I would remove the TV and put the love seat there out of the way. You will want the wall space. I would suggest you really so not want the temptation of a TV there where your girls will play. For your needs a small one that will fit on the built ins would do the trick. I see larger doll cradles, play kitchen etc. in your future. Where will the trunk of dress up clothes go, big pillows for a reading area, sit and spin, I made my daughters a tee pee type tent for play? I don't know about decorating but you have just begun to collect toys! How dedicated do you want the space to be? Making a kid size "one room apartment" could be a blast. Lots to think about.

I've seen armoires painted and turned into (the top) hanging storage for dress-up clothes and costumes.

What fun!

Armoire would be so cute as a puppet stage. I see little velcro-attached striped curtains framing out the space where the TV is now.

Couch would work well with a shabby-chick look! You could paint the hallway color on the bottom, and a faint pink or turquoise blue or green on the top part of the wall.

Also, as in a year you will have older daughter who will suddenly have all these things with small pieces that she will play with to develop her fine motor skills that will be a choking hazard for DD#2, it may be a good idea to dedicate the top shelf of the storage for HER toys that only come out when baby is not in the space like during nap time and after baby sister has gone to bed.

And don't be afraid to "rotate" the toys so that it isn't overwhelming. If there is a hallway closet handy, then I would consider keeping some in there. Then you change them out every couple of weeks. This helps eliminate the problem of legos mixed with lite brite pegs and the poly pockets.

*if* I do get rid of the armoire, I would like to have some sort of play tent... I love this one by Haba (link below) but the price is pretty steep. Then again, the 6 reviews are pretty stellar.
Land of Nod makes a similar one... still not cheap.

I wonder if my girls would like it w/ a pillow bottom, or not so they could drag stuff in and out. (a friend has a similar one and the girls like to put the baby beds and high chairs in the tent and make a little "nursery." Wouldn't be possible w/ a cushiony bottom...)

See anything similar?
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I'm a huge fan of rotating toys. However, basically the only storage I have upstairs (besides closets in the girls' rooms) in the storage in the built-in. I LOVE the idea of dd#1's "small" toys going up high. I keep a little stool there and allow her to climb on the built in to get what she needs.

So you would do a fun color on the top and beige on the bottom?? For some reason, I was thinking the other way around.

Here is a link that might be useful: Haba Play Tent

If MIL sews hit a warehouse fabric store and ask her to make a tent. It really isn't difficult sewing and there are many patterns out there. I was never a fan of climbing. My home had no chairs/furniture that a young child could drag over to a cupboard. My handles on drawers and doors were always knobs, I knew kids who climbed using draw pulls as steps! I would keep what you want her to have free reign at where she can reach it. The high shelves could hold colorful cubes that you can't see in for rotating storage.
Possibly you would want to look into paint that drys as a chalk board . A large area on a wall would be fun. Magnetic boards/white boards, children love to draw standing up. Be sure your paint what ever color you choose is washable!! Once you find a fabric you like for window treatments/pillows you could stencil. I pulled apples out of my daughters quilts and scattered them all over their walls. It was fun and so cute. Being upstairs you could go with a tree top and do a mural...Cute bugs/birds.. If you had a sturdy coat rack built or build a large "tree" trunk in the corner than painted the green leaves you could get pegs for hanging dress up up on that double as branches....I love the idea of remaking the TV cabinet into a puppet theater. So easy to do, a tension rod and some fun paint and a bit of material!! My kids LOVED puppets.

The first thing I would be doing is closing off, either with some kind of decorative metal screening or some other type of solid closure, that opening on the left as you come into the space. Kids climb, they encourage one another, they find it fun to throw things over the edge.

I understand that your daughter doesn't watch tv now, but clearly you and your MIL might have use of it. As well, as your daughters get older, there are wonderful dvds to watch, great things on public television or the history channel that you could share with them. When you are finally able to replace the tv, you can just replace it with one that will fit on the built-ins. I would move the tv armoire over as far to the right as possible. That wall space to the left would a great spot for a couple of comfy low chairs for a reading corner.

The table and chairs would be nice against the wall with the opening, if you close it in somehow. Otherwise, no furniture there to encourage climbing. Useable, but out of the central play area.

As for the tent idea, it is cute, but honestly I think if you check out local toy stores (and the camping dept of any sports store) you can find a play tent for WAY less money.

