Multi-purpose room makeover with perfectly easy + functional DIY Built ins.
How we created a functional and pretty multi-purpose room for the whole family
March 2020, the year of the pandemic and pelotons. Also, the month we all became work from home, homeschooling families. At first, we thought it was fun; we did all the things together, ate dinner around the table, did kitchen obstacle courses, and middle of the day dance parties. After a year, we realized this temporary thing was becoming much more permanent. We looked around the house and knew we needed to make our space more functional for a life with four people under one roof all day, every day.
During this crazy stay-at-home time, we also added a baby to our world, and with that our home needs shifted. Every room in the house instantly became a multi-purpose room. The living room became a classroom, the kitchen became an office and our 4th bedroom, which was being used as a playroom/guest room became a very disastrous and messy catchall space. Because it lacked organization and a true purpose this room became a landing pad for toys and a storage room for things that didn't have a real place in our home. It was messy, unorganized, and cluttered. Reluctantly I’ll add some of the before pictures later in this post.
When I started thinking of ways to make this space work for all of us in a more functional way, I started with a blank slate and sold every larger item in the room. The couch (which was a make-shift guest bed) the storage ottoman taking up entirely too much space to hold 800 stuffed animals Finn never played with and, the play kitchen that had seen much better days. The goal of this room was simple; a clutter-free and inspiring space the entire family could enjoy. Whether we were working out, playing on the floor with the kids, creating, painting, learning, or working, it needed to function for all of those things seamlessly. I wanted a space that was so perfectly set in fundamentals that it would be difficult for it to become messy.
Even though he was working from home, I don't think my husband even came into this room, in the 3 years we lived here. It was just too unorganized and felt very much like the kids space & not an adult space. Now we find ourselves in here multiple days a week, all 4 of us at the same time! Jason on the bike while Finn paints, Shay rolls around and I work from the desk. It’s spacious and functional so it works!
white metal chairs -
The first step was designating spaces for each intended activity and then putting systems in place to make those spaces functional and organized. The floor needed to be FREE from small choking hazard toys that were accessible to tiny hands because we have a 9-month-old who puts everything in her mouth. So we got rid of the open shelf unit and make shifted some affordable builtins from IKEA (more on this process below) and had a little help installing a floating desk in between for all of Finn's art projects and home school/tutoring. I also wanted a space specifically for my peloton, and all the gear that went alongside it, but not in the garage collecting dust. After moving out the couch, TV, and toys, we ended up with 3 spaces in the room, all used by the whole family daily.
workout/peloton area
adult work/desk area (which also doubles as a fort on days we aren't working)
space for the kids; arts + crafts, homework & play
How this room became the perfect space for our family:
The Peloton area:
Hello….how I lived without a peloton bike before, I’ll never know. The entire inspiration for changing this room from 90% the kids play space to a space we can all enjoy came from the purchase of this beauty. I knew if the space we put the bike in was uninspired and cold (like the garage) I would not ride it. It’s kind of like when you buy a new workout outfit to get inspo to actually work out. I needed a clean fresh space to motivate me to get a workout in. That meant the peloton was going in our home somewhere and thankfully we had a 4th bedroom with the perfect space.
Oil shelf - wall shelves - glass jars - peloton discount code - peloton mat
dumbbells
Rug - best workout pants ever Apple watch band
Adult work/desk area:
Ok, truth… I am not the cleanest person on the planet. Being an enneagram 7, I have multiple projects going on at the same time always. Which means there are corners of my house with piles of things.”I’m working on” (that’s what i tell my husband). I’m a content creator (instagram influencer) and I also have a side hustle sharing wellness (essential oils) with my community. I have tons of creative projects I am working on simultaneously and I host small gatherings at my home as well. I send out packages with fun non toxic homemade products to my friends and family and I also make my own products for my home too. That means I have a LOT of STUFF. Rollers and oils and bottles and packaging and ribbon and shipping necessities. This space was so needed for my overwhelmed working brain.
