apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Do you have an ikea nearby? Ikea has curtain panels that you can buy and I think they are a attractive way to separate a space AND add interest to a room. Here's a picture so you can see what I'm talking about

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_6Y250ctJQlE/RiYiNGOPxGI/AAAAAAAAA9c/UvBlzBaAB2E/P1040522-1.JPG

Well, we are in the process of moving but our three year old son's bedroom was set up in a similar fashion--we only had a two bedroom apartment and I didn't want our living room to be the "playroom". I kind of borrowed from the Montessori concept of work stations and tried to set up his toys so they were easily accessible and organized by use.

Please forgive the mess:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3071/2986630757_f7fc8cb818.jpg?v=0

You can see the play kitchen with the kitchen materials, next to that is a bucket of play food (pottery barn kids buckets are fantastic), next to that the table for "eating", and to the right is a nest cube filled with dress up costumes (and a sword hilt sticking out.) To the right (and not included in the picture) is his chalkboard/dry erase/pull down paper easel.

The books up high are the "nice" books that need to be well cared for and he has to ask to get those down.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3005/2964506755_627791cfcc.jpg?v=0

Once again a mess. I promise I pick up his room often! I just never have time to take pictures immediately after.

Underneath the easel are his wooden vehicles, to the right is his doll stroller (he calls it his vacuum) and next to that in the purple nest cube is his prolific collection of hot wheels.

Above his bed, hanging on the hooks are his IKEA baskets with his treasures--generally a few special cars and his superhero action figures.

Everything has its place (in theory) and he knows where everything lives so it has helped teach him to pick up. But as you can see, that doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy tearing it back apart!

We have a two bedroomed home (enormous rooms!) and we choose to sleep the kids in the one room, pretty dorm like! Just beds and their bedtime books and their favorite soft toys. We only rest and read on beds but play elsewhere... The other bedroom is called the "office" where the work of play happens all day. It works for us to keep play and sleep separate. I like the distinction between work and rest. It also gives us a chance to refine the kids packing up before supper and get the play spot ready for the next day.

I will be in a similar situation in a year or two, so thanks for asking this question! My thoughts (as yet untested) are to put down two different rugs or two different sets of flor tiles, to help break the room into two zones. Then all the appropriate furniture/storage could be on/around the appropriate rug. Maybe a low Ikea or other bookshelf, with the cubbies facing the play area and a plain, solid back facing the sleep area, wouls also help divide the room and prevent the toys from distracting her while she should be sleeping. Good luck and let us know what ends up working for you!