Fun, fun!

We are going to do this in an overly large hallway next to our kitchen peninsula, but it's been done more often done in kids' rooms. I got the initial idea from a Pottery Barn Kids Rooms book, and a home schooling mom. We are going to paint half a wall with chalkboard paint and put some chalks (maybe in colorful buckets on hooks?) there for the kids to doodle on. The other half, we will paint with a very washable paint, attach a butcher block roll at adult height so it can be rolled down for free art time. We will keep a supply of art materials and art smocks right there. We will have a sink nearby (in the kitchen peninsula) - which makes it extra nice. The upper part of the wall might be used to display their artwork, maybe in frames or on a line with wooden clothes pegs? Oh, and I'll put a white rug on the floor to collect colorful spatters. (Similar to what I did with their art smocks - we use white canvas aprons and don't wash them. We let the spatters and marks build up to become its own colorful work of art.) Making a space that encouraged the children's creativity was important to me.

Other ideas: for the kids' home school room/ play room/ "library" I want to make a window seat, flanked on both sides and on the top with bookshelves. Preferably with a cool library ladder. I would have the bookshelves in a light color and the insides (back of shelves) in a dark color for contrast.

A couple smaller tables that can be pushed together to form one long table for projects, building, board games, etc. (Pottery Barn idea again).

From age 4-17 my daughter had a garden of flowers painted on the wall with a six foot section of picket fence nailed to the wall. We also had a tree painted in the corner. It looked great when she was young and it grew nicely with her as I updated the furnishings.(By changing the furnishings I mean we went to a double bed, added a love seat and a huge paper lantern. We also changed out the art on her walls to something more sophisticated.)

I'd say the nook will make a great guest bed and the play loft a wonderful study area. I think if you replace the bed as she gets older (or take off the top) the room will grow nicely with your daughter. Beautiful window seat and I really like your inspiration pictures.

For your toddler son, how about a jungle and maps, kind of an Indiana Jones theme? You could play up the jungle aspect, but maybe use the maps with the gold (rather than blue) background...they look more vintage and play up the 'Indy' theme. Have fun!

April-Lorraine, Great ideas...thanks for sharing!

Ncamy- Your daughter must have loved that room...it sounds charming :)

We are building a new home, and are having a room in the finished basement for the grandkids. I like the idea of built-in beds, but wonder how hard it is to put on the sheets...especially for upper bunks. Anyone here have any feedback?

My son has had a loft bed for the past 5 years and I cringe every time I change the sheets. He has a somewhat firm twin size pillow top mattress that does not lift very easily and the side rails don't help either and not much headroom. Ughhh!!! In the new house he's getting a new bed and it will not be Loft or bunk or anything of the like.
One good thing going for the loft bed was that he was able to have more ground area to play in our current house, as the bedroom was very small.

Check out the website Ohdeedoh - it is Apartment Therapy's kid/design website.

While there is much emphasis on apartments, houses are also included and there are some really innovative ideas for kids rooms. There are also links to interesting decorations to include in kids rooms - some are very expensive, but may give you some ideas to replicate more cheaply.

Here is a link that might be useful: Apartment Therapy Ohdeedoh

We had a local artist paint murals on our kids walls. My son's room is painted like it's the NY Yankees clubhouse - one wall anyway. There's a locker for A-Rod, Jeter and one for my son.

My daughter is a dancer and she has a big painting of a ballerina together with some decorative flourishes.

schreibdave, the Yankees clubhouse sounds awesome! Pics??

...i had the map of the world on my wall as a kid... very unique, inexpensive way to spice up a room-- and you child will never forget it

The thing our grandkids and other child visitors like most about the room they use upstairs when they visit is the swing we hung from the ceiling. It is just an ordinary swingset swing bolted through they drywall into a reinforced rafter. Ages from 2 - 14, though we have advised the older ones to tone it down as they swing from wall to wall. If it ever goes out of style, or is outgrown (though I often find the older ones just sitting in it pondering something or watching TV)I can just unbolt it and patch the two holes in the ceiling.

We built in bunks or our three girls' shared room. They love it!!! Two of our children's rooms have swings, too. And foam mattresses are a breeze to change on top bunks!

My dream is to do built in beds and create a nook. I loved nooks and crannies as a kid and still do. Also a dutch door on their bedrooms would be cute, but maybe not realistic.