The amount inspiration a creative gets from a clean and organized space is unreal. Not to mention the fact that my husband is working from the kitchen counter and trying to hop on instagram and create videos while he is on conference calls was a huge challenge. I needed a room that I would be in while Shay napped and he worked that would be quiet enough to work. This was just that.
desk - chair - diffuser - choose joy wall flag - rug
wall shelf - oils
Light - desk - ikea cabinets - lamp - basket - rug - oil shelf
A space for the Kids — homework + play
Since we both work from home now, we needed to have a space the kids can play freely but someone could still keep a watchful eye on them. This space was so perfect because we only filled it with things we needed and less clutter was the goal. We left lots of open space for the kids to play together while one of us worked at the desk. There was often times I would be typing at the desk while the kids played under my feet in a make -shift fort we made with an old sheet draped over the top. The mom guilt of working from home while your littles are growing fast is real, so these memories meant so much to me.
Chair - rug - stool - basket - wooden magnetic tiles
Wooden magnetic tiles - basket
Making it functional with organization
The first step to making space more functional was to create storage with new built-ins and a floating desk. I built them myself (which was fairly easy). Ok, still Ikea furniture, but they did update the way they used to build things, and it was easier. Once all the pieces were built, we pieced them together how we wanted them on the wall. The back of each unit has a notch in it so you can clamp each unit together, so all the pieces became one attached unit on each side of the window. Once those were in place, I had a family friend help cut down the board for the middle floating desk. I found an old cabinet piece in the AS-IS section at our local IKEA so that the finishings would be close. Now all that was left was to fill them up!
Pax shelving - metal chairs
At first, I thought I could organize it all myself and make it functional but soon after we put everything back in the cabinets, I realized there was no efficiency, and keeping things orderly wasn't practical. I didn't want to spend all this time and money to build these organized built-ins only to live with them in an unorganized and cluttered state. The shelves and drawers were overflowing because we were using all the things so often and there weren't designated spaces to put things away. I'd like to think I was a Pinterest mom and I can make things Mari Kondo myself, but honestly, I just never found the time. So, I called in HELP! My friends and THE GOOD SORT came to my rescue. Emily is my neighbor and friend, and one step into her perfectly clean and organized home (with two small girls living there), and I knew she was one of those super-organized system gurus who could for sure help me make this space work functionally.
They came in and in a matter of 4hrs had taken everything out of the space, and perfectly arranged it back in by category, with room to spare. I was in awe watching this sister team work their magic. They came prepared with bins, and labels, and more to make sure every inch of space was properly utilized. Huge props to them for creating systems in our built-ins that were easy for everyone. Finn's toys and games are perfectly labeled and separated by bins and clear storage bags so he can see what he wants to grab the moment he opens the cabinet. And the better part is, he can easily (and by himself) put them back where they belong once he's done playing. I can’t recommend THE GOOD SORT team enough!
We took one side of the builtins and made that the kids space. All Finns art supplies, Montessori toys, paper, markers, games and more all fit perfectly into the right side of the room. He had access to all the things so he could help himself when he had free time to play. We also put some of the “shay friendly” toys in baskets so she could easily get to them as well. We encourage independent play by having all the fun accessible.
Then it was my turn! They spent time making all my most used items were easy to grab. If you’re anything like me who is a type and kinda likes to be in control of things I did have a hard time thinking someone else could organize something that would work best for me. But honestly, the good sort girls really took the time to understand what my needs were when it came to all the things they were organizing and this made it super helpful when I started actually using the space. I kept it organized too because it worked! The way it was set up helped me not go straight back to my old chaotic ways!
LINKS:
BIG ITEMS:
Ikea storage system - EKET customizable
Rug -
Peloton (discount code)
built-in white metal chairs (4)
White metal chairs set of 2
STORAGE STUFF:
clear bins, small
KIDS TOYS:
Well, we made it to the end. The part where I show you the embarrassing part of the room; the before images. Enjoy the comic relief! And thanks for being here!
