What should I decide first in a playroom remodel?

A playroom remodel is storage and surface. Low open storage that a child can use without help, a floor warm enough to sit on, and walls that survive — the rest is deciding how much of the room stays clear.

What goes wrong most often?

Adult-height shelving, so an adult puts everything away. The floor filled edge to edge, leaving nowhere to actually play.

Will it work in a small playroom?

In a small playroom, take one full wall for floor-to-40in storage and leave the other three completely empty. Splitting storage across several walls eats the clear floor from every direction at once.

Can I see it on my own playroom before starting?

Yes — photograph the space and run it through the Studio. It is generated imagery, so compare the render against your photo rather than treating it as a plan.

How to Light a Playroom

The layer people skip, and the one that makes the rest of the work visible. Storage at child height, and a floor you can be on.

BeforeAfter

1
The plan
Even and bright, because play happens on the floor and shadows fall across it. Skip anything fragile at low level, and put the room on a dimmer so it can be wound down at the end of the day.
2
What it has to light
The elements the work touches — low open storage, floor covering, wall protection or paint, table and seating — are what the lighting has to make legible. Finishes chosen under a showroom's light and lit badly at home look like different materials.
3
Where lighting goes wrong here
Adult-height shelving, so an adult puts everything away. The floor filled edge to edge, leaving nowhere to actually play.

Questions

What should I decide first in a playroom remodel?: A playroom remodel is storage and surface. Low open storage that a child can use without help, a floor warm enough to sit on, and walls that survive — the rest is deciding how much of the room stays clear.
What goes wrong most often?: Adult-height shelving, so an adult puts everything away. The floor filled edge to edge, leaving nowhere to actually play.
Will it work in a small playroom?: In a small playroom, take one full wall for floor-to-40in storage and leave the other three completely empty. Splitting storage across several walls eats the clear floor from every direction at once.
Can I see it on my own playroom before starting?: Yes — photograph the space and run it through the Studio. It is generated imagery, so compare the render against your photo rather than treating it as a plan.

How to Light a Playroom

The plan

What it has to light

Where lighting goes wrong here

Questions