HGTV Waltenburg Style

After several gold-buying parties, I reached my goal (and then some), of earning enough cash to renovate our downstairs guest room into a playroom/classroom for the kids.  Colby and I were so into the project that we finished in only a couple of weeks.  We were on such a roll, it felt like we were on one of those HGTV shows!  I wish I had taken the time to take photos of the before and during stages, but we were too focused on just getting it done.  Just picture a bland, catch-all room for forgotten toys, with light beige walls, beige carpeting and white blinds...

Phase 1: Paint!  We did the first coat on our own and are slightly embarrassed to say we hired someone to finish because part way through we both decided we hated painting and the labor was too cheap to pass up.

Phase 2: Flooring.  Colby and my step-dad had the back-breaking job of installing these really cool laminated 4' 6"x 8" click-lock planks from Ikea... well, just about everything was from Ikea.  The finished product looks like a seamless sheet.  Very cool.

Phase 3: Assembly, assembly, and more assembly.  I spent nearly every free moment assembling Ikea furniture.  Every day at the kids' nap time, I could be found in front of the T.V. with a screwdriver, assembling something new for Colby to install when he got home form work.

Phase 4: Accessorizing.  That was fun.

Phase 5: The Unveiling.  The kids LOVE it.

This wire is stretched across the wall and has clips to display the boys' projects from homeschool and church:

 Pics of the kids & Joey:

 I sewed these curtains, which are clipped onto another wire to just slide open:

The Billy cabinets look pretty on the top half (until I fill it with all our homeschool books and stuff!) and hold toys in a store-like display for the kids in the lower, covered cabinets:

 Found these fun decals to go with the robot theme on whatisblik.com.  Their decals are so fun and inspiring:

 These stackable robot blocks were a gift from friends for us... I mean, the boys and go perfectly with the design:

Colby mounted the cubbies about a foot off the floor to give them a cool floating effect (and maybe also to keep the kids from knocking down our their robot blocks every time they come in:

 I filled these photo frame coasters with robot pics to continue the theme:

 I think Ronin's getting too comfortable in the mommy chair I strategically included:

There is also a collapsable table in the closet that can be rolled out and folded chairs hanging behind the door for more school-like activities in the future, but for now, it's the coolest play space in our house!