Dragons love tacos 5th birthday party
My guy turned the big F -I -V - E!! We had to postpone his original party but still celebrated at home on his actual birthday because he got sick! Let’s rewind 5 years, shall we? Finns first and second birthday were literally spent in empty houses because we were in the middle of moving homes both times! (No, not by choice, it just happened that way). His 3rd birthday, party animals theme is actually still sitting in my blog drafts folder and ready to share but 2yrs late is probably too late to hit publish right? It was super cute and I did all the things. I told myself “it’s ok, he didn’t have a party his first and second year of his life, so this has to be ‘special’. I did throw it all together in 2 weeks, and since it was pre-covid we had over 50ppl (adults and kids) attend. Needless to say this year was v differently, other than the fact that I threw it together in 2 weeks time again. What can I say, I’m a procrastinator.
This time around I didn’t go crazy, I stuck to my theme (which was the hubby’s ideas btw), and put most of my focus on the things Finn really wanted. Because let’s be honest, in the past most of the party must haves were for aesthetics only and finn didn’t even notice any of them. His non negotiables were, a very large bounce house, red velvet cake and ALL of his closest friends. I was nervous to send out the invites because of the stay at home order still happening here in Southern California, but most of the kids who we asked to join us were friends from our small pod school we’ve been attending a few days a week. So, we just went for it! Everyone said yes so we ended up having a pretty perfect turn out!
So here it is a very last minute, casual but exciting
DRAGONS LOVE TACOS 5th (pandemic) BIRTHDAY PARTY AT HOME.
I will be updating this with links and resources for all the fun but until then just comment if your looking for an answer to something specific!
xoxo,
H
10 Pictures you should take at home right now
When I scroll through my 70,000+ photos in my iPhone I think lots of things about where I'm currently at in life, where we used to be and how fast time moves. I think, Finn's never going to be that small again. Jason and I probably won't grow old in this home. Our family may not always have just one baby to love and, we all know we may not look this young for long. This is the exact reason, I take a million photos of simple things throughout the day. So, the next time you find yourself hanging at home with your phone in your hand you should snap these photos and memories.
Simple moments of daily life in the space you spend most time in.
Pockets of your home that every time you walk by them, you feel like you're home
YOU, mama! Just you, alone. We need to get out from behind that camera. I'm talking to you, Husbands!
One good "framer." you know, the one grandma wants to hang on the wall. Faces closes and with big smiles
The one you think would never be the "framer." the one where someone is possibly throwing a full on meltdown fit but, it's ok. Cause it's real life.
Gadgets. You know you'd give anything to have a picture of your walkman circa 1995. Or your old answering machine! Ha. Get a couple snaps of the technology around your house because kids these days, don't even know what a CD is! No, seriously.
Candid moment, one unplanned snapshot of what you home life is like right now
All the small details. something around the house that will remind you of exactly what season you are in currently. It could be your bedroom, your closet, or even your bathroom. But just snap a quick photo of something material that will bring you back to this moment when you see it again in 10 years.
You and your love without the kids. I know it's way easier to hide the belly roll or to those dang birthing hips with a baby in front of or on you but, you know you need one tiny little glimpse of who you two were before babies.
The "look how much he's grown" pic. For me, it's Finn's hair. He's always been almost bald so when I see a photo with those little ringlets, I want to remember that moment.
When I was younger, every holiday when we would go back home I would want to look through old photo albums. I loved seeing how people used to dress and really enjoyed laughing at the obscene floral print couches and orange shag rugs my grandma had. One look at that stone staked fireplace and I would quickly remember all the times that I would sit in that recliner chair in the living room and share an apple with salt on it with my grandpa.
These days its all too easy to get caught up in searching for that perfectly curated image. You know, the one with a minimalist back ground, or one that says, I'm always on vacation! I started a new weekly blog series called #thedailymoments, and it has completely changed the way I look at taking photos these days. Yes, I want my feed to look pretty and inspire others but that doesn't mean I need to have a couch with perfectly placed pillows or a floor without toys laying around everywhere.
I use my instagram and blog as a journal that hopefully one day when I'm old and grey and Finn brings his first girlfriend over to visit us for the holidays, I can pull out my blog posts (aka old photo albums) and show her all the embarrassing things he did when he was younger, his first bad haircut, and even how messy his room was. I can't wait to look back and show him and her how we used to live and even give him a tiny glimpse into what his dad an I were usually doing on a week night in after he went to bed.
