Huge empty wall turned game & toy storage
March 06, 2019
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Transforming a huge empty wall into functional game storage and display space!
I'm telling you what -- when I get going on a project like this where I can do a little DIY and be creative with decor, I'm in my element! I still pinch myself (nearly 11 years later) that I get to share this fun stuff with you all. :)
I shared a bit of this wall a couple months back -- you can see how I used these IKEA cubby units for games here:
They're all supposed to be square cubby units but I made them work for long games as well. They are awesome storage that looks good!
I had big plans for this wall and finally got started last week. I always wanted more wall space in our old house -- we had such an open floor plan, there were a lot of very tall walls, but not many hallway-type spaces. I got my wish in this house and love it!!
I've been trying to keep things balanced so our spaces don't get too busy. It's harder than it seems! I shared a bunch of fun ways to fill large walls last week -- be sure to check that out if you missed it! One of the ideas I showed you was a hint at what I've been working at here:
First up, I needed to paint. It's a long wall that goes into the family room down here so I had a lot to cover. I loved the gray I used on our master ceiling so much, I used that:
The wall got two coats and then I started adding the fun stuff! See those sconces above our bed in that photo above? I bought those at IKEA and ended up replacing them with the ones I showed you here. I loved them though and saved them for this wall project.
I had a plan for a quick DIY to hold some tchotchkes -- I repeated the DIY picture ledge shelves from the family room and master bath:
This time I went super long -- eight feet each!
I kept the decor simple. It's a mix of things we all love -- some of our boy's collectible items (he LOVES these little figurines, I'm spacing on the name of them):
And then photos and art from places we love -- NYC and Disney specifically:
I stained the shelves the color of our old floors -- Jacobean by Minwax. LOVE this color. It's the perfect warm brown stain.
I'll share all of the sources at the bottom of the post! These shelves are plenty big to hold all of our games. The bins hold card and smaller games. I've got a few games in large Ziploc bags and those are in the bins too:
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I'm loving the games stacked on their sides by the way! We used to have them all stacked on top of each other and EVERY time the game we wanted was at the bottom. :)
This is so much easier to keep organized:
Our kiddo isn't a little Bub anymore -- but he's not grown yet either. This space doesn't scream KIDS...but it's still fun and includes things he loves:
I got the rug during a huge sale for a different space, but didn't like it there. It looks great here! I LOVE the rug. It's a great design with blues and grays.
Eventually I hope to add a really long table in this space. We'll use it for games and entertaining, but that won't happen until we finish the kitchenette. For now we threw a bean bag chair here and we have the hideaway Lego tray nearby so we can plop down and play a game right on the floor:
I can't even tell you how much of a difference this has made in this space! It's SO warm and cozy and now I want to paint all the walls this warm gray. I know gray isn't for everyone, but I love it, especially with warm wood.
Let's look at the transformation again, shall we? My favorite part! Here's how the wall looked before I started (I wish I had a before before, but this will do!):
And here it is now!:
I absolutely LOVE when form and function coexist beautifully! It's always important to me that a space work well for our family:
I hope this gives some of you ideas for long walls and for cute storage! Let me know if you have questions about anything.
Here are the sources and tutorials for the items pictured (some affiliate links included):
- Fabric bins for cubbies
- More details on the IKEA cubby units, but you can find a similar version here.
- "PLAY" letters, Disney and music note art -- Hobby Lobby
- Blue and gray rug
- DIY picture ledges
- Globes -- most are vintage from second hand stores
- Mickey printable (top shelf)
- Bean bag chair -- HomeGoods
- Disney HOME pillow
I'm off to pick out a game to play with the kiddo! :)
See more of our home here. To shop items in our home, click here!
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Funko Pops 😉 My kid loves them too. Great space!
ReplyDeleteYES! He's nuts about them. :)
DeleteAdults love them too. We are in our 30s and have close to 400. My favorite ones are the ones with little mini ones with the big one. Like Rapunzel with a mini Pascal. =)
DeleteBeautiful space!
ReplyDeleteLove it! Where did you get those sconces? I love that they are not hardwired.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite transformations you've completed!! Not only do I love the finished product, but this makeover seems so doable for me (someone who doesn't build and is on a low budget).
ReplyDeleteWould love to know about the sconces on the wall!
ReplyDeleteLooks awesome!! Nice globes ;)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely perfect, Sarah!! I am really enjoying watching you make your new house a true, cozy home!
ReplyDeletelove it and the wall color is so warm and cozy!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the gray paint color you used. It’s exactly what I have been looking for to use in my daughter’s bedroom. The paint chip seems much darker. By chance did you lighten it?
ReplyDeleteLove.
ReplyDeleteI know this post is about the wall, but please tell me you're loving that rug. I was so excited to see it in your space. It's been my top (budget friendly) contender for a living room rug. I'd love to hear what you think of it before I hit the buy button.
ReplyDeleteThis is so cute! Where did you find the bookcases that were the same size as the cube shelves?
ReplyDeleteThey are all the same! I just left the vertical support off the middle. :)
DeleteWhat type of wood did you use for the shelves?
ReplyDeleteSelect pine
DeleteDid you find that removing the inner shelves compromised the strength of the unit? I want to try this but don’t want the shelves to start bending in the middle.
ReplyDeleteNo not at all!
Delete