Kids’ Spaces

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An Enchanted Woodlands Playroom Roots for Imagination

Beguiling and creative, this storybook playspace in a Brooklyn brownstone is right out of a child's dream

Houzz September 11, 2012

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Put yourself in the shoes of a 4-year-old and imagine having a playspace complete with an interactive tree, hand-crafted plush animals, a lemonade stand and — wait for it — an indoor swing.

Is your head exploding yet?

Designer and artist Jen Talbot never gets used to her clients' ecstatic reactions. "The kids' and their parents' excitement never gets old. I just love blurring the lines between art and decor, and I challenge myself by pushing the boundaries of what you would expect to be in a home or a playroom or a nursery," says Talbot.

For this project, Talbot went all out in transforming what would otherwise have been the living room on the first floor of a Brooklyn, New York, brownstone. After her initial phone conversation with the client, Talbot immediately started collaborating and brainstorming — and thinking big. "My client wanted a place where all the neighborhood kids would want to come and play and never want to leave," says Talbot.

Playroom at a Glance
Who plays here: Avery and her cadre of neighborhood buddies
Location: New York City
Size: 200 square feet

Modern Kids by Jen Talbot Design

Jen Talbot Design

The star of the playroom is a life-size interactive tree with lemons ready for picking, attached with Velcro. Talbot and her team of local artisans secured the tree's metal base in place and wrapped the structure in felt to give it an organic, texturized feel.

Eclectic Kids by Jen Talbot Design

Jen Talbot Design

Initially, Talbot and her client toyed with two ideas: an enchanted forest and a vintage candy and ice cream store.

"Avery's mom expressed how amazing it would be to have a swing in the space. I ran with that and developed ideas for the enchanted woodland playscape," says Talbot.

Before Photo

by Jen Talbot Design

Jen Talbot Design

BEFORE: Talbot worked with a blank space from the get-go, which facilitated the mapping, measuring and documentation of the existing space.

"I flew out from Chicago to Brooklyn so I could see the space in person," she says. "The trip helped me flesh out ideas and set the wheels turning for the conceptualization of the space. From there, I came up with inspirational images, concept drawings and a budget breakdown."

Traditional Kids by Jen Talbot Design

Jen Talbot Design

AFTER: Talbot fashioned poufs resembling cut wood and created a wraparound art table located next to branch hooks holding art supplies housed in buckets.

"I wasn't there when my client revealed the playroom to her daughter. But she said that Avery kept going from one thing to the next in frantic excitement and that she took most of the felt animals to bed with her that night," says Talbot.

Eclectic Kids by Jen Talbot Design

Jen Talbot Design

Neighborhood kids flock to this swing and the lemonade stand in the corner of the playroom. Talbot and her team secured the swing to the plaster and lath ceiling by drilling 3-inch eye hooks directly into the wood lath. Felt vines cover the swing's jute handles.

Modern Kids by Jen Talbot Design

Jen Talbot Design

A low-relief diorama hangs above the mantel. Felt grass covers the mantel's base, complete with mushrooms, frogs and other enchanted animals.

Eclectic Kids by Jen Talbot Design

Jen Talbot Design

A closer look at the diorama reveals a whimsical scene of woodland animals dressed for a day of picnicking in the woods. Talbot hand cut the diorama from different types of paper, drawn characters and bits from books.

Contemporary Kids by Jen Talbot Design

Jen Talbot Design

The playroom extends into the hallway. Talbot created a large felt branch to hang on the wall, as if the tree branch were growing through the wall from the playroom into the hallway.

A storage locker covered with felt vines and flowers houses hats and mittens, while jackets hang on additional branch hooks nearby.

Contemporary Kids by Jen Talbot Design

Jen Talbot Design

Talbot lined the inside of the locker cubbies with a woodlands-themed wallpaper from Ferm Living.

Modern Kids by Jen Talbot Design

Jen Talbot Design

The designer-artist upcycled a vintage footstool into a mommy raccoon for extra seating.

"I truly believe great ideas don't need to break the bank. It’s all about approaching a project with creative solutions," says Talbot. "I love the process of collaborating with a client and thinking really big — and then pulling back to a workable solution that fits within their needs and budget."

A few weeks after installation, the designer-artist received an email from her client, who revealed the one downside of having such an amazing playroom: When it's time to go home, the parents of Avery's playmates usually have to drag their kids out screaming.

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Comments (12)

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Cathy Lara

@handsvmom, These photos might give you a few ideas: http://www.houzz.com/girls-playroom

Like October 26, 2012 at 10:47AM

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Brenda Fisher

Cute room, please NEVER attach any structural or weight bearing item to wood lathe! The old lathe will crack when screwed into. Always attach directly to a joist or beam and predrill that to avoid weakening the beam/joist. Eye bolts can come unscrewed with use. Contact a professional contractor or someone certified in loads or hoisting. Try swinging a child in your arms for 5 minutes and you will see why eye bolts in lathe is a bad idea.

2 Likes January 16, 2013 at 5:44PM

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jolinkica

It looks lovely, of course, but how do you keep all the felt and such from getting terribly dusty? Is any of it washable? (I guess you can tell I have an allergic child....)

2 Likes February 1, 2013 at 5:46AM

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