These pictures I post, they are a representation of me and my life. They are what I will leave behind when I'm gone and they will be what my great grandchildren (hopefully) will have to cherish and learn more about who I was, what I did, and what kind of life I had. It's sometimes messy, sometimes beautiful and most of the time somewhere in between.
A Big thank you to Alison Bernier, who took these photos for us. She came to our home for an hour on a warm summer night and captured us just being us in our home. When these pictures were taken we had only been in our new home for about a month, and only Finn's room was actually "done." We ahd boxes in the hallway and in our bedroom, the bed was still on the floor and I won't even begin to tell you how crazy messy the garage was but it didn't even matter. I highly recommend doing a session like this with your family at home. I'll hold these moments for years to come no matter how messy the scene behind them was.
#thedailymoments || Week 4 [in honor of my dearest Debi]
It is with the heaviest heart and with the deepest sadness that I held my best friends hand and watched her take her last breaths August 1st at 1:37am.
Today was the first full day without her. It's been 18 days since your mom called me that Monday morning to tell me you were in ICU, and my life will never be the same. I knew the moment the phone rang, it wasn't good.
Debra, Deeb, Aunti, Debi, bestie, blondemaid, and Deb. She was and is the most important person that has ever come into my life. I know that's a strong statement, but it's one I will always stand by. Without the love and constant support from her and her family, I would be a completely different person than I am today.
I spent most of my day trying to hold it together. I spent most of my day scrolling old photos of us over and over and over. Photos I've seen a million times but I could look at a million more. I would look at the photos and wish that somehow we would be able to take more photos just like the ones I was holding so dear to my heart.
I don't know when I will be able to function on a normal level again, I'm sure I will spend many more days looking up at the sky and talking to you and wishing you were here. But, I can promise you this, not a moment will be wasted on loving this oh so beautiful life in honor of the joy and happiness you brought into my life and to Finn's life. We will honor you by truly loving every breath we take; the good, the bad and everything in between.
These are small moments of our day, the first day without you in it. I miss you and I love you. #thedailymoments
It's like he knows. He came up to me numerous times today, just for a tight squeeze and a kiss.
I was standing in the kitchen talking to my mom when he came in from playing outside with daddy. He ran up to me yelling, "mama, mama!" I said, "yes baby boy, what is it?" Before I could even finish my sentence, he looked up at me with a much quieter voice and said gently, "I promise. Mama, big promise." I smiled and said, "ok, that's sweet, what is it that you promise my love?" He said, "I PROMISE, I'll make you all better."
I glanced up with a tear in my eye at my husband who was coming in just as the whole conversation was over, and I said, "Did you tell him to say that?" He looked at me confused and said, "Say what?" I stopped in my tracks, picked him up, sat him on the counter and squeezed the living daylights out of my gentle and kind child. And in that moment, I knew I would get through this.
This daddy has been more supportive than I could have imagined. We don't usually lunch togetehr but today we carved out time for us. It was so helpful for this broken heart of mine.
$1 carousel rides makes everything better, right?
He was such a pill today. It's like he felt my pain. Meet Mr. grumpapatamous
soccer practice before soccer practice
Toes in the grass. I don't know why this reminds me of that country song, Toes in the water, ass in the sand...yada yada. But my bestie loved country so, i guess it makes sense, right?
There's a whole other story I haven't shared with you all yet, but I'm sure I will soon. Grandma is in town unexpectedly, and we're so happy she is here.
hiding my sadness behind all the hats and glasses today
Packing up all my feelings from the month and trying to move forward with smiles and grace
If you want to start from the beginning of this series, start here Week 1. Then here Week 2.
These days most of us are living busy over-scheduled lives. It's easy to lose track of the moments that really matter, which can often be the most ordinary parts of our days. In the midst of all the responsibilities of our day, we need to remember to check in with ourselves so that we don't lose sight of who we really are and what is really important to us. This series, #TheDailyMoments was started by my good friend @steph.pollock and as soon as I saw her first post, and when she said,
It's these small moments that make up a lifetime of beautiful ones,
I knew this was something I needed to join in on.
