How to create a play area in the living room?

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Nateo CONCEPT

Creating a dedicated play area for your child

When your child lacks space in their room, or simply prefers to share the common space of the house to play, it might be better to create a play area in the living room. Indeed, the play area will allow the child to have easier access to their toys, but also prevent the entire room from turning into a play space. So how do you create a play area in your living room? What are the tips for combining practicality and beautiful decoration?

Define the space

The first step in creating a play area in the living room is to define the space that will be dedicated to the child. If you want to avoid having toys scattered everywhere in the room, the child must be able to easily identify their dedicated space. There are several ways to do this without sacrificing the beautiful decoration of your living space:

  • Use paint: Paint can be a very good way to visually define a space. You can paint an entire wall section or create a geometric shape to define a corner of the room, for example. This creative solution also allows you to add color to your living room!
  • Choose a rug: If you prefer to define the space at floor level, you can also opt for installing a rug. There are many beautiful children's rugs available today that can easily harmonize with your interior decoration.
  • Create a den corner: It's also possible to choose to create a den in your living room to define the play area. A teepee can be an ideal solution, especially if you're short on space.

Arrange the space

Once the space has been clearly defined, all that's left is to arrange it. The choice of furniture to use primarily depends on the activities your child engages in.

The children's bookcase

A children's bookcase is a perfect storage element for children who like to settle in the living room to read. The wooden bookcase will thus be dedicated to the child's books. There are models of different sizes such as the 3-compartment bookcase, the 6-compartment bookcase or the 9-compartment bookcase. At the height of young children, the children's bookcase allows them to store and organize their books and toys themselves. When they grow older, it can be moved to their room and used as a teen bookcase.

If you're worried that a children's bookcase might clash with your decor, you can opt for a Scandinavian bookcase which will be particularly easy to match. The children's bookcase can thus become a true decorative element in its own right.

A bench or floor mattress

You can also opt for a bench or floor mattress which, combined with the children's bookcase, will create a reading corner. You can also use this type of element as a play area to combine with a toy chest, for example. This way, the child can play while adults are nearby (tips on how to teach your child to play independently).

A small table and chair

If your child enjoys reading and drawing, installing a small chair and desk or table can be a very good idea. You can combine these elements with the children's bookcase and/or a toy chest. This way, young children will benefit from furniture at their height, which will be much more comfortable in daily use.

Add storage solutions

Beyond a children's bookcase or toy chest, there are many other storage accessories that can be added to this play area such as boxes, wheeled crates, and baskets. This will make it easy to organize your child's belongings and prevent them from being scattered around the room. If space is limited, you can opt for stackable storage solutions that will help preserve space.

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How to maintain a tidy play area?

During playtime, children may tend to spread out in the room. As this is a space shared by the whole family, it's important that they understand they're not the only ones using this space and must therefore put away their things. We can encourage them to tidy up by providing fun storage elements at their height. Toys can be sorted by type or color, making it easier for the child to find what they're looking for.

Moreover, the idea is not to install all of your child's toys in the living room, but just a few. It's therefore important to select what you choose to leave in the living room based on your child's current activities. When you notice there are more and more toys, it might be time to do some sorting so that certain toys return to the bedroom.

Create harmonious decoration

Having a play corner in the living room might worry parents who want to create a beautiful, harmonious decoration. However, it's entirely possible to make both coexist by choosing furniture that matches your decorating style. You can choose more subtle elements whose colors and style match your living room's decoration. This will help harmonize everything, and the play corner will suddenly become much less visible and imposing in the room.