Playroom - BEFORE

I posted Friday on the first plans for the playroom, you can read that here.

I want to do the official before photos and WDIS. This room has become the dumping ground (as if the living room wasn't, too!) of the house (as you can see).

Here's my list of "What Do I See":
-books
-travel maps
-empty plastic shoeboxes & lids
-cardboard boxes
-shipping boxes
-october/halloween decoration storage box
-tons of supplies, jugs, packaging
-2 boxes of newly printed business cards
-empty laundry bin
-bin of clean packing peanuts for shipping
-dollhouse
-legos
-trash
-toys
-tape
-tote bags
-broken sewing machine
-plastic storage bin
-purse for play
-package of screws for pegboard
-flat cardboard boxes for projects
-more legos
-cd player
-toys
-trash that didn't make it into the recycle bin
-soap supplies for giveaway
-new fabric for projects
-puzzles
-bubble wrap
-tower of boxes of handmade soap
-"fitness" chair for giveaway
-business inventory
-empty lego set boxes
-cardboard box for giveaway
-counters covered with toys and legos

Evaluation:
This room was tidy in July(!)

We tend to put things on the floor so we can see them...I am very visual and have come to the realization that I put things on the floor so I can see and keep track of my stuff. Is this helpful? NO! We can't walk around our house! This explains why I am totally attached to the Expedit bookshelves...I can move all that horizontal mess into a vertical mess and still see it all! THIS gives us more carpet space! THIS is a GOOD thing! Daniel seems to like his stuff spread out like me while Sarah likes her things put away. Everyone benefits from using the Expedit!

I know what I want to do in this room...this is a passageway to the sunroom as well as the garage, so from a functional standpoint, those walkways need to always be clear and accessible (which is not always the case right now)! I want a place for the kids to play on the floor...they both enjoying spreading out for play together and alone. I was thinking about a large rug to define this open space (even though we have carpet). When we have guests over (that would be amazing!) there would be a place to be and play.

I want the kids to have a place to store things downstairs that they use on a daily basis. They would each have 25 cubbies for storage, books and legos, easy to access for play AND easy to put away.

In the past 10 years, I've purchased two old Singer sewing machines in hopes of actually sewing. Neither machine has worked out for me. We bought a Janome Sew Mini for Sarah and it works! I want to do several projects, but the machine isn't heavy duty enough. AND I don't have a place to keep one. Until Now. :) Part of my plan is to move the table in the sunroom into the playroom so I have a craft area and a permanent home for my new sewing machine (to be announced). I have a coupon good through December...wouldn't that be an awesome reward for cleaning the main floor!? Since we got Sarah a starter machine, we've been hanging out with our coupons at Joann Fabric store...and we're already starting our own fabric stash (gotta have materials to work with)! This fabric doesn't have a home and I think a few cubbies would be just the ticket!

I am having trouble visualizing this room WITHOUT all my business inventory, supplies and assorted packing boxes, etc. THAT will be really exciting when that is all gone! I am going to put my final things ON SALE to move them out. I really want them all gone by Christmas.

Out with the mess, in with the...bookshelves, yea!