As for the paint, I like the burgundy with the couch and the idea of a feminine space. But if you are determined to change the paint, I would consider painting out the bottom of the wall in chalkboard paint. Lots of fun for kids of all ages. You could do part of the wall in magnetic board paint as well, so they could use the alphabet and number magnets for play and sneak in a little education at the same time! LOL So if you were going that route, I would do a green on the bottom, and a soft pink paint on the top.

chalkboard, dry erase and other paints

If you think you need another rug, that is fine. I think an open play space, with no rug for little walkers to trip over, makes more sense for now. Later on, as they are both more mature physically, you could add a fun play rug, or even a fluffy fake fur one.

As for wall art, certainly you can bring in posters of fun kids books, or things they are interested in (like Disney characters, etc). But I would also consider have some space, whether frames or a bulletin board or a cable and clip system, for hanging their own creations.

Have fun, and enjoy the process. Remember that little ones aren't all that concerned about paint colors or style, and can make creative play and a fun time out of simple things like a tent from a blanket and a couple of chairs, or a cardboard box made to look like a car by drawing lines on the outside of the box.

While the haba tent linked is adorable, it is way overpriced. When my own DD (now almost 21 yrs old), was at the age for tent playing, we made one from yards of cute material. There was no floor so that she could move things in and out easily. Honestly, the tent playing phase was a fleeting one, so if it were me, I wouldn't drop over $200 for that item. You could spend that money on many other things that are actual playthings. Kids don't seem to care what a tent looks like, rather just that they have a covered space (tent) to play in. Ours was used very infrequently and not for that long of a period of time.

My DD loved her "kitchen" and had all kinds of accessories that went with that. It may be that every kid has different interests?

Love all of the ideas you've gotten. Please post a pic of your finished room!

A couple of thoughts....

One of my top priorities would be to have a place that is easily cleaned up by the kids as they get older. So bins/boxes... something with picture labels on it of toys that go back there. A playroom that is difficult to clean up is stressful for mom and not much fun for kids.

IKEA has some fabulous inexpensive, organizational/kids items. So if you have one near you, you may want to make a trip.

Also, how cute is this.....

Here is a link that might be useful: Play Kitchen from CL divider unit

Loving these fun ideas... we have a play kitchen (she loves it!) It's that pink little thing in the corner...

I am so tempted to get rid of the armoire.. it just takes up *so* much space. I'm not keen on my girls watching TV, and we have a nice TV downstairs when they get to that age. But I also do not want to regret tossing it.

I found a tent that I think she would love if I were to get rid of the armoire (so I would then have the space) for a fraction of the price- $25- link below.

Still need to decide on an accent paint color that will "go" with the sofa. I'm leaning towards a green...

and the rug will probably go...

I found some super fun animal art on art.com and well as some whimsical fairies....

This is a fun room to "plan."

Here is a link that might be useful: $25 Princess

Check out ana-white.com for some really good easy DIY children's storage and playroom ideas. Bookcases so the books can "face front", a play tent, a dress-up organizer, play kitchens, etc.

I would not worry about making it too much the older girl's space because by next year this time you will have a 3 year old and a crawler who will insist on being there.

Love the idea of making it easy for her to clean up... and I know from experience, that if everything has a place, it is easy to pick-up!

I would like to find some fun "bins" to put on our shelves... and make lables w/ pictures- GREAT idea! Part of me wants to do something similar to the PBK storage baskets (soo cute, but SO expensive- I know cheaper alternitives are out there- target, Walmart etc.) BUT I almost wonder if it would be better and easier for my daughter to have clear plastic Sterilite bins... that way I could easily label them and they are clear, so she can see what's already in them. (PLUS- would probably be cheaper.) Maybe I could even make them "cute" with stickers or paint... WDYT Experienced Moms?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_scat_2422430011_ln?rh=n%3A2422430011%2Ck%3Asterilite+bins&keywords=sterilite+bins&ie=UTF8&qid=1309268829&scn=2422430011&h=7e545c5a9f1e0ecc052c806d0702efe2ba3e971f

Here is a link that might be useful: PBK Storage

Here's an example of the IKEA storage products. Very inexpensive and they last! The boxes are only about $3 each, and the frames they slide into vary with size.
On my link you'll have to keep hitting the right arrow to get to slide 16 of 16 to see the best picture of them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Storage cubes

You are lucky to have such a nice room for your girls.
If it were me I think I would keep the armoire and put plastic baskets in the lower cupboards for their toys. The Pottery Barn storage units are just too expensive in my opinion for childrens toys. There are so many cute ones in other stores.
I would get rid of the TV and cabinet.
Keep your love seat for relaxing and story time reading.
I love the idea that a Kids table and chairs is coming in.
I also like the 16 slides that bestyears linked to, such fun ideas for kids rooms and nice bright colors for walls.

