Before the Homearama show wrapped up this weekend, we slipped in on Friday with Teddy in our baby carrier (Clara stayed with the grandparents) to see the houses while visitors were still touring. It was great to talk with attendees, watch our pantry fill with food donations, and find a sweet note left for us on a notepad in the girls’ room. The highlight was seeing the People’s Choice Award on display — the voting was very close and every home was excellent. This year-long process taught us so much and it was truly an honor to be part of the show.
Now that the show has ended, we’re finishing our virtual tour. Today we’re focusing on the most playful areas: the kids’ bedrooms, their shared Jack-and-Jill bathroom, and the playroom/reading room.
Let’s start with the boys’ room (labeled “Bedroom 3” on the floor plan). The walls are painted Moonshine by Benjamin Moore and the main focal point is a built-in bed nook. The show was designed to highlight what the builder and his team can do, so custom carpentry touches were encouraged. This built-in fits a twin mattress, which we dressed in Target bedding with a few Ikea pillows. If a future homeowner prefers a larger bed, a full or queen could extend into the room on a simple platform, and rolling under-bed drawers would be a smart way to replace drawers that sit beneath the current twin mattress.
The small desk is an Ikea find we picked up second-hand, and the orange stool and wire basket are from Target. The rope lamp and star light were HomeGoods discoveries, and the scattered Legos are from my childhood collection — thanks, Mom, for saving them all these years.
One quirky detail: the wood crate around the star was actually packaging from HomeGoods. When we tried it in place we liked the extra ledge it created, so we kept it there as a small play surface for Lego meetups.
Our favorite built-in feature is the raised nook we nicknamed the “Crow’s Nest.” We sketched these ideas with John the Builder and John the Carpenter (who did an amazing job) and they made it real. The carpenter’s team even sourced a rolling library ladder and repurposed some pipe fittings when we needed to trim the budget. The bug pillow and blue fabric up in the nook are Ikea finds, and a dog bed from HomeGoods fit the space perfectly once we wrapped it in that fabric. The overhead pendant is part of our lighting collection.
We filled the built-in shelves with playful items — my favorite is a loaned “Viking Octopus” plush that adds a fun, whimsical touch.
The patterned carpet is from a local source called ProSource; the style is Stanton’s Revere in Silver. We wanted at least one room to have an interesting carpet since most of the house uses hardwoods, and it felt like a fun contrast.
At the foot of the built-in there are additional drawers and a roomy wardrobe. We left the wardrobe empty so a buyer could decide on shelving or an extra clothing bar; there’s also a closet on the opposite wall for more storage.
The two kids’ bedrooms share a Jack-and-Jill bathroom designed to be light and neutral so it flows between the rooms. The walls are Simply White, and the floor uses white lantern tile with gray grout for durability and ease of cleaning. Our colorful moment is the large vanity cabinet painted Courtyard Green by Benjamin Moore.
A wall-to-wall mirror sits above the vanity with a light fixture mounted on it and faucets that come through the mirror. The double trough sink is recessed into a white Corian countertop, which looks shallow in photos but is perfectly usable. A lot of visitors told us the big sink and mirror-mounted faucets were their favorite details — they were intentional choices we made to be both fun and functional. Towels and bath accessories in the space are from Target.
Behind the sink is the shower and toilet area, and we added a shelf above the toilet for extra storage. The shelf required planning during rough-in — the plumbing was set slightly away from the wall to allow room. The framed poster adds personality to the space.
We also added slatted wainscoting to contrast with the ornate tile floor and give the room a layered, crafted feel.
The shower features chunky stripes of two glass tile colors for a playful pattern. The showerhead includes a Bluetooth speaker option that kids — and adults — get a kick out of.
We also carved out a small towel nook behind the shower for rolled towels and easy access.
Moving on to the girls’ room: one of the most interested buyers actually has two sons, so they would simply adapt this space for boys if they purchased the house. For the room we had a window cornice built in a playful fabric, mixed bedside surfaces (a blue Target table and a yellow garden stool from HomeGoods), brought the bed into the center, and layered pillows and a blue throw. We also added casual art and a string of surprise lights for a cozy touch.
The room features a thrift-store headboard painted Hydrangea Flowers by Benjamin Moore and a playful chicken painting we borrowed from a friend, nicknamed “Princess Truthful.” The stenciled floral wall adds texture and interest over the Simply White backdrop, and a glass-based lamp from Target complements the vignette.
The double desk provides concealed cabinet storage and a large work surface. After getting reader input on possible uses, we styled one side as an art station and the other as a homework area with room for a laptop or monitor. The chairs were thrifted, painted, and reupholstered, and the pillows are from HomeGoods.
For the small vaulted ceiling above the desk we strung a 50-foot strand of white café lights on cup hooks. An electrician added an outlet up there wired to a switch by the door so the lights are easy to turn on and off. They’re subtle when off but a delightful surprise when lit, and many visitors loved that detail.
On the door wall we kept things casual with taped-up art, a framed poster over the dresser, and a set of customized rail hooks by the door for backpacks or jackets.
Beyond that door you enter the hallway leading to the playroom/reading room, which is tucked behind sliding French pocket doors. The prints in the hallway are simple and approachable to complement the adjacent rooms.
The playroom walls are painted Dragonfly by Benjamin Moore. We intended to paint the built-ins that color too, but the painters left them white — and that accidental contrast ended up feeling right. Wall art came from World Market and a wood plaque was a thrift-store find.
We debated staging the room as a video game den but ultimately kept it simple and multi-purpose: a low table donated by West Elm, two poufs from Target for floor games, and a durable rug from Dash & Albert for playtime.
One practical move: we glued the small Monopoly pieces down after a young visitor nearly tried to swallow one during a preview. Safety first — and lesson learned.
The playroom also includes a large shelved closet for games and storage. We kept styling minimal since most families will fill storage however they need to.
That brings us to the end of this 30-photo tour. We planned to cover the remaining rooms too, but we’re already long-winded and will save the final spaces for one more post — including a video walk-through we filmed. Thank you to everyone who toured the showhouse, donated to Habitat, left canned goods in our pantry, and cheered us on through this decorating marathon. We couldn’t have done it without your support. And in case you were wondering what Teddy thought of his first showhouse visit — the kid slept the whole time.
Psst – Want to see more showhouse photos and details? Check our full showhouse tour for final room photos, the floor plan, budget notes, a video walk-through, and a list of the furniture and accessories used in the project.