Living in a small, transitory space can present certain obstacles when it comes to space planning. For example, my husband, fourteen-month-old son and I just moved into a new rental house. While we adore the downstairs living space and its open floor plan concept, there is not a lot of space in the living room for much more than a television and our living room furniture. There is a small room off of the living room that gives us more space and we have decided that it is the perfect space for a combination home office and playroom.
Here is the question at hand: can we fit these two very different functions in one small space? And if so, how? My answer? Yes! I’ve done my research, conducted some creative space planning and rounded up three simple steps to share with you as to how to create a combination office + playroom space.
- Create two separate and distinct work/play areas.
Even though you’re in the same room, it’s important to create a distinct work space for the parents and a play space for the kids. My husband and I inherited this wonderful, large desk from the previous owner of our last home. The size of the desk gives me an incredible, large work space away from the curious hands of our son. If you don’t have a large desk and can’t afford a pricey version at a retail store, create your own! Shop your local thrift store or used building materials store, like Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, for an old door and then add legs to the door with posts or beams from your local hardware store. An elevated, large work space will create a separate work station for you, disconnected from the room’s play space.
As for the kiddos, create their own separate play station on their level- the floor. The space you create for them depends on their age. For younger children, turn a corner of the room into the perfect reading nook with plush floor pillows and baskets of toys. For older children, set up a smaller desk with arts and crafts tools to keep them busy.
Just remember: it doesn’t have to be a perfect space. Working to create a temporary but functional play area in a small space isn’t always easy. When my son was younger (about six months old), all he needed was a few feet of carpet space and an infant play gym to stay occupied while I worked in our rental home. Even though the rest of the room was a disaster, as you can see below (this photo was taken about a week after we moved in), he felt content because he had a piece, albeit a small piece!, of the room dedicated to him.
- Whether you are dealing with toys or office supplies- stay organized.
One of the most useful tools for maintaining function in a small space is organization. No matter what you are trying to organize, a steadfast system of organizing and knowing that “everything has its place” will help! In a combination office/playroom, organization is crucial so that each space is not overwhelmed with items from the other space. Momma doesn’t need puzzle pieces strewn across her computer keyboard, that’s for sure!
The key to maintaining organizational sanity in my home office space is bookshelves. While built-in bookshelves are beautiful, I really like free-standing bookshelves that can move with us from one rental house to another. This large piece, from Ikea, safely corrals my books, binders and a few fun décor pieces. I love that I can easily rearrange the contents on each shelf to suit my needs at the time.
Cubby bookshelves are also ideal for a playroom space, as you can use the shelves to easily corral kiddo books and toys.
For my son’s bookshelf, I covered a few standard (read: cheapie!) canvas bins with a colorful, patterned fabric in order to add a little pizazz to his space. I also added chalkboard labels from the dollar bin at Target to label each bin with its contents. It’s cute and it’s functional- you can’t beat that!
Some other great organizational tools for an office + playroom space include large baskets and bins for the floor, small organizers for your desktop and cups or tins to house small items like pens or crayons.
- Utilize your wall space.
In any tight space, and especially in a space with shared purposes like an office + playroom space, don’t forget to use your walls for function and organization!
In my previous home office, I created a functional gallery of items hanging on the wall next to my desk space. I covered an old cork board with linen and stitched up some simple fabric pockets to give myself a workspace on the wall. I also love organizational tools for the wall like this book or magazine rack. Tools like these help keep clutter off of my desktop workspace and away from the playroom space, as well.
Don’t forget to add book racks and shelving on the walls for the kids, as well. Another fun idea is to paint a small square on the bottom half of your wall with chalkboard paint or magnetic paint, creating a drawing or magnet play space for your child. Establishing a play area on the wall instantly takes the mess off of the floor and away from your work space.
All in all, combining two different functions into one room may feel like an impossible task. But with a little planning and implementation of these three steps, you are on your way to creating an ideal office + playroom space!