This sunny playroom is the home of Lauren Gores Ireland and Evan, her 1-year-old son. She tells MyDomaine that a room will be unique if you want to stay in it. The playroom was formerly a formal dining area.
Gores Ireland asked Melanie Burstin, an interior designer from Homepolish, to bring life to the dining room that was rarely used. She did not disappoint. Burstin says that she and Lauren were on the exact same page right from the start. We discussed a space that felt vintage, Scandinavian, and minimal. This means natural materials and soft colors to me. Take a peek inside Lauren Gores, Ireland’s beautiful new playroom. It’s a bright, sunny space with a lot of good vibes.
The five-bedroom home in L.A.’s Holmby Hills is a family house in the best possible sense. Every room is functional and is designed for Gores Island, her husband, Jake, and Evan. She says, “Our home feels traditional but is still youthful. Every room is meant to be utilized, so we added many cozy accents in each one.”
Gores Ireland transformed the space initially used as a formal living room into an area they would use daily. She says, “We use our playroom a lot more.” I don’t believe we’ll have a formal eating room ever again. Who wants to spend money on a space only used once a year?
Burstin began his work after the dining room furniture had been removed. The room was like a blank slate! “A blank canvas with gorgeous doors and herringbone floors, of course,” she describes the stunning architectural details of this home.
Burstin was given a simple brief, but she was allowed to be creative. “My goal was to create a space that felt as stylish as the rest,” she says. Lauren’s aesthetic is stylish yet comfortable. Her home is a beautiful balance between feeling put together and inviting yet cozy.
To keep clutter away, the only other instruction was to maximize storage in hidden places. Gores Ireland says, “I needed to store the growing amount of stuff that kids accumulate!”
Burstin wanted to make sure Evan would stay in his playroom. Evan was still a baby when Burstin designed the nursery. We didn’t need to worry about him voicing his opinion.
Lauren and I designed specific areas for Evan based on how the room will function in the future. We created a daybed to hide his toys and also to be able to read and lounge in the room. [And] we made an arts and crafts table to grow with him. There are also some floor toys in his current style.
She also made sure to leave the room neat and cram it with toys, as Evan will likely accumulate more games and toys as he grows. The day we shot the room was just a few weeks after Evan’s 1st birthday when he got a big-boy bike as a gift. She says that he will grow into it, as well as a few of the other details in his room.
The sizeable ornate window, which floods the room with light, was one of the first features we noticed. Bustin chose furniture that complimented the playroom’s style without competing with it. The Oeuf bear play chairs add a playful touch to the room while maintaining its Scandinavian-inspired style.
Burstin says, “I love the neutral toys that we found. I especially like the play kitchen.” We were able to find some toys that adults didn’t mind seeing. Evan has a lot of colorful toys. The brighter toys will be stored in the closet when Evan’s parents wish to make the room feel calmer and cleaner.
Evan’s mom and I are eager to see what they think about his new playroom now that the design and furniture have been installed. Ireland says of the beautiful