Project Reveal: Hot Air Balloon Playroom
Hot Air Balloon Playroom design by Rockabye Mommy
Imagine a playroom that is a perfect place for your little ones to learn, explore, and develop their imaginations. But what if it’s also so chic that you would be happy to spend time there with your mom friends? Yes, this is possible!
Today’s design reveal is the perfect example and I’m so excited to share all the details with you! It’s wild and fun, upscale and collected, and it may look familiar... This space was formerly the Safari Chic Nursery. When I converted this safari-themed nursery into an adventurous playroom, I knew I would need to incorporate high-end custom elements, and the result is... *chef’s kiss.* Here’s how it happened...
Meet the Ultimate Jet-Setting Family
Brad and Melanie live in Orange County and have two young kids. They both own businesses and work from home, but they are far from being homebodies. This family loves to travel and enjoys new experiences, and even a newborn baby won’t slow them down! When their youngest was a newborn, we designed his safari-themed nursery to help inspire his own sense of adventure and travel.
BEFORE: The Safari Chic Nursery
Now, these clients have returned to request that we turn the same space into an even more daring playroom, while using some of the existing design features, like the wood panel wallpaper, textured walls, and carpet. They also wanted their littles to have an open play area, a reading nook, and a multi-functional play table for learning or focusing on schoolwork. And of course, as I incorporate into all of my projects, using products and materials that are low in VOCs and as low-tox as possible.
Also in the equation? This couple’s newborn daughter. She was only a few months old, so I needed to incorporate some features that she could use as she grows. They didn’t have any special requests aesthetically. But knowing them, I knew the design needed to stand out. Challenges accepted.
Shifting the Design from Nursery to Playroom
Like all of my projects, this concept materialized from a rough sketch in my notebook. Then, after taking my drawings and turning them into 3D renderings, that’s when the magic happens. These visuals help bring the design to life, so you know what the finished product will actually look like...before any work begins. Can you believe the image below is computer generated?! The finished design looks almost identical to our initial 3D concept.
3D Rendering by Rockabye Mommy
Next, I organized all the necessary trades, product orders, and (much later) the deliveries, installation, and styling! This all takes time and is a little messy to coordinate (for me, not for you), but we can skip over all of that and move on to the grand finale…their final space.
Meet the Hot Air Balloon Playroom Design
Safari meets adventure in this beautiful, updated playroom, and the whimsical hot air balloon is a true showstopper. I was able to check off all their must-haves while gushing elegant design. The playroom was designed with two reading nooks, a hot air balloon reading space, a learning table, and an open play area.
The biggest challenge in this project was designing the giant hot air balloon to fit into a standard size bedroom door! This didn’t come up until after the balloon was carved. I was visiting the shop to see the progress, and as I stared at it, I thought, “How will we fit this through the bedroom door?”
I had to triple-check all measurements from the front door leading down two hallways and into the bedroom door. As I feared, the bedroom door wasn’t quite wide enough...and the bedroom window wasn’t large enough either. What did we do? Well, the fabricator very reluctantly had to cut the balloon in half to make it work. He installed the two pieces together on-site and hid the seam with the gold rope detail. Crisis averted!
How fun is this nook? This playroom is all about the details. The hot air balloon is full of polished elements that set it over the top. The scale and proportion of the balloon are just right, and the texture of the basket uses metallic gold raffia wallpaper from Phillip Jeffries which is so beautiful in person. We added padded trim for safety, using an easy to clean gold fabric. It’s perfect.
Additional hot air balloon features include the hand-tied white bows, gold rope, brass hardware details, and faux sandbags filled with organic latex foam from Naturepedic. You know, for special effect. The basket’s interior was also padded and upholstered for comfort with a soft GOTS (Global Organic Textiles Standard) certified fabric from Two Sisters EcoTextiles.
Next to the hot air balloon, I designed the reading nook to be the ultimate kids’ lounge! Two reading nook benches flank the hot air balloon niche along the back wall with built-in bookcases and upholstered seating. The built-in bookcases are great for easy access to books and toys. The benches also allow for additional storage space, which, let’s be honest, every parent needs. (P.S. Here are 6 more ways to get creative with storage in your child’s nursery or playroom.)
By the way, have you spotted the unique gold banana leaf yet? It’s a wall sconce! These are a great decorative detail to tie into the nature theme, and they also provide a nice, soft light while reading.
I also commissioned one of my favorite mural artists to paint a custom monochromatic animal-scape on the end panels of the bookcases. I’ve worked with this artist for years, and it’s always a treat to be able to incorporate his work into my clients’ homes. Incorporating unexpected and custom details adds to the interest of the space every time.
At the center of the room is the play and activity table. The play table design came together to comfortably seat children and adults and be functional to store school supplies, art supplies, and toys. The final design features seating for six with leg extensions to increase the height as the kids grow. Storage drawers and two storage compartments are built into the tabletop, making clean-up a cinch!
I also found the cutest French-inspired play chairs with a floral detail that helped add a feminine touch for their little girl. I paired them with a beautiful green velvet fabric and commissioned two more fully upholstered end chairs with style-specific fabrics to strike the right balance between playful and sophisticated. The addition of the stacked cushion design makes this chair so playful and is one of my favorite elements in the room.
Now, let’s take a look at the other wall...
Here’s your first look at the other side of the room — and it’s equally intriguing! Along with a reading area, having space for play and learning were Brad and Melanie’s top priorities. Below a sky of floating hot-air balloon miniatures, I created this beautiful sensory wall to engage their children’s’ senses, curiosity and creativity.
It includes a mounted roll of art paper to encourage drawing, the most adorable play kitchen and dollhouse, and sensory panels for their little girl. Sensory play is so important in supporting children’s development - aiding in fine and gross motor skills. (How can you design your child’s room for sensory play? Find out here!)
Layered on top of the wood panel paper, this mural adds to the safari theme by bringing in a lush, depth-filled greenery-scape. The installer and I hand cut the mural to remove the white background which allows the wood wallpaper behind to peek through. It was not an easy task and maybe a little carpal tunnel was developed…but it was so worth it! We also incorporated this dollhouse from Plan Toys, the play kitchen from Milton & Goose, and kitchen toys from Odin Parker — all eco-conscious and low-tox.
A Room that takes you Up, Up and Away!
Transforming this space for Brad and Melanie’s four-year-old son and new baby girl has been one of my most fun projects to date. To make it equally fun for their son, Brad and Melanie didn’t let him see the space at all during the entirety of the project! (Poor guy!)
After several weeks of installation, they finally set a day to reveal the room to him…and he was ecstatic! The family now uses the play table regularly for school work and playtime.
Designing a playroom doesn’t have to mean lining your walls with toy bins. It can end in absolutely unique and imaginative results! Let’s bring your over-the-top ideas to life, and reach out to see how we can create a unique haven for your kids. I can’t wait.
-Stephanie
*Playroom photos by Nicole Gerulat