Is your kids’ playroom driving you bonkers? Mine was. So I transformed our playroom while trying to keep the cost down. Here’s my easy kids playroom makeover on a budget.
Our playroom doubles as my office, so it had to tick a few boxes:
- Nice and bright
- Easy to play in
- Easy to work in
- Good storage options
- Able to grow with our kids
The room hadn’t been ticking any of those boxes for quite some time. The photo below is from before the revamp — boxes all over the floor, way too many toys, and not enough room for me to work or the kids to play.
You get the idea. The room was so full of stuff that we even had a spare sofa in there I’d been meaning to move for months, plus an old bookcase that didn’t hold enough (and was falling apart anyway).
So I decided enough was enough and sat down to make a plan. The bookcase and sofa would go, we’d buy some proper storage, and we’d rearrange the whole room.
I went looking for inspiration and landed on simple, clean-lined storage units with plenty of capacity — nothing too tall, so the kids could still reach everything themselves, with a low unit in between that could double as a desk for colouring or building Lego in the playroom too.
Recommended Reading: 10 Quick Ways to Tidy up the Playroom
After a lot of comparing, I settled on square cube storage units, a set of fabric storage boxes, and a bench-style storage unit that could work as a seat too. We went with white units to bring more brightness into the room, since it only gets early morning sun and needed the extra help.
With a plan, a shopping list, and a fair bit of positivity, I headed off to buy everything — and thankfully it was all in stock and fitted the room exactly as planned.
Here’s what I did to the playroom
- Removed the old bookcase. I needed my other half’s help for this one, but once I finally pinned him down, out to the shed it went.
- Moved the sofa to another room. I managed this one myself, with a lot of three-point turns (more like nineteen-point turns) until it fitted nicely into the spare room.
- Assembled the new storage units. I’m quite an impatient person when it comes to flat-pack furniture — I like to get things done straight away and by myself, so following instructions step by step isn’t really my strong suit. Happily, everything went together easily, and it took about two hours from start to finish, including standing the units up and filling them.
- Had a big tidy-up and clear-out of toys we no longer needed.
The result
We love it. It’s comfortable and welcoming now, and it ticks all the boxes.
The kids are playing in here all the time. It’s a pleasure to come and work in the room, and even my husband has started coming in for a chat — something that never happened before.
The bench in the centre works as both storage space and a desk. Wheel the storage box out from underneath, and you’ve got yourself a seat.
The units fit an extraordinary amount of toys and a good chunk of our ever-growing book collection. And finally, the dress-up clothes have a proper home in the storage box — no more boxes left lying on the floor.
Recommended Reading: 10 Hacks for Parents for Organising Toys
All in all, I can’t believe I didn’t do this sooner. The room is now what it was always meant to be — fun for the kids, and somewhere nice for me to work too.
Once the storage was sorted, I started thinking about the walls next — photo prints, gallery frames, or simple artwork can all lift a playroom without a big spend, and it’s worth keeping an eye out for deals when you’re ready to tackle that stage.
What it cost us
For anyone curious about budget, our set-up worked out to roughly €175 in total, not including the toys themselves — two large storage units, a set of fabric storage boxes, a storage bench, and a matching storage box. Prices for this kind of furniture change over time and vary by retailer, so treat this as a rough guide from our own shopping trip rather than a current price list. The bigger win wasn’t the exact numbers — it was choosing simple, sturdy pieces that did more than one job.
Over to you now — have you revamped your playroom recently? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I makeover a kids’ playroom on a budget?
Start with a plan before you buy anything. Clear out furniture and toys you no longer need first — you’ll often find you need less new storage than you think. Look for simple, multi-purpose pieces (a storage unit that’s also a seat, or a low unit that doubles as a desk) rather than buying separate items for every purpose.
What storage works best for a playroom?
Low, open units that kids can reach and use themselves tend to work best, paired with fabric boxes or bins for smaller items like dress-up clothes or loose toys. A bench or unit that combines seating and storage is a good way to get more use out of one piece of furniture.
Do I need to spend a lot to make a real difference?
Not necessarily. A clear-out, a rearrange, and one or two well-chosen storage pieces can transform how a room feels and functions, even on a modest budget.
How long does a playroom makeover like this take?
For a room-sized project like this one, expect a weekend: half a day for clearing out and moving furniture, and a few hours for assembling and filling new storage.
Related articles
- 10 Quick Ways to Tidy up the Playroom
- 10 Hacks for Parents for Organising Toys
- Simple Storage Solutions for Busy Family Homes
Save this for later
Not ready to start your playroom makeover this week? Save this article and come back to it when you’ve got a weekend free — the plan-first approach above works just as well whenever you’re ready.
Want more ideas like this?
Sign up for the MyKidsTime newsletter for weekly family life ideas, home organisation tips, and things to do with the kids — straight to your inbox.
