This is especially great if you’d rather not dedicate part of your living room to a kid space).
Plop down a few beanbag chairs and poufs, along with a small table and some storage, to create a cozy playroom that’s perfect for playing with toys, storytime, and even fun games.
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4. Create a Low-Furniture Nook
There are endless options for kid friendly living room furniture out there, but no need to stick to pint-size pieces when creating your living room/playroom.
Low-profile pieces, such as poufs and ottomans are great seating options for a play area—they’re small enough for kids and pair nicely with child-sized tables. They also make great perches and footstools for adults, so they’ll be sure to get plenty of use in your living room and beyond.
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5. Play Up a Colorful Alcove
If your living space is equipped with a recessed wall area, turn it into a colorful play corner that appeals to your kids in a big, bright way.
Think a fun, vibrant sofa with fun pillows and patterns, along with a charming rug. This is a great way to put an awkward corner to use in a living space and incorporate fun colors that aren’t elsewhere in your home.
6. Tuck Toys to the Side
Carve out a special, playroom nook by pulling your sofa away from the wall and using either the side or the back to divide the space. This gives the kids a designated area to stash toys and play in your living room while grownups can watch over from nearby.
Stylists Tip: For a great multipurpose piece, try a couple of inexpensive coffee tables in place of a kids-table. They look nice and often last longer, so you can repurpose them easily once the play area is no longer needed.
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7. Dream Up the Ultimate Playroom
If you have a larger living space, consider converting one end of the room into a full-on play area for your kids and their favorite toys.
This approach is all about going big. Bring in all the best toys like a fort, mini kitchen, and a kid-sized table and chairs to create a space they can call their own. Make sure to consider durable fabrics that can stand up to lots of romping, rolling, and any occasional spills!
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8. Design a Kid-Friendly Office
Need a place to work and keep an eye on the children? Or maybe you need a designated space for them to work on assignments from home? Set up a small play/learn corner in your living room or home office if you have space. Pull in a few ottomans or poufs and a low table for your kids to crayon, play with puzzles, or read. Add a shaggy sheepskin to cozy up the spot!
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You made a good point that low furniture would help a lot in making my living room a lot more useful as a playroom. I’m thinking about shopping for new toy from a toy store soon because my toddler is starting to learn to grasp things with her hands. Perhaps now would be a perfect time to start buying her toys that will help her learn more such as building blocks.
I was looking for a sofa for a playroom and I saw an old post where you had a bright orange/reddish sofa – i know it’s a long shot but just wondering if you know the vendor.
It’s from Joybird. We also have a similar item available from our in house line Ravine Home https://www.ravinehome.com/
Hi, Great post. Where is the center table from, the one is picture #8.
Where is the egg chair from??
Pottery Barn Kids!
Hi, great styles! Where is the rug in #7 from? Really love it!
Hi Cheena – The rug was from Land of Nod which is now Crate & Kids. Happy styling!
I love the little table and stools in #7, where are they from? You should have given links for everything because they’re all great looking.
Hi Anya, thanks for reaching out and yes linking to more products is something we are working on adding! Here is the link to the little table and stools. Happy styling!
Where can I find the bean bag chairs in your Cushy Corner photo?
Hi Sharika, thanks for asking! It’s the adjustable bean bag chair from Crate & Kids, you can check it out here or see it in your space (and shop it with exclusive discounts) through Modsy. Happy styling
Where is the small white table from in design 4? And the adorable white poufs!
Hi Leilani – thanks for asking! The poufs are from CB2 (peek them here) and the coffee table is from The Mine. You can see + shop both pieces in your space with Modsy!
Where is the rug in the small furniture picture from?
Hi Margo! It’s the Monaco Vintage rug from Safavieh. You can check it out here.
Good Post.!
Really amazing designs, Worth to visited to have a look these such a amazing designs…
Thanks for your efforts for sharing these designs.!
What is the white shelving with storage in #5?
Hi Joel! It’s the Pink Flamingos Rug from Anthropologie. Happy styling!