No pictures here, but is the mudroom your comand central? Where you get stuff on the calendar and keep track of everything? We have been using those cork squares and making them fit a space. My DH has them over his desk. I have a space in the dining room where we have them for kid artwork and our map so we can find the places mentioned in the newspaper.

You can buy them in packs and they do stick really well. Put molding around it for a more finished look if you want and get whatever size you really want.

As far as the playroom, I've found my kids are whereever I am, so I gave up on the playroom concept in this house. More concentration of storage of their toys. We have one small bookcase which holds VHS and DVDs. Any more than will fit on the case and they must be weeded out.

I still like the Rubbermaid or sterlite containers for toy storage. Inexpensive and stackable. In great colors this spring too. When mine were preschoolers, we cut pictures out of magazines and taped on the sides so that put away was easy.

I really wouldn't invest in any type of toy storage funiture, since I didn't find it to make the transition as the kids got older.

Just have a good time painting the room. I had murals on the walls and one corner had a castle built with two boards and the corner walls for the back of the castle. We had an indoor swing attached to a ceiling beam. Most used item in the house most days. The carpeting was old, so I bought permanent markers and drew railroad tracks and towns all over the rug. Roads going all over.

I really had more fun in the room than the kids.

Gloria

We never had a family bulletin board, but I never trusted my boys with push-pins. LOL

If you want something more permanent than rubbermaid bins for toys, would you consider putting built-in bookshelves and cabinets (kitchen-cabinet style) across one wall in the basement? I've seen it done built around an entertainment center and it sure looked good!

Julie

Martha Stewart Living has done several bulletin-board stories, using Homasote (buy it in sheets at Home Depot,a nd cut to size; for the best look, wrap it in fabric, and staple-gun it at the back; add a frame if you like).

One of the, they put fabric pockets on the bottom corner.
(this link, they made a multisection bulletin board and folded the fabric to make a pocket for each section)

(I don't have a bulletin board; I hang a suction-cup hook on the dining-room wall unit, and hang the calendar there; I punch holes in the corners of notes and hang them on the hooks. If you wanted to avoid push pins, you could use hooks on your bulletin board)

Here is a link that might be useful: a picture-rail bulletin board

Just to add that Target has some great bulletin boards (14.99 for a very large one) -- buy a couple and simply paint the outside frame to match your walls (or have fun with it too!!!)

I don't have any pictures but we have a combination bulletin board/wipe off board behind the door of the kitchen. It's the perfect spot to leave a message for someone or post a receipt that is needed later and still is out of the way.
Sue