Sports Themed Playroom

This Sports Themed Playroom is scoring big thanks to a personalized wall mural and a few inexpensive touches. It’s also a perfect example of how being surrounded by the things you love, can turn a mundane room into one of the most used spaces in your home.  Be sure to check out the video tutorial by clicking on the picture above.  I’m also including a written blog with pictures below.

Working on this Sports Themed Playroom was a particularly fun project for me because I was doing it for someone I occasionally work with, but who I consider a personal friend.  Kate Longworth is a well-known sports reporter in the Phoenix area.  But what I love most about her is that she’s a down-to-earth mother of two little boys, and her family is clearly her priority.

When Kate first approached me about painting a mural in her boy’s playroom, this is what the room looked like:

The room didn’t feel put together, and Kate said she felt “stuck” in terms of where to start.  The one thing her family loves more than anything is sports, so she thought a mural of a sports locker might be fun.  I was immediately on board with idea.  Let’s face it, we’ve all had rooms in our homes that have gone unused simply because they’re not set up in a way that is inviting to us.  So if you’re ever in need of inspiration, start by thinking about what it is you love, and then use that as your jumping point.

Before I started sketching up ideas for the mural, I gathered as much information as possible.  I found out which teams the family followed.  I got birthdays and other important dates that I knew I could work in as locker numbers and numbers on jerseys.  My goal was to make this mural as personal to Kate’s family as possible.  I also talked to Kate about painting the overall color of the room.  It wasn’t bad, it was just your basic beige and I thought a locker would stand out best on a warm gray background.

After getting Kate’s approval on both the mural sketch and the wall color, I got to work painting.

With the mural all done, it was time to address the elephant in the room; the oversized oak shelf/entertainment center that housed the kids’ books and toys.  That shelf had to be older than Kate because I remember that style was popular back in the 80’s.  It just felt dated and weighed down the room.  But I also couldn’t deny the fact that it was made well, and that type of sturdy, practical shelving is hard to come by in a day when everything is made out of cheap particle board.

I knew that if we painted it a nice crisp white, it would immediately feel more updated and would look great with the white baseboards and trim.  Thankfully, Kate agreed.

After giving the shelf a light sanding, I was able to paint it with my paint sprayer.  I used a paint-and-primer-in-one in a satin finish.  Because you have to water down your paint when using a paint sprayer, I thought for sure one quart would be about the right amount of paint.  But this beast of a shelf took quite a bit more.  I ended up going back to the hardware store for a second quart and used every single drop!

I also made a wood sign with hooks so that the kids could hang and access their dress up clothes.  For a step-by-step tutorial on how that sign came together, click here: http://www.muralsbymarcy.com/diy-wood-sign-hooks/

It’s amazing how a few simple changes can make such a huge difference in a room.  And did you notice how all of those changes involve paint?  This Sports Themed Playroom is now sporting a new paint color on the walls, a fresh coat of paint on the shelving unit, a hand-painted wood sign, and of course, a painted mural with lots of personal touches.

With the little ones spending more time in here, maybe this busy mom can take a much needed break now and then.  If that’s the case, I’d call this Sports Themed Playroom a Win!

Thanks for checking out my blog.  You may also like seeing how some fun murals transformed the children’s ministry area  at my church.  Click here to see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kAxWuiB7xw