I would NOT do built-ins. We put built-ins in our current playroom and I really regret it. I wish I had saved the money and gotten some cheap shelves from Ikea. Then when the toys changed as our daughter grew I would have been able to easily switch up the playroom to meet changing needs; instead I'm locked into built-ins that worked great for her toys five years ago but are terrible for her current Calico Critter obsession. We're building a new house and our playroom will probably be all Ikea Kallax shelves, which is also what we'll put in her room. If we need to switch things up in five years I'll feel no guilt about giving the shelves away and getting something new.

As for flooring, we have hardwood in our playroom with FLOR tiles making a rug on top, and it's been an awesome combination. It's nice to have a hard floor (in our case hardwood, but could also be laminate) for driving vehicles, building with blocks, putting together floor puzzles, etc.. Nice to have a softer surface for reading books, playing with stuffies, etc.. And with the FLOR tiles when something happens to the soft surface (like, oh, say silly putty ground in...not that I have first hand experience with that or anything...ahem...) you just pop the tile out and replace it. We got a few extra tiles for just that purpose and it's been great.

As for the nook under the stairs, I probably wouldn't do anything built-in like a playhouse. Maybe a fun paint color, some twinkle lights, big floor pillows, drapey curtains covering the door, etc.. Basically, again, things that are easy to change. It won't be long until you have tweens and teens rather than little kids, and the space will get more use (and be more fun) if it you make it easier to change up as they grow.

I completely agree with Kristin. I believe that playrooms should grow with the child which is hard to do with built-ins and a built-in playhouse. I also like inexpensive flexible furniture like you find at IKEA. When my kids were little they were all about their play kitchen. Luckily it wasn't built-in so it was able to go away when they outgrew it. They've gone through dinosaur, castle, train, wooden blocks, dress up, Calico Critter, etc. phases. During the castle phase we had a cardboard castle in the corner and bins filled with models and figures along with tons of plastic swords. Now my kids are older and into superheroes, Legos, Snap Circuits, reading and video games, many of which require different sort of storage than they previously needed.

The best things for a playroom are inexpensive, flexible and multi purpose. Don't clutter up the room with tons of furniture because young kids love to have huge expanses of floor space where they can build elaborate block and train structures, play family or have a sword fight. If they can move their playroom furniture out of the way themselves they can do that anytime they want to. Instead of a playhouse, buy floor cushions and a portable tepee. Instead of a heavy, single use train table buy lightweight flat tables kids can scoot out of the way. I wanted to buy a fancy play table from Land of Nod but my husband convinced me instead to buy two Lack coffee tables from IKEA. Sometimes the kids would build on the tables and other times they'd slide them out of the way and cover the entire floor of the play room with elaborate cities made of blocks with their train set winding through it. We paired the tables with stackable chairs they could move themselves.

My final piece of advice is to make sure you set up an organization system that the kids can successfully use themselves. Put hooks on the wall the kids can use to hang up dress up clothes on or toys that come in bags. Put the sets in bins they can easily put away and label them with labels the kids can understand such as pictures if they can't read yet. Don't put anything away higher than they can safely reach and don't leave out more toys at once than they can put away without frustration. I'm also a fan of KALLAX for that reason.

Thank you everyone for the dose of reality. After some thought, we decided to close off the area under the stairs completely. I was concerned that kids would take food in there or other stuff and that it would be a pain to clean. So my practical side won out here.

Still debating on the builtins though. We currently have IKEA shelving that is lower so kids can reach it. But after 4 years, part of the side panel has peeled off already. I’m always wishing we had some closed storage too, and storage higher up that would keep things a little more out of reach. Can builtin shelves be made adjustable to accommodate changing needs? I’m sure blankets, throw pillows, books, etc can always be stored there too later.

Love the idea of Flor tiles!! Are they comfy enough for kids to lay on? I’ve never seen them in person. Did u just buy online? I wonder if I can get a sample... can you lay them over carpet too?

I personaly would not close off under the steps altogether. It can be used as extra storage. We store our luggage, etc under our stairs. Yes, built ins can have adjustable shelves.

I find the Flor tiles quite comfy. We did an area rug look with a low pile border and a higher pile center. I’m fortunate to have Flor showroom near me, so I went there to check them out. If you don’t have one I’d give them a call - I’m sure they must send samples.

just to play devil’s advocate one more time on storage - Imea makes tall shelf units, so I (we’re going to be using the tall Kallax units in our new house playroom), and they make some great options with drawers or doors, too. As for durability - even if you have to replace them in a few years, you’ll have spend a LOT less than on built-ins. Then once kids are teens, go back and add built-ins that fit what you want the space to be long-term.

I agree with doing built ins opposite the window. I don't foresee future problems with built ins that are simple enough to grow with the children. For example, my sister in law's playroom built ins kinda looks like an entertainment center: TV space in the middle, shelves up the sides (with the ability to arrange them at different height levels) and big, deep drawers all across the bottom. That kind of storage will fit a wide variety of toys while little, and will give ample space for displaying trophies & etc as they grow up.

