Our poor playroom has been in purgatory for awhile. It was once a cute and functional playroom, but as the kids- 15, 14, and 11- have outgrown toys, we began simultaneously clearing it out and using it as a dumping ground while we worked on other rooms in the house. It desperately needed a transformation! While it feels a bit small to label it a rec room, the goal was rec room vibes. We set out to create a fresh and modern space that felt inviting and cozy. I made a list that looked kind of like this:

Comfy seating for gaming or watching TV

Arcade style or rec room games- is there room?

Coffee table for coloring, crafts, or playing games

Storage for nerf stuff, a few electronics, art supplies, etc

Shelf for books

And we wanted all of this in a 12 x 14' room! I'm proud to say we somehow pulled it off- with a few adjustments. Keep reading to see how we created a cozy modern inviting lounge for our preteen and teens along with tips to create your own.

Seating (and another place to sleep?)

I originally bought this sofa. While it's pretty and fit the space well, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were missing an opportunity to have a place for guests to sleep. We don't have overnight guests often, but when Joe's parents visit, they sleep in Dax's room and he bunks with one of his sisters. It's worked well so far but Dax is getting older and playing musical chairs rooms might get old. I don't like how futons look and most are uncomfortable and sleeper sofas are too big, expensive, and often uncomfortable. The nugget style 'sofa' enters the chat. When I found it, it was like IMMEDIATELY YES! It had great reviews, looked great, and fit the space in both size and vibe. It has different configurations (those stacked mattresses unstack and can be placed side by side), and the kids love the cozy, soft fabric. It's already been used for sleepovers with rave reviews. I wouldn't put my in-laws on it (they're 70), but Dax or the girls could definitely sleep on it. 10/10 recommend! 

Games

My heart wanted a foosball table but it would take up the entire room. Then I remembered Dax and his cousin loved playing this arcade game in an Airbnb we rented. It's a splurge but Joe was all "go for it," and who am I to argue? And also, let's just appreciate that it's so very analog, which I love. There's a dart board, these pretty WS game company games, this Scrabble game that hangs on the wall and this cool basketball hoop. We used rubber balls but I suggest foam for noise. Eventually we'll add a gaming system (he has a Nintendo switch but would love a PlayStation). 

Coffee Table

Even though the kids don't play with toys anymore, storage is always necessary. The coffee table opens up to reveal ample storage that fits nearly all of Dax's nerf guns which worked out perfectly! Genevieve recently did her nails on it while watching her favorite show and I think she loved being tucked away in the lounge rather than in the living room. They also use it for coloring (I bought these which are so cute!). Is it just me or is there nothing more sweet than watching your teens color? Side note, we use this to protect surfaces when we do nails or crafting.

Storage

Aside from the coffee table, this TV stand provides a lot of storage. To keep everything neat, I used a combo of these bins: storage with lid, large Y weave decorative storage, Y weave easy access storage bin, and Y weave narrow easy access storage bins.

DIY Shelf

I had a vision of having 2 'floating' shelves full of books with a little ladder to get to the top one. I haven't totally let go of the idea but I was concerned that the room would feel cramped so we decided on one shelf for now. After games, decor, and a few books, it was full! So we do still have a few books that need a home. Dax has a shelf in his room, we store Nadia's books under her bed, and Genevieve has a small shelf but uses her Kindle mostly, so I'd say book storage is one area of opportunity- sorry- sometimes my corporate cliches re-emerge.

Making this shelf is the easiest DIY ever- I didn't even rip the pine. I bought select pine from Lowe's and these brackets. Joe found studs and used the included hardware to screw the brackets in and a level and to make sure it was straight. It's heavy so it's helpful to have a second set of hands to help. You might remember we did something similar in the homework nook. 

The Plaid "Wallpaper"

Stay tuned for a tutorial on the DIY painted plaid wall. It turned out great and though labor intensive, was really easy!