Room for Two

It seems that we've made space for our newest member of the family in every room, and usually she takes it over...so why not my office/craft room too?

My office/craft room is an odd shaped galley style room. It would never due for a bedroom (way too small) and if a third adult were to enter, they would have to repel from the ceiling (really not kidding).

Still, I wanted to carve out a space for my tot in this room too, so she could color/paint while I worked & so we could have a place to craft together. Plus, things can get messy in this room- that's what it's for. 

This room was built with a lot of craigslist, thrift store and garage sale finds. For instance, the ribbon holder above my desk is actually a repurposed paper towel holder I got for $1 (it was previously an ugly brown). I used a framed picture from a thrift store and made it into a cork board, we used discounted laminate flooring, leftover paint...you get the idea.
p.s. I think the camera puts on 5', because the room looks so much larger in these photos!

So, after stalking some of my favorite websites for inspiration and taking advice from friends on how I could incorporate a tot space, I decided to take the smallest wall (adjacent to my desk) and kit it out for kiddie. 

The only way to go was UP (plus, storage was badly needed). I decided to go with a wall shelving system, for maximum space usage (plus, no moving parts to get in the way or block the door). With this setup, the bottom shelf is a desk and it can grow with the kiddo, as it easily raises up to higher levels.

I then installed some magnetic metal strips on the side wall, where we clip her artwork for drying/display.

This was amazingly easy to install (I did it myself!) and it was economical too. We stocked up with art supplies from the Dollar Store (you can get three times as much stuff for half the price) and when asked about Christmas & birthday wishes, we requested craft items.

Overall, I like the clear distinction between the two areas - I still have my 'grown up' space (even if it is just one side of the room), and she has her bright/vivid tot area. My girl asks daily to visit the 'awt room' and the memories we share in there are well worth it (so are the paint hand prints on my chair).

At times, there are 2-3 tots in there fighting over one glue stick.

What more could you ask for?