The FINAL I Design, You Decide: Pick a Theme For the Kids Attic Playroom

Well, it’s come to this: the final “I Design, YOU Decide” of the mountain house, play attic edition. In case you are like “what is she talking about,” here’s a reminder—we renovated a mountain house and brought you into the process of this house by, well, designing each room TWICE and then letting you decide which design we execute (a poll we couldn’t rig). It was fun if not hilariously stressful because Brian and I had to like both plans equally BEFORE we presented to you. Also, if you are wondering when you’ll see the house fully shot, check newsstands in August as it’s going to be in the September issue of House Beautiful, shooting in two weeks (EEK). (And no, we are not selling this house, ever, ever, ever, unless we financially have to or leave Southern California).

Most of the rooms are finished (see the kitchen and kids bedroom posts) with the exception of the attic playroom. This room won’t be shot in two weeks, as we’ll likely work on it after the magazine shoot this summer.

Here’s what it looked like before renovation.

It was already finished, just not safe. The pull-down ladder was super dangerous and where I once wrote “cute cubby” was actually really dangerous, too. I fell from it once while trying to get Birdie down and hurt my leg REALLY bad because I was holding her and didn’t catch myself with my hands. This was the first time I got hurt while alone with two small kids and realized that this is why you have home phones to call 911. I didn’t need to but it could have been so much worse and it terrified me. So we took out the ladder, which allowed us to make the room more usable in many ways and instead put in stairs from the kids’ room.

As a reminder, this is the kids’ room downstairs. It has wall to wall carpet, folks and loving EVERY SINGLE FOOT STEP AND WRESTLE SESSION.

Back to iPhone shots upstairs…

Here’s where we are now. It’s a cute little space with fresh carpet and clean walls. We put in a window and are about to put in two operable Velux skylights for air flow (the window couldn’t be operable because it was on a diagonal).

It has not only this playspace but also a ladder to what we are calling the “clubhouse.”

That window (by Marvin) is magical and had to be a diamond due to the roofline, but we love it and the view out of it is all trees. It has a soffit bench that houses AC vents for the house, which could be a cute bench or more play space.

There is so much potential for fun up here, it could be such a magical space (though it kinda is already).

There is more room behind that wall where the cubbies are so we could do a secret door and have an additional secret room. We are obviously VERY into secret rooms around here.

That’s the space, now let’s get your vote on which style we go for. But first some information on my kids:

We have a 3 and 5 year old who actually love playing together (I mean, they call each other best friends and I want to DIE with happiness). Most of their play up at this house is imaginative, so think lots of costumes, “get the bad guy,” hiding from parents, spy adventures, etc. So this room is to help foster that kind of imaginative play.

OPTION 1: Secret Spy Headquarters/Base

Our kids love playing any sort of game that feels like a secret and involves an adventure so both plans would have elements of that. This option is more geared towards “spy/superhero” but could really be anything they imagine. We love the idea of a wall of gadgets with boxes that have locks. I already bought that wooden safe which I’ll incorporate into either design because it’s so stinking cute.

Finding inspiration of EITHER of these styles was rough and nothing really tells that story, but here are some images that we are kinda referencing:

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That mission control is so amazing and the wall of gadgets, of course, wouldn’t be saw blades; it’s just an inspiration for a sliding secret door that could house their binoculars, compass, masks, etc.

OPTION 2: Enchanted Forest

This theme is more nature-oriented, obviously but where you’d walk in and have it be a magical enchanted forest …via Scandinavia. We’d still do a clubhouse but it would be more treehouse inspired. I found those vintage mushroom stools at the flea market and they spin which is super fun.

Julie tried to find some inspiration shots for “enchanted forest themed room” and here’s what we found…

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It would be far less themed with say, trees and deer…that room CRACKS ME UP. But the trees would come in the form of a tree mural and the “stumps” would likely be the mushrooms stools I already have.

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We love the idea of a rotating circle window and that tone of wood would obviously work in the house.

But we also could paint it white if it competes less with the carpet and wallpaper.

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So it’s down to this: you choosing the theme of this room and entering to win the 5 days at this house with your friends/family (likely next spring or summer). Remember I’ll even pay $1k towards your travel, as you can tell I REALLY want you guys to enter and share and, frankly care as much as you have about this project. So many of you feel so invested and engaged and it means so very very very much to me. Thank you so much for watching, reading, voting, sharing and caring.

Now vote. It’s not a privilege, it’s a right.