Playroom Renovation: Turning a Forgotten Storage Room into a Bright Family Space

Remember that old furniture-and-pillow hoarding room at the end of our hall that used to be called “the storage room”? We reclaimed part of its square footage to create our laundry room, which left the space more rectangular and made it accessible through the new glass door we installed at the hallway’s end.

If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook, you may have noticed this space has been in the middle of a gradual transformation. We always knew this room could become a useful bonus area—many neighboring homes arrived with their above-the-garage spaces already finished, while ours only ever received framing and HVAC. For years it served as a home for seasonal decorations, spare furniture, and a very large pillow collection. It was functional but dark and underused.

Looking back, we didn’t show much of this room because there wasn’t much to show. You can catch a glimpse of it in an older house tour video and during posts about our laundry reno, but mostly it looked like the place where the odd shoe or a forgotten snack would end up. We intended to finish it later—when the kids grew older and needed a separate space. But as our family expanded and friends started showing up with multiple kids, the value of a finished 360-square-foot bonus room became obvious.

Late last year we began the process of converting that unfinished storage area into a usable, comfortable room. The work followed a predictable sequence: electrical updates, insulation and drywall, flooring and trim, then paint. We also took the opportunity to replace the existing single window with a triple window, which made a dramatic difference in natural light. The opening already had the required header framing, so the change was relatively straightforward and didn’t require exterior brickwork in that area.

We had our usual electrician add outlets and recessed lights while the studs were exposed, which made the job faster and more affordable. Though we considered doing the drywall ourselves, the space was much larger than previous projects and drywalling is a task we don’t enjoy or execute quickly. So we hired a local pro who brought a small crew and finished the drywall in three days—one of the best decisions we made on this project.

With drywall completed, the remaining tasks were finishing touches: priming and painting walls and ceiling, laying hardwood floors, installing trim and baseboards, and adding window casings. We chose to match the oak hardwood that runs throughout the rest of the upstairs so the room feels cohesive rather than like an afterthought. To keep the space cozy, we plan to layer in a large area rug the way we’ve done in other upstairs rooms.

Fortunately this area had a plywood subfloor rather than the particleboard many parts of our second floor had, which allowed us to try a traditional nail-down hardwood installation. It was surprisingly enjoyable, and we’ll share flooring tips in a future post for anyone considering the same approach.

We painted the walls—using the same soft neutral from the hallway—before installing the floor, then added baseboards and window trim. By that point the kids were thrilled to see the room come together; whether the trim was perfect mattered less than more space to run, play, and imagine.

Now we’re furnishing the room thoughtfully. Rather than buying a lot of new furniture immediately, we’ll bring in existing pieces, move some toys from other rooms, and add a hand-me-down craft table for projects. We want to live with the space a bit to see how we naturally use it before committing to a final layout. There’s a recessed sloped area near the window that we have a plan for, and we’re in the middle of updating a Craigslist find to fit the room. When everything settles, we’ll share more details about the layout and storage solutions.

We expect this finished space will be useful for art, homework, play, movie nights, and overflow sleeping for visiting families. For now it’s a favorite place for the kids (and Burger) to run laps and laugh while their voices bounce off the fresh walls. We’ll update with more photos and specifics as the room fills out and the furniture plan comes together.

Psst—We finally created a Shop Our House page to help you identify furniture and accessories you see in our home, including paint names. It only took a couple of years to get it organized, but it’s there now for anyone curious about the finishes.