An Enchanted Woodlands Playroom Roots for Imagination
Beguiling and creative, this storybook playspace in a Brooklyn brownstone is right out of a child's dream
Put yourself in the shoes of a 4-year-old and imagine having a playspace complete with an interactive tree, hand-crafted plush animals, a lemonade stand and — wait for it — an indoor swing.
Is your head exploding yet?
Designer and artist Jen Talbot never gets used to her clients' ecstatic reactions. "The kids' and their parents' excitement never gets old. I just love blurring the lines between art and decor, and I challenge myself by pushing the boundaries of what you would expect to be in a home or a playroom or a nursery," says Talbot.
For this project, Talbot went all out in transforming what would otherwise have been the living room on the first floor of a Brooklyn, New York, brownstone. After her initial phone conversation with the client, Talbot immediately started collaborating and brainstorming — and thinking big. "My client wanted a place where all the neighborhood kids would want to come and play and never want to leave," says Talbot.
Playroom at a Glance
Who plays here: Avery and her cadre of neighborhood buddies
Location: New York City
Size: 200 square feet
Is your head exploding yet?
Designer and artist Jen Talbot never gets used to her clients' ecstatic reactions. "The kids' and their parents' excitement never gets old. I just love blurring the lines between art and decor, and I challenge myself by pushing the boundaries of what you would expect to be in a home or a playroom or a nursery," says Talbot.
For this project, Talbot went all out in transforming what would otherwise have been the living room on the first floor of a Brooklyn, New York, brownstone. After her initial phone conversation with the client, Talbot immediately started collaborating and brainstorming — and thinking big. "My client wanted a place where all the neighborhood kids would want to come and play and never want to leave," says Talbot.
Playroom at a Glance
Who plays here: Avery and her cadre of neighborhood buddies
Location: New York City
Size: 200 square feet
The star of the playroom is a life-size interactive tree with lemons ready for picking, attached with Velcro. Talbot and her team of local artisans secured the tree's metal base in place and wrapped the structure in felt to give it an organic, texturized feel.
Initially, Talbot and her client toyed with two ideas: an enchanted forest and a vintage candy and ice cream store.
"Avery's mom expressed how amazing it would be to have a swing in the space. I ran with that and developed ideas for the enchanted woodland playscape," says Talbot.
"Avery's mom expressed how amazing it would be to have a swing in the space. I ran with that and developed ideas for the enchanted woodland playscape," says Talbot.
BEFORE: Talbot worked with a blank space from the get-go, which facilitated the mapping, measuring and documentation of the existing space.
"I flew out from Chicago to Brooklyn so I could see the space in person," she says. "The trip helped me flesh out ideas and set the wheels turning for the conceptualization of the space. From there, I came up with inspirational images, concept drawings and a budget breakdown."
"I flew out from Chicago to Brooklyn so I could see the space in person," she says. "The trip helped me flesh out ideas and set the wheels turning for the conceptualization of the space. From there, I came up with inspirational images, concept drawings and a budget breakdown."
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| AFTER: Talbot fashioned poufs resembling cut wood and created a wraparound art table located next to branch hooks holding art supplies housed in buckets. "I wasn't there when my client revealed the playroom to her daughter. But she said that Avery kept going from one thing to the next in frantic excitement and that she took most of the felt animals to bed with her that night," says Talbot. |
Neighborhood kids flock to this swing and the lemonade stand in the corner of the playroom. Talbot and her team secured the swing to the plaster and lath ceiling by drilling 3-inch eye hooks directly into the wood lath. Felt vines cover the swing's jute handles.
A low-relief diorama hangs above the mantel. Felt grass covers the mantel's base, complete with mushrooms, frogs and other enchanted animals.
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| A closer look at the diorama reveals a whimsical scene of woodland animals dressed for a day of picnicking in the woods. Talbot hand cut the diorama from different types of paper, drawn characters and bits from books. |
The playroom extends into the hallway. Talbot created a large felt branch to hang on the wall, as if the tree branch were growing through the wall from the playroom into the hallway.
A storage locker covered with felt vines and flowers houses hats and mittens, while jackets hang on additional branch hooks nearby.
A storage locker covered with felt vines and flowers houses hats and mittens, while jackets hang on additional branch hooks nearby.
Talbot lined the inside of the locker cubbies with a woodlands-themed wallpaper from Ferm Living.
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| The designer-artist upcycled a vintage footstool into a mommy raccoon for extra seating. "I truly believe great ideas don't need to break the bank. It’s all about approaching a project with creative solutions," says Talbot. "I love the process of collaborating with a client and thinking really big — and then pulling back to a workable solution that fits within their needs and budget." A few weeks after installation, the designer-artist received an email from her client, who revealed the one downside of having such an amazing playroom: When it's time to go home, the parents of Avery's playmates usually have to drag their kids out screaming. |
Comments
dani_p magical!
9 months ago · Like
Cathy Lara I love her description of the little girl's reaction. I would've done the same thing! The upcycled raccoon stool is one of my favorite pieces in the room.
9 months ago · Like
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wordings Wow--everything looks so soft and touchable, I want to play there too! I imagine the lemonade stand will be doubling as a puppet theater. :-)
9 months ago · Like
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Anita Roll Murals Very fun and imaginative! I love the racoon stool as well.
9 months ago · Like
Casart Coverings And the fireplace cover is even painted to replicate a white wooden fence! I want to come play!
9 months ago · Like
· 1
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kennedytarheel I never felt deprived of anything as a child...til right now! WOW!
9 months ago · Like
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Kihika_J Opoka every thing is just lovely
9 months ago · Like
kikidelisle This is an amazing play space!!!! Wow!!
9 months ago · Like
handvsmom Such a magical room. Any ideas for a similar room but for an older girl ( 8 years ) ?
8 months ago · Like
Cathy Lara @handsvmom, These photos might give you a few ideas: http://www.houzz.com/girls-playroom
8 months ago · Like
Brenda Fisher Cute room, please NEVER attach any structural or weight bearing item to wood lathe! The old lathe will crack when screwed into. Always attach directly to a joist or beam and predrill that to avoid weakening the beam/joist. Eye bolts can come unscrewed with use. Contact a professional contractor or someone certified in loads or hoisting. Try swinging a child in your arms for 5 minutes and you will see why eye bolts in lathe is a bad idea.
5 months ago · Like
jolinkica It looks lovely, of course, but how do you keep all the felt and such from getting terribly dusty? Is any of it washable? (I guess you can tell I have an allergic child....)
5 months ago · Like
Ideabook updated on Sept. 12, 2012.
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