Lauren,
I forgot to mention, that on another thread you were looking for the fabric like the PBK bumper pads.

I just saw it on the Potterybarn teen site in sheets, so if you are still looking you might want to look at getting sheets for your fabric.

I did see you have a kitchen. I began with a son. He loved to play with my pots and pans, loved to play cooking. We did a lot of garage sailing for toys. He always begged for the kitchen sets. I could not see buying one of those massive units for a SON. My mom reminded me it was my job to encourage his interests. After passing on one plastic new design kitchen after another I came across an old 1950's/60's formica board kitchen. I went on to have two girls. The three of them played with that kitchen daily for YEARS. Bottom line Lauren a larger kitchen sized for the post toddler is in your future!! The remake of the TV cabinet was awesome. The puppet theater is too. I understand a tight budget. The money we saved on toys by shopping at garage sales was HUGE. I would check some out, you may even find the storage solutions you are seeking at one!

Great ideas- thanks! You are probably right, a larger kicthen *is* in our future and my H would LOVE to make one for his girls.

Any recs on paint? SW is having their paint sale so we need to make a decision before July 4. For some reason, I am leaning toward a fun, light, and bright green. Maybe SW Gleeful or Lime Granita. There is a very good chance the top part will be SW Antique White. I do not like the maroon... too dark... too "Aggie" ;) I'm a TCU Horned Frog, so I would prefer purple! :) :) :)

Here is a link that might be useful: SW Lime Granita

We sampled many, many greens looking for a color that was bright and happy, but not harsh or neon. We finally settled on SW Hearts of Palm, and a few years later still love it to pieces. I'm sorry I don't have pictures of that room online to share with you, but I think if you google images of Hearts of Palm, you'll find some.

It appears that the shelves of the built in are adjustable / removeable. Can you remove / move shelves in an area and set the TV inside one of the shelving nooks on the cabinet base? It looks like it could be deep enough. That would allow you to eliminate or repurpose the armoire, tuck the TV so it does not take too much focus, and still have plenty of storage and display.

If you can show a close up picture of the fabric on your sofa, maybe some can help with suggestions for great rugs that would coordinate.

Prickly- that is a GREAT idea!!!! :) The shelves are totally adjustable (which is awesome!)

The more I think about paint... the more I think I would like to do a lavender... they are, after all, 2 little girls! No reason to be gender neutral w/ the green :)

Unless your little girl is different than my children, they want to be in the same room with you to play with their toys...That said, I would put the TV in the storage unit,and keep something in the room that is comfortable for an adult...either love seat, comfy chair etc. Because when your girls are little, they are going to want you with them so might as well have something comfy for you. If I went into the kitchen, my small son brought his toys in there and when I went to the living room, along came his toys...he wanted to be with me. My DSIL fixed up a playroom in the basement for her girls and found out they didn't like being away from the family....the room later became an office.

Grandmaof3 does have a point about little children wanting to be close to you. I think your space is ideal for a playroom which is probably also close to the baby's room where you will be setting baby for nap, changing, feeding, etc. If you go with your plan of putting toys in portable storage bins, then you can very easily take out a bin and carry it with you to whatever room you are in, then put toys back in bin and return it to the playroom when you are done.

When my kids were small I didn't have the luxury of such a large room, though for many years our formal DR functioned as the playroom. I did, however, keep may craft stuff and kids books available next to the kitchen so children could be entertained while I cooked, though more often than not, they wanted to help!

It would also be nice to get a childsized table and chairs where your DD can do art projects or a tea party for her dolls and stuft animals. You may also want to designate a corner for the baby stuff--so the baby can safely lie (or later sit on floor) with stimulating toys to look at. Consider adding a music system as children love to listen to music and/or dance.

As requested, better pics of the sofa. This will stay.... rug will probably go. Bye-bye maroon!

I am LOVING the idea of a light lavender... Mostly likely the color above the chair rail will be SW Antique White.. or something neutral and beige.

Soo... can I pull off lavender? It will be visible from the hallway. There are three other bedroom upstairs- my girls' rooms and our guest room. dd#1's room is pink. dd#2's room is turquoise, and the guest room is a neutral beige. I don't want a rainbow effect....

