Small room, big imagination!
With the weather getting cooler, hibernation is right around the corner. I start to ramp up my interior projects for this reason because I need things organized in the home and conducive to play and life indoors. This room is one of my all time favorites in the house and as we start hunkering down with the change in seasons, I figured moms out there would appreciate this well organized art space for a nice creative outlet for their kiddos!
Before
When we first moved in I painted it as an accent off of the kitchen and although it looked good from a far, it was hard to sit in because the walls were SO yellow and bright. There was so much empty wall space between the hung cork boards and the ceiling that the scale felt off as well. This room was also having a major identity crisis with extremely poor organization! With it being right off the kitchen it drove me crazy.
After
I designed this art room with our tiny kiddos in mind. I am even more in love with the results of this space now that our little girl has started Kindergarten. It's another space for her to do homework or just relax after a long day of school. Both of our kiddos and their friends LOVE this space.
We had to plan out every inch of it to be efficient, as it is not a large area. We started by painting it a very light grey for a nice backdrop to all of the colorful art supplies and finished art work I knew would be going in there.
We chose to put up open shelving with unfinished cedar wood supported by pipes and fittings so that the kiddos would be able to see the art supplies available to them instead of hidden in cabinetry. These are super sturdy and fit in the space nice and snug. Over time I gathered up art supplies and containers for them at the amazing $1 section of Target. Whenever I would see a container that would potentially work I would grab it. Not knowing exactly what I would do with it yet, I figured it would all work out.
We love this space and hope we provide some art room inspo for you all!
Pencils, pens, scissors, paint brushes and more are organized within Fintorp buckets so the kiddos can find what they are looking for and it keeps these items organized as well. We used the bottom row of the Fintorp system for tape spools which sit on a wooden dowel and hang from the same hooks. I wanted to display my kiddos using the space so we framed a couple of DIY unfinished frames that we painted, above the buckets to give height to the space and bring your eye around to the shelves on the adjacent wall.
OCD at it's finest - I knew I needed a paper sorter for all of the colored paper we had floating around. I purchased the ones used here at Home Goods. Who doesn't love to have access to their desired color of construction paper at any time, without having to sort through a mess?! Just me? It's like a work of art.
We placed a beautifully framed chalkboard low on the wall for the kiddos which also serves as an art. Cork boards hang above the chalkboard for more wall hangings and to display those beautifully finished pieces of art created by the kiddos!
To keep the colors organized we placed the Crayola Crayon Collection and the Crayola Pipsqueaks Marker Tower just right on the shelf. We placed other various items in jars and buckets as well that the kids can access with a little help from mom and dad. Clear glass jars contain more art supplies like feathers and stamps. Buckets above hold playdough, stickers and more while way at the top and out of reach, are the paint supplies.
Items are out in the open and in clear jars for little eyes to see but in an organized fashion so mom doesn't go crazy!
I chose to put small jars of glitter, and loose items down low on photo ledge shelves, mounted underneath the window for easy access. It keeps those items organized and within reach for those small little hands.
No area is complete without some greens! The kiddos art room is no exception! It gives a bit more life to the space. Planted by the kiddos, the sweet little plant is thriving with all of the care and attention!