Goodbye Dining Room, Hello Playroom.

**button68** · 15-01-2008, 09:15 AM

I've mixed feelings on this one

.

My dining room (NOT formal by any means) was kinda a 'family room' anyway where my children (4 & 11) chilled and did activities during the day. We have kept the lounge semi decent and we only go in there of an evening really.

I decided over the weekend that if I was going to give this 'childminding lark' a serious go then I needed the playroom that prospective parents saw was more...well... playroomy!!

Yesterday DH painted it a neutral cream (looks very stark

) and I have bought and ABC frieze and a 123 frieze to put up along with a large parents notice board. Hopefully my prospective mindees will brighten it up

Lastly, I've replaced a family picture on the fireplace with .......... my Registration Cerificate

It will feel like we are eating our family meals in a nursary, but what else can I do?

Hopefully in a few years time I will have made enough money to add a conservatory.

**angeldelight** · 15-01-2008, 09:18 AM

It sounds really nice and your own children can still use it for their " own space" in the evenings and weekends

I think it is better to have one room looking like a nursery rather than the whole house - which is what mine is looking like at the moment ha

Angel xx

**berkschick** · 15-01-2008, 09:31 AM

Lol and mine Angel!

We have a conservatory which is meant to be a playroom but the rabbit is in there and I am scared she will bite one of the mindees ( she has never bitten before and is 5 years old but I would never forgive myself) so now under my stairs in the lounge is full of toys too! We converted our garage into a den so my older ones have somewhere to go! But I feel like Im living in a nursery too! Cant wait to ger Rosie ( the rabbit!) back outside and have a proper playroom than can be used.

Its a good idea to keep your lounge a lounge Button. Once you have mindees drawing and painting you lovely pictures the playroom will look lovely!

Love

Debbie

**sarah707** · 15-01-2008, 09:37 AM

It sounds lovely! You can brighten up the walls with lots of posters, then they won't seem so bleak! It's like taking the Christmas decs down isn't it? Everything looks a bit sad for a while...

I hope you enjoy your new space

**berkschick** · 15-01-2008, 09:42 AM

There is a really nice welcome poster on Ebay that says hello in lots of differant languages, that would look great up.

I think it will be great to have an area to display items related to the topic of the month too without having to sit and look at them all night too lol

You could get a weather chart too, although it probably wont ever change from wind and rain lol

Love

Debbie

**Schnakes** · 15-01-2008, 09:45 AM

Id love to turn my dining room into a playroom, but we have an open plan house so the toys just take over! There is some really beautiful funiture and stuff and posters etc that I want to put in the dining room but at the same time when the kids go home I want my house to look like a home so...

I go through phases though...for a couple of months I'll have loads of art work and posters etc all over the walls...another month (this one for example!) I take them all down cos they drive me nuts!! Oh lordy...Ofsted must think Im the worst childminder ever!!

Sx

**ajs** · 15-01-2008, 09:46 AM

it sounds lovely and oh to have a husband who does
my playroom still has the half peeling woodchip that we half peeled off when we did the rewring wehn we moved in 8 years ago so i am getting more then a little peeved with my husband
i got the steam stripper back from a friend last easter as he promised he would strip it then
don't worry i am not holding my breath

**Mollymop** · 15-01-2008, 09:47 AM

Sounds like a good idea, Button.
It must be nice to have the room for a playroom.
I am like you, hopefully save enough money for an extenstion or a conservatory, just so I can have all the toys out of my lounge!

I hope it goes well for you X
You' ll have to post a picture when it's finished.

**angeldelight** · 15-01-2008, 09:48 AM

You still moaning at the lovely David ? haha

Angel xx

**ajs** · 15-01-2008, 09:48 AM

sorry meant to say your play/dining room sounds lovely and yes it is great not having to put other people's kids artwork all over your own living space

**Rubybubbles** · 15-01-2008, 10:16 AM

thats my one big dream, enjoy!!

Post some pictures too I'm so nosey xx

**LittleMissSparkles** · 15-01-2008, 10:30 AM

I often wish we'd bought a house with a seperate dining area now im minding, still hope to convert the garage though at sme point xxxx

Would love to see some pics when you have got it sorted please xxx

**Banana** · 15-01-2008, 10:54 AM

We had to do the same thing. We used our conservatory as a dining room and then when I started minding the conservatory became a playroom and now we eat dinner on our laps - which I hate so much!!

You do what you have to though to make it child friendly! What you have done sounds nice! I am sure the children and parenst will appreciate it!
x

**manjay** · 15-01-2008, 10:59 AM

I had a big spare wall in my kitchen that is used as my display wall. It's ok at the moment but I will be glad when dh finally gets round to doing my garage conversion!. We have the planning permission, all the materials and the garage has been cleared ready! The only thing we don't have is time! As he works silly hours and quite often works away it is really difficult to get it done! Oh well one day I suppose! maybe if I made a start on it it would frighten him into getting on with it!

amanda xx

**LittleMissSparkles** · 15-01-2008, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by manjay

I had a big spare wall in my kitchen that is used as my display wall. It's ok at the moment but I will be glad when dh finally gets round to doing my garage conversion!. We have the planning permission, all the materials and the garage has been cleared ready! The only thing we don't have is time! As he works silly hours and quite often works away it is really difficult to get it done! Oh well one day I suppose! maybe if I made a start on it it would frighten him into getting on with it!

amanda xx

is your garage seperate to your house Amanda or is it integral ?

**manjay** · 15-01-2008, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Susan

is your garage seperate to your house Amanda or is it integral ?

It's on the side of the house and runs the whole length of the house. We have already converted the back half into a utility room but are still left with enough room for a small room and downstairs loo! I just want somewhere to store all the toys tbh. I can't be doing with toys in my lounge!!

I know yours is seperate so I can imagine that would be more difficult to do but not impossible!

amanda xx

**Tily Bud** · 15-01-2008, 11:26 AM

Oh i'd love a separate play room x

**ruby** · 15-01-2008, 11:39 AM

we are luckly our house has three rooms which were all open plan so we have the front room as the children room and my computer we put doors on so that at night we can close the door on the mess.
and we still have a lounge and dining room although in the day with 5 little ones they do have all three rooms to play in

have just put new posters up and have brought some cork boards to display the children work .

cathy and rachel

**oakie dokie** · 15-01-2008, 12:42 PM

i would love a play room too!

hazelx

**Twinkles** · 15-01-2008, 01:01 PM

My 'dining' room is used as a playroom and we eat in the kitchen. It's nice to be able to shut the doors on the mess some evenings. The only problem is if we want to have people over for a meal ( can hardly do posh dinner in the kitchen ) so at Christmas etc we shove all the toys in the very small 'conservatory'/lean to and dim the lights!
A couple of years ago we bought four strong fold up tables ( car boot type of thing ) and once the table cloth is on you'd never know that it wasn't a proper table. It is so worth it not to have to clear away toys every day.