One of my favorite projects right now is a basement built out for a kids play zone. We’re getting to be creative and a little bit playful, which is making our team pretty happy. We’re creating a bathroom space, a TV zone (with barn doors and a recess for the TV), a billiard/games zone and a snack bar adjacent to it all.

Designing a space for a pack of boys is certainly fun! We started with bare concrete floors which are being painted and adding a few areas of barn board accents for texture and liberal use of industrial and outdoor lighting to give the space character. All while trying to be reasonable with the budget. (don’t roll your eyes here, we didn’t say cheap, we said reasonable!)

I’d like to bring in some pipe fittings to add to the industrial accent concept. We’re thinking perhaps the barn door pulls and shelf brackets could be made of pipe fittings. We found a vendor on etsy that makes them cheaper than us buying the parts and having the contractor tinker with them. LOVE etsy!

Below is my concept sketch showing cabinetry with a custom shiplap door that runs horizontally. The builder/cabinet maker Premier Builders also made a thick 2″ shelf for me that spanned the space as we were avoiding too much cabinetry. This is the area that we decided to go with some barn board, using it judiciously as to not eat up the budget.

More progress pics to come!

Sourcing: Porcelain light socket from Commune. Vintage Kitchen Pendant in black from Potterybarn, Solna single handle faucet from Brizo,  Avalon Indoor/Outdoor Sconce from Potterybarn, Streamline Hook from Anthropologie.