Fabulous Forts

It's no secret that children love forts. 



My daughter begs to make forts out of blankets and chairs.  And when all else fails, I will sometimes find her putting a blanket over a small table and hiding under there to play! 



Kids love having a hideaway spot to go to!



So why not have a bit more fun and let your children have a permenant fort, in their bedroom or playroom!  Here are a few great ways to let your kids have a fun fort in their room:

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I absolutly love how fun this fab fort bed is! 

  

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Behind this great bookcase is a small hideaway where that little bookworm of yours can hide away and read all afternoon!

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Using old sheets, blankets or fabric, you can achieve this throw-together look simply.  But by using rope to secure it to the ceiling, you can make it a semi-permanent feature in a playroom.

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If your little princess doesn't want a "fort", you can still give her a sense of a hideaway spot by using a pretty pink canopy in her room!

Do your kids have a special hideaway spot they can go to? 

Ashley Phipps is an Interior Designer, NCIDQ #25242,

living in the Indianapolis area, and author of the blog Simply Designing. 

You can follow Ashley at her blog Simply Designing, Facebook and Twitter.

Creative Playroom

Tiffany Palm shared her adorable kids playroom with us. Check out all the cool ideas....

What gave you the idea for the room? Anything special that inspired you?

When we bought our house the basement was totally unfinished. Now that our children are old enough to play without constant supervision we decided to give them their own space (and move them out of ours!).   Most of the toys have been moved down there now! I was inspired by many things. I found much inspiration on Design Dazzle along with various children's catalogs and design websites. When I was little my dad built a playhouse for my sister, brother and I under our stairs and I knew I had to do the same for my kids!

 

Clever costume storage.

What is the wall paint color? Any do-it-yourself projects?

This was a very budget friendly project. We did most of the work ourselves (learning a lot along the way!). I painted the walls white and then used various leftover paint colors that I have used elsewhere in my house to accent the walls. I used an overhead projector to project images onto the wall, traced them with a pencil and then painted them. The rain gutter bookshelves were a very popular post on the Design Dazzle website and when I saw them I knew I had to use them to create a reading corner!

Please share any bedding, art, furniture finds? What's your favorite purchase?  Any interesting facts our readers would want to know?

The curtains for the stage area are actually wall tapestries that I found on clearance at Target when the back to school items went on clearance. I sewed tabs on the top and hung them from inexpensive PVC pipe. I love that even though it is a basement with very little natural light, it is bright and cheery and a happy place for kids to play! We are still adding to it (artwork, some mirrors for dress up and a bigger and better kitchen area). I will send in more pictures when we are done! :)



Thanks Tiffany for sharing such a creative space!!

Playroom Chalkboard Walls

This room is so creatively, FUN! I am fancying the wild chalk coloring on the chalkboard walls. A very unique use of wall space! Everywhere the children look they can be inspired in their own creative expression!

This playroom was designed for the Traditional Home Built for Women III Showhouse. Image from here.

Clever Playroom Ideas For Kids

HGTV’s “Showdown – Battle of the Design Stars” designed these playrooms. The challenge was to create a playroom for two little girls. In the end, the parents would choose the room they liked best. In the above room the colorful, larger than life wall art is fanciful and fun. The colors are vibrant and energizing.There is lots of room to play which is important in a play room.

This room was chosen as the winner. I love the personal touch of naming the playroom after the two girls, "Hannah and Abbey Playhouse"--children love to see their names in print! Immediately as you enter the room you feel the invitation to create and imagine! What an inventive idea using butcher paper to "feed through" framed art for immediate access to drawing. The children will love designing and displaying their prized artwork here. Both rooms are inviting and kid friendly!



Another playroom from HGTV is this room that was designed for triplets (all boys)! The theme was somewhat automotive and definitely colorful. Incorporated into the playroom design was each boys color. The wainscoting is made out of yardsticks that have been painted.

Colorful crafting zone - complete with shelving and storage.

Separate reading cubbies were designed for each child.

A racetrack play table is made out of tires and Plexiglas. Notice the storage in the middle of the tire - clever! All images from here.

Tangram Bookshelf

What is a tangram? It's a puzzle with origins from China. It is formed by dividing a square into 7 pieces. You try to form a figure with the pieces. Lago has come up with a tangram bookshelf. The only limit is your imagination. Great idea!

Animal Farm Playroom

Think clever, organized playroom with forts. Add to the mix a playhouse and secret hideway and voila you've got the cutest playroom ever. Click here to see more photos. Designed by Kelly Glanzer.

Fun and Funky Grass

Think fun and funky. An Italian based company Gruppo Strum, design and make interesting seating. Made from polyurethane that's been painted and created to resemble a tall patch of grass. This chair allows you to figure out the most comfortable lounge/seating position. On the plus side no need to worry about cutting the grass or sneezing due to grass allergies! Great idea for a bug or garden playroom. Unfortunately, with a price tag of around $14,000 it probably isn't happening. Adirondack chair anyone? 

Fun and Funky Rock

Here's another chair made out of polyurethane...a moon rock.