Camp Yolo!! Vintage Camp Playroom Reveal!

DIY PROJECT, Room Makeovers

Welcome to CAMP YOLO!!! This is, hands down, the most fun I’ve had designing a space. This has also been the makeover that’s probably taken the longest, and there were definitely some bumps along the way (wallpapered the ceiling twice, yikes!) But it’s done, and now this attic space is one of the the most used rooms in the house! SO MUCH to talk about in this space, where to start…

The Space

I keep getting the question… “Where the heck is this in the Barnhouse?” Well, it’s actually in the attic space just off of Lil’ Yolo’s bedroom. It’s through the tiny door you saw in her nursery. It was previously used for storage, but as she grew we needed a spot for her to play. Bonus: this gets toys out of our living room! We started by clearing it out in the beginning of 2021, and chipping away at drywalling and paneling between our other renovation projects. Decorating with this theme took on a life of its own and I immersed myself in all things vintage camp. 7 month later, we have a finished and well-loved playroom!

If you can remember back to when I first started this room I had a very different, more whimsical design. But something just wasn’t feeling quite right. Especially once we installed the paneling and the big pipe became so obvious. Instead of trying to “make it work” I shifted gears and embraced the paneling and pipe with the new theme: Vintage Camp! I totally got into it; watched a Wes Anderson movie, got Max Humphrey’s book, and started paying attention to all the campy goodness at the antique stores I frequent. My eyes were opened to a whole new vintage world with colors and patterns (Hello, plaid!). This was totally what this room was meant to be! To tackle the 250 sq ft space, I divided it into different areas like the kitchen, camp workshop, book corner, etc. Let’s look at each area! 

The Wallpapered Ceiling

But first, let’s address the elephant in the room… I’ll start by saying that not all DIY projects go as planned. If you were following along on Instagram, the last update was that I was wallpapering the ceiling with my green Forest Wallpaper from my collaboration with Chasing Paper. Well, I did the entire ceiling… all by myself on a very steamy summer day. As I was installing it, I was so happy with the print, but I started questioning the dark green in this space. I had a vision to go bold on the ceiling. I thought it would feel like a tree house vibe. Which could have been a good idea if the attic was not 90% ceiling and only had one light source. After I finished the whole ceiling, I panicked. It was just SO dark and suffocating. 

Some tears were shed (actually, a lot of tears.) I walked away from it for a couple of days, and decided that I have worked too hard on this space not to love it. I enlisted the help of my sister and we took down all of the green wallpaper and rehung the lighter, tan version of the same Forest Wallpaper. It was a GAMERCHANGER! Now this room is just so bright and beautiful. I absolutely love it! 

In the end: I alway tell Lil Yolo “We take big chances” and sometimes they work out, and sometimes they don’t. I wanted to go bold and it was the wrong move, but that’s ok, and now you all can learn from that chance 🙂

The Gallery Wall 

This is version 3,756 of this gallery wall. It was a tricky one for a few reasons; the window is off centered (once you see it, you can’t unsee it), the peak, and there was not a whole lot of wall space. I kept playing around with different combinations of art and items and this one finally worked! The mix of collected items, the colors and the cross-stitch felt fun, campy, and kiddish. Most of the finds are from my thrifting adventures, which sparks good memories. I have a DIY using the pennant coming soon, so stay tuned!

I mounted this light to the wall and added a puck light. I love that it adds a pop of yellow, plus a little more light in this corner.

The plaid bench could be a whole post by itself, but it was the last thing I did in the room (post wallpaper struggle) and I did not document the process as good as I should have. But I just wrapped fabric around 3″ foam and some plywood and stapled the heck outta it!

The Kitchen 

I spotted this play kitchen at Antiques on Pierce for just 35 dollars, and it was a perfect fit for the playroom. The colors fit so well and it had a very campy vibe. After I placed it in this corner, I painted this shelf from Goodwill with charcoal chalk paint and hung it. Next up was installing the light. It was not hardwired so I stuck a puck light in it and ta-da… we had light in the kitchen!

Then the vintage items really completed the kitchen: the rug came from a local, Cori Elizabeth Vintage; the enamelware from Noble & Erie; the basket from Shayco Collections; and the tin wares from Anthology Home. It’s Lil’ Yolo’s favorite corner. She loves to clang around the pots and pans and cook wood toys and hide things in the oven.

The Book Corner & Craft Table

We scoured the Elkhorn flea market for a table and chair set, and didn’t have much luck until we were on our way out. I spotted these at two different booths and they fit together perfectly. I was so happy that the colors and wood worked in the room. I have the hope that one day we will craft together at this table, right now she is more interested in climbing on it. She likes to take big chances! 

This gallery wall brings us a lot of joy. I remembered I had this paint-by-numbers in one of our Airbnb’s and the colors just pulled this together. I needed storage for her books, and this little bookcase was the perfect size for the corner. Lil Yolo puts her little trinkets on the top, and the height is just right for her to play with her rock collection and grab books to read. 

The Reading Corner 

I had a blast thrifting most stuff for the room, but there were a couple items I wanted to buy new, like a bean bag Mommy chill chair. I saw this Bean Bag Chair on Crate & Kids and it looked really comfortable, plus it fit the theme! Which lead me to a deep dive into all their campy kids stuff. It all so good: the rug, bookcase, hanging light, toy basket are from Crate & Kids. Stay tuned for a DIY project with them, and all the links are in the credits! 

The Workshop 

Lil Yolo is always imitating me and Mr. Yolo when we are working on renovations, so it only seemed right to have a little camp workshop to work on her own projects. She loves hammering and “making” slingshots. 

DIY Pine Wood Floors

I really wanted to try laying pine wood floors in this space, and it worked with the camp vibe. So far, we really love them. But they really do deserve their own tutorial post! So ask any questions in the comments, and I will be happy to answer in a step-by-step post!

One of the most amazing perks of sharing the process of this space was meeting so many wonderful women along the way that contributed camp-y antiques to Lil’ Yolo’s new play space. I love championing female entrepreneurs, and treasure the fact that so many pieces in here have a connection to a woman-owned business.

Women-Owned Vintage Stops to Support

Penny & Ivy
Anthology Home
Jules Pillows
Mill House Goods
Honey Bear Cottage
Shayco Collections
Cori Elizabeth Vintage
Noble & Erie
Serpentine Salvage
Goodland Antiques

Shopping

Gallery wall:
I Spy DIY x Chasing Paper Forest Wallpaper in Tan
Outdoor Plaid Fabric from Joanne
Bench Paint – Farrow & Ball Treron
Yellow Sconce and Warm Puck Light
Canteen
Compass
URSA pillow
Gallery Wall Art clip
Cow hide rug
Bean Bag Chair
Vintage: Noble & Erie pennant & arrow, cross stitch, pillows, blanket

The Kitchen:
Light & Warm Puck Light
Tablecraft Enamelware mugs
Tablecraft Enamelware Serving Tray
Vintage: rug, kitchen, picnic basket, can, mixer, pots

The Book Corner & Craft Table:
Bookcase
Canvas United States Maps
Fringe Rug
White Pendant Light
Gallery Wall Art clip
Toy Basket
Vintage: art, sting, table and chair

The Workshop:
Wooden Toy Workbench
DIY stump
Vintage: chalkboard, art, hardware sign, car

Entry:
Carhartt Signature Hat
Knot Doormat
Red Vintage Clock
Vintage: hook, tags, chair