Just as Steph did, I am inviting you to do the same, join us in this movement of letting life be more enjoyable just by letting it be exactly what it is. Tag your photos with #thedailymoments so we can all share in the joy of the simple moments that make up a lifetime of happiness.
The Daily Moments || Week 1
The Daily Moments || Week 2
The Daily Moments || Week 3
The Daily Moments || Week 4
#thedailymoments || Week 3
These days most of us are living busy over-scheduled lives. It's easy to lose track of the moments that really matter, which can often be the most ordinary parts of our days. In the midst of all the responsibilities of our day, we need to remember to check in with ourselves so that we don't lose sight of who we really are and what is really important to us. This series, #TheDailyMoments was started by my good friend @steph.pollock and as soon as I saw her first post, and when she said,
It's these small moments that make up a lifetime of beautiful ones,
I knew this was something I needed to join in on.
Last week I added some short captions, and this week I had a little more time so I'm using this as more of a journal. So when I look back a year, two years, or even 5 years from now, I can relive the season I was in currently, and either be thankful I'm out of it, or grateful for the new season i'm currently experiencing.
Potty Training a naked toddler in my dream kitchen
Finn crawled into our bed at 4am, he told me, "mommy my tummy." I'm pretty sure he was telling me that he wanted to potty because when he actually crawled out of bed at 5:45, he told daddy..."I want to use the potty!" We're on day 4 of potty training today and we haven't left the house since last Friday morning. I'm working on a full potty training post and will link it here soon, but it seems to be going well with only 2 accidents in 4 days. So this morning we went to Target to get a BIG SURPRISE for Finn to celebrate goodbye to diapers.
I assured Jason Target opens at 7, but he wanted to go by his normal Starbucks first. We sat as a family and chatted about our days all before 8am and it was such a nice change compared to Jason waking up at 4:30 to go to the gym and us just saying goodbye as he left for work most mornings. I spotted an elderly man reading the Wall Street Journal and even though he numerous other tables were open, he decided to squeeze into the table next to us unfazed by the crazy toddler trying to tear the blinds off the window. I don't know why but I love watched elderly people. He was writing a to-do list to himself on a small piece of paper and it made me smile because no days everyone is glued to their phones.
Jason left to put Finn in the car while I cleaned up the table and as I was leaving this young business sitting alone across the room stopped me... he said, "That's so awesome! Do you guys have breakfast together every morning?" I wanted to answer yes but it kinda made me sad that we actually don't ever do that. I told him in an almost embarrassed way, "no, my husband is actually going out of town tomorrow so he wanted to spend some extra time with us before work today." He applauded us for it again and we both smiled and went on our way.
Daddy does the Target run with us
I don't know, the last few days have been challenging for me. Potty training is no joke and I just needed a break. My patience level is at an all-time low and I can't stay calm and be present with my actions. This toy we bought him as a celebration of joy, I almost threw it out the window, it was so hard trying to build while he was so excited and wanted to play with it. I took a break and just breathed and then it turned out perfectly.
This part is very hard to share but, I know when I look back at these images of this day. I will only be able to think back about how hard it was for me. My best friend has been in the ICU for the past couple of weeks, and can't get it off my mind. I find anytime I can to go see her and today after I put Finn down for his nap, I had a sitter come over and I rushed to her bedside for only 30 min, until it was time to head back home and put my mom hat back on.
I tried so hard to push my sadness aside today and to just be present with him. We played outside in the sunshine until daddy came home. I then retreated to the guest bedroom for a little mental break alone while my two boys did push ups and yoga in the playroom. I heard them on the other side of the wall and really felt so thankful in that moment.
I cooked a comfort food dinner, the kind my bestie would love. It was still 80 degrees outside, as we are in the middle of another heat wave so, we sat outside as a family and talked for a bit and then daddy took over. I crawled into bed at 8:30pm. He did bath time, bedtime and even did the dishes and laundry for me. I need that today.
Just as Steph did, I am inviting you to do the same, join us in this movement of letting life be more enjoyable just by letting it be exactly what it is. Tag your photos with #thedailymoments so we can all share in the joy of the simple moments that make up a lifetime of happiness.
