I am so excited to share our basement playroom reveal! When we moved into this house, the basement was finished but lacking design and needed a new paint job. The previous owners used it as a spare bedroom and craft area for their kids. The old paint was a tired beige that didn’t brighten up the space enough.
After a year and half, we set on the mission to complete a combo room that both my husband and son could use. We also needed a space for mass books and toys. Given we were knee deep still in COVID, we knew Cooper would be home with a nanny for awhile and needed his own section. Two full time remote parents and a newborn can be challenging with noise. We spent two days painting and planning but knew we would fall into the neutral color category, per usual.
Our basement now serves in three different sections- a man cave complete with bean bags and all the leather (reveal is coming!), a cozy playroom section and a guest room with exercise equipment. With the competing and very different sections, we opted to keep the neutral color scheme going with pops of masculine colors like navy and camel.
Let’s talk about the “Mini Man Cave” section of the basement today!
DECOR
To be honest, I didn’t think shopping for a boy could be so fun. I love all the “Mini Man Cave” items you can find now, especially for a space that was a “Grown Up Man Cave” on the other side. Very fitting! We opted for Sherwin Williams Repose Gray as our paint color. Another day, another gray.
You might be wondering why we have a small Teepee that is too small for a child? It was our dog Stella’s. Stella passed away a week after Cooper came home and we like to keep parts of her in our house to remind us how amazing she was. For the playroom, her little Teepee adds a nice accent and serves as a reminder to her little brother!
For Christmas, Cooper’s grandparents bought him the custom Pottery Barn Chair. The deep navy really pops against the neutral grays. He loves the chair!
Mini Man Cave Sign // Shiplap Chalkboard Sign // Stella’s Teepee // Chalk Pens // Pottery Barn Chair //
STORAGE & SET UP
Super Size Toy Organizer // Skip Hop Baby Play Mat // Closed Chest Toy Storage // Neutral Storage Baskets // “Stuff” Basket // Ten Apples Up On Top! Book // Gray Baskets //
An abundance of books and toys meant storage was a necessity. We took over the corner of the room laying foam playmat material against the baseboards. We needed two sets of the Skip Hop Baby Play Mat. They were very easy to interlock multiple sets and are very easy to clean!
We chose a classic storage chest (dupe) from our registry which is great for hiding all the things and storing blankets in the winter. On the opposite wall we have an “open concept” toy bin so we are able to see all the toys without having to dump out bins and bins to find a specific one.
For my baby shower, guests used books in place of cards. It was a lovely way to collect books for Cooper with reminders each day from all the people who love him. Everyone has a favorite kids book right? It is always fun to read the inside cover and learn why each person picked that book or what advice they have for our little guy. Throughout our house we have all the books organized in various storage baskets for easy access.
Can you ever have too many baskets? Nope!
I usually get all my baskets at Home Goods or Marshalls, they have a basket for every occasion and theme. For the playroom we bought ones with text like “Toys” or “Little Things.” Check out my shop page for more baskets I love! Generally, I like to buy items that can be transferred room to room as things rearrange. It helps avoid getting rid of stuff because we’ve outgrown it. Here they fit very nicely!
Stay tuned for the “Man Cave” reveal on the other side of the “Mini Man Cave.” Coming soon! Comment below on how you like to store toys and books!
xo
Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you click through the link at no additional cost to you.