And I wouldn't do carpet in there. My kids are obsessed with ride on trucks and all that, so wood/tile/laminate is better for those kinds of things. Also, could you image cleaning up spilled paint on carpet? No thanks! I'd recommend putting a rug somewhere.

First question - Which wall do you think would work best for the built-ins? The wall opposite the window or opposite the door?

Toy storage -- whatever y'all decide to go with -- would work best (at least for me!) opposite the window. Largely because then the immediate dumping-toys-out-so-I-can-see-what-I-want-in-here mess is out of sight from the main entrance of the room/adjacent spaces.

Second - how would you layout the space - ie where would art table go? There needs to be open space too as kids tend to stretch out on the floor to play.

I would also, as others have mentioned, place the table under the window. It's nice to play under a window. :-) Our playroom table is also taller than a standard kiddie table, allowing the youngest children to sit/play/hide underneath it.

3- flooring? Carpet most comfy, but laminate easier to clean up. Would it look weird to do a combination of both?

I like the idea of the hard flooring with carpet-like Flor tiles, since y'all combine playroom with art. (We do all of our art stuff at the dining table because of the mess, lol.)

4- fun ideas especially for the little kids nook? I was going to see if my builder can make the outside look like a little house... any other cool ideas you’ve done or seen? I’m purposely leaving our chalkboard wall because I don’t want to clean all the dust it leaves behind

I'm going to be more fun and less practical than previous posters, lol -- I would definitely do something fun for the nook. A little house (with a Dutch door), painted in gender neutral colors with a magnetic-paint wall, would be awesome. Or, string up some hammocks in that space, with some silk foliage/leafy garland hung from the doorway (use several, so that it operates like a bead curtain), and glow-in-the-dark star stickers on the ceiling. Or maybe a little "restaurant" set up, with a small table, 2 chairs, and a room divider/half wall for the waiter/waitress to disappear behind and prepare the customers' orders.

What are your kiddos interested in? Anything glow-in-the-dark or magnetic is a total win. :-)

Kids will make their own choices about where and how they'll play, do homework etc. We built a great homework and play area for our kids and a great back yard with a huge sandbox. Our daughter did all her homework at the kitchen counter. How can you can complain about the homework mess that lasts for 8 years when she's getting straight A's? In spite of never seeming to do homework our son got decent grades. They both played in the cul de sac with the neighborhood kids.

I'm guessing this room won't see as much use as you're thinking. I wouldn't invest a lot of money in it until you see how it goes. Find a big cardboard box and let them make a fort or a castle etc.

Perhaps playrooms are more practical for larger groups? I often hear parents of 1-2 kids say that playrooms aren't all they're cracked up to be, but my friends and I (all of us have at least 5 children) loooove our playrooms. I wonder what the magic number is? Would 3, like the OP has, make a playroom worth it?

My two kids spend lots of time in their playroom playing with Legos, playing computer games or using the computer for homework. As they get older I envision it transitioning into a hang out space for them and their friends. I’d rather they hang out with their friends there than for them to get into trouble.

My daughter is an only child but still spends a ton of time playing in the playroom. For us, though, it's a matter of location. The playroom is right off the kitchen and dining room with a big, oversized double sliding door between them, so when the doors are open she feels near where my husband and I are. If the mess gets too bad we can always close the doors. I don't think she'd use a basement playroom much at all, since it would often be just her down there. Also, how you use bedrooms affects it, too. We really try to keep the majority of toys out of her bedroom, so the playroom is where all the fun stuff is.

And yes, Summit, our experience is kids will do homework wherever works for them, despite parents' best laid plans. My mom put a beautiful built-in desk in my room under a skylight when I was a kid. I usually took over the table behind the couch in the family room. If I had to work in my room for some reason, I did it sprawled out on the floor. The beautiful desk just gathered dust.

For a while our daughter's favorite space was a tiny attic you had to climb onto a trunk to get into. She would have several neighbor kids come over to have "kid's club" where she gave them all sorts of directed activities to do. We would have never thought she would chose that space and give other kids homework or that they would go along with it.

My point is that we can plan all we want but part of play is kids just figuring life out.

I currently have a playroom (it is the dining room in the house we are currently renting) and believe me it gets a lot of use! It is where all the toys get put away and where the art supplies are so the kids have to use it! It is small though and bursting at the seams with toys even though I purge and donate regularly. I’m excited that in the new house the playroom will have a lot more open space and so the kids will have room to stretch out and play.

Thx for all the input! Will definitely put table by window and looking into flor tiles for sure!

I don't think I could have lived without a basement playroom when my children were little, and DD feels the same. Her basement playroom has had several different "lives" over the past 19 years in this house - it is now a "teen" playroom!

Homework was done on the kitchen island until middle school. Then, it was no longer "supervised" - it was the child's responsibility. DGS1 started in his bedroom, but when the "project room" in the garage became available (no longer being used), he took it over and now calls it his "office" - he does all his homework there - has a space heater as it's a basement garage and would be cold. DGS2 used the bedroom they share.

DD wanted her island back.