Finn's California Coastal Cool Big Boy Room Reveal
It's here its finally here, all the details on Finn's California Coastal Bohemian Big boy room. For those of you who are new around here, I'm a born (almost, since I was two) and raised Southern California beach girl. We spent the last 3 years in Silicon Valley in Northern California, until I finally convinced my husband to move back home to southern California. And the best news we were able to buy our first home together in Costa Mesa!
At the bottom of this post are all the links I can think of, if I missed something please comment and let me know. I literally put thought into every single detail in this room and I kinda wanna live in it myself. I find Finn taking breaks throughout the day in his own space and it gives me the warmest fuzzy feeling knowing he loves it as much as I do.
Before the previous owners could hand over the keys to us, they needed a little more time and we had already made arrangements to move back down. So, we ended up renting a cute little beach cottage for 6 weeks until we could move in to our first home. During that time all the perfect sleep we'd had since Finn was a baby, was out the window. We use to have a child who went down in minutes, slept 13hrs every night and took naps daily, but once we got in the temporary space, and had him in the pack-n-play, we lost it. All that sleep goodness was gone; he took hours to go down to sleep, he climbed out of the pack-n-play every night and only slept in the car for naps. So, it became glaringly obvious that once we moved into our new home, the first room I was going to tackle was his. He needed a space fit for a growing toddler, that was all his and it was time for a big boy room with a big boy bed.
I wanted to transition him into a space that he could grow with for years to come, and I knew I wanted it to have all the so cal beachy vibes, but without being too literal. I started thinking about what I wanted it to look like and I started pinning all the Chip and Joanna things but nothing seemed quite right. I wanted a space that wasn't like anything else I had seen, I had a few small things in mind but I needed it all to come together.
This was our 5th move in 4 years, and the first time we actually more rooms than I needed. We decided to make one of the rooms a playroom, so that's when Finn's room became more about individual playtime and family reading time. We didn't need a ton of storage because I planned on making the playroom the main home for all his toys.
His room is actually the biggest and the brightest room in the house with this amazing asymmetrical wall. When I found this whimsical vintage wave mural I knew this was the perfect thing to make this space feel like a bright and fun Hawaiian hideaway. After I decided this was the anchor of the room I just started searching the world wide web for beds. And man was that depressing. How can a small child's bed be so dang pricey?! They were either expensive and amazing or cheap and not at all what I wanted. Until I stumbled on this green linen bed and it's so perfect for his space and for him!
We read almost every single morning and night to Finn. I often find him in his room on the floor with 5-6 books he's going through. So, it was super important that I made a reading nook in his space. One that was comfortable for him and us when we all piled in there. I also didn't want it to be too cluttered or have a chair that took over the space. Seriously, this chair and these bookshelves couldn't have been more perfect for that vision.
To be honest, my style can sometimes lack color. I'm that neutral girl, but for his space, I felt like this was where I could let loose and really bring in some bright rainbow accents, alongside indigo and pops of sunshine with some yellow accessories. We have two Lorena Canals rugs in our house and because they are washable I knew I needed one of this space.
Lastly, the artwork was something I literally couldn't imagine this space without. Max Wanger is a genius minimal photographer and I knew I needed to complete Finn's first room in our first home with one of his prints. It took my husband and I days to agree on one and finally framed this one with Simply Framed and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't want to take it off his wall and put it in my bedroom. So jelly of this one.
Links to all the details:
SLEEP
DHP Green Linen Upholstered Twin Bed
Pillows:
Pom Pom | Indigo [linked to similar cause one of kind vintage] | Sunshine [bought in when he was a babe from Paper Source]
TOYS
Two of my favorite places to shop for kids toys are Maisonette + Sprouts SF
Play Guitar
(both Little Cottonwood but they are sold out- linked to an even cuter versions)
A Big thank you to Alison Bernier, who took these photos for us. Your captured the space perfectly!
My Family’s favorite Friday-night dinner. These grilled burgers are quick, customizable, and picky-eater approved—even if your house eats five different ways like mine.
A whimsical garden birthday party for a one-year-old with DIY details, floral decor, and sweet toddler touches. Perfect inspiration for spring birthdays or girly garden themes.