Any paint recs? Sherwin Williams is having their great sale.. though I could always color match. Thanks!

PLEASE do something with the windows for safety! Recently a 3 year old granddaughter of a co-worker fell out of an upstairs window and was killed. I hate seeing windows to the floor like this. I don't know if new higher windows is the answer or putting something in front of the lower 1/2 of each window would work. Singer Eric Clapton lost his young son years ago to a fall out of their window.

PP offered some great tips! Your girls are going to love the room. I had a couple suggestions I haven't seen mentioned yet.

For wall art: I love etsy.com for handmade art or budget-friendly photos. I have some great prints for my 2 girls' rooms. They also have vinyl adhesive quotes or you can order your girls' names. They can be pricey, so I ended just hand painting a two-tone pink cherry blossom tree. Not as fancy as this, but decent enough considering it only cost me a few quarts of paint. This decal from easy is $86.

For your windows: I agree with the PP worried about window safety. With those windows, I would invest in plantation shutters (too heavy for a 2 or 3 year old to unlock and swing open) or buy a metal window gate to ensure your kids can't open the window. Then you can buy some pretty sheers to soften the look of plantation shutters. I got some from Pottery Barn Kids that are embroidered with pink and green butterflies to cover my daughter's shutters. It offers a light whimsical look. They're both sleeping now so I can't take photos.

I can't copy the image here, but I see one on eBay now with lavender butterflies for $35 per 84" panel.

Post photos when you finish the playroom!

So I have 1 thread going on hallway paint, and I have this thread going on our playroom. They kind of go hand in hand. We are painting the hallway that leads to this room and will be painting over the exsisting beige... with something very similar I am sure. I am dead set on getting rid of the maroon and am really leaning towards lavender under the chair rail. But can lavender go with any neutral? Or does it need to be more greg and not beige? Paint is totally stressing me out.

I found some "art" I like and think would be fun for girls' play room- see link below. I also think it would work nicely w/ our exsisting sofa. wdyt?

I also think think little collection is fun.

http://www.art.com/gallery/id--a53697/nat-posters.htm?ui=64DD50EC43EA44B98543B9E2E0A49826

Here is a link that might be useful: Fairy Art

Re: the SW paint sale, u can always buy the paint untinted (just as is plain white) so u can get the deal, then come back later once u have decided on a color. We did that during their once/yr 40% off sale back in April and just had all 18 gallons of paint tinted last week!! just make sure u get the right type of paint u need (flat, satin, etc).
We did SW wisteria (purple) in my dds room; on the same color strip there's really pretty shade of lavender, one step lighter than wisteria- I'm blanking on the name, sorry. I'd get rid of those pillows bc they look like they'd clash w/ lavender. Or use another pillow cover.
And I like it when the vibrant color is above the chair rail while the neutral is below.
My girls have a purple and pink princess castle tent in their playroom too; we got it from bbb w/ a coupon for $15. it's by discovery kids I think.
Hth!

I love the Emma Thomson prints you linked to. How fun for a little girls' playroom.

For the paint color, what about a rose (pulled from the couch flowers) and ivory color scheme? It would tie in better with your couch than a lavender, I think, and would work well with the fairy prints, too.

Good luck! I'm eager to see pictures of your finished space.

I would seriously consider a green for the bottom if you don't want the burgundy.
If you are going to do all things girly in the art, plus the toys will all be pinks and purples, etc., it might be nice to have a more neutral background to avoid color overload. Plus, suppose daughter #2 isn't a girly girl at all?

I assume the girls have a bedroom/bedrooms that are done in the girly colors already. This could be a nice play place that feels more a part of the house for the adults that will spend a lot of time there.

Well..... hubby took advantage of SW's sale and we got a lovely light lavender- Inspired Lilac... so light it is almost neutral. I will be sure and post progress pics!!!! We're painting a small area (just what is currently maroon) so it wouldn't be horrible if we decided to repaint in a few years. SW Antique White will be on the top.

I have pretty much decided to get rid of the TV and armoire... next I need to decide on some art. I like those fairy prints and maybe I'll get those; I'll just wait until art.com has a sale. Unless anyone else has a suggestion...? :)

I also need to pick some material for my MIL to sew valances... and I do want to get my girls a tent of some sort. Will look at BB&B! This is a fun project :)

Here is a link that might be useful: SW Inspired Lilac