Young Katelyn has more to celebrate than her birthday. She and sister Lauren (2 years and 8 months respectively) have a beautiful new playroom to celebrate! It caught our eye for its soothing, cheery colors, range of toys and activities and mix of affordable items and diy projects. We asked mom, Sara, to give us the scoop on this great new space in their home.

Was this a makeover of a playroom or did the room formerly serve another purpose?
The playroom used to serve as a guest bedroom. But when the toys started overtaking our living room we decided it was time to convert the guest bedroom into a playroom. It started out as a room that we just threw all the toys into to keep the rest of our house tidy but after searching through playroom photos on Flickr for inspiration, it has gradually evolved into the fun, functional, bright and cheery room that it is today.

What's your favorite DIY project here?
The chalkboard toy storage bin. I got the idea from browsing through Flickr photos for playroom storage ideas. I purchased the Ivar box from Ikea, primed one side and then painted it with chalkboard paint. Then I painted the other 3 sides with leftover paint that we had used in our kitchen and dining room (Rejuvinate from Behr) and screwed 4 wheels onto the bottom of the box. And the best part is that it fits perfectly under the Lack coffee table from Ikea.

Any advice for parents putting a playroom together for siblings of different ages with different needs/wants?
Make use of storage bins! We have two large canvas totes - one for each of the girls so that we can try to keep their toys separate. Also makes it quick and easy for clean up.

You can see scads more lovely photos at Sara's Blog, Our Cozy Nest, with details about some of her sources in her playroom Flickr set.

Thanks for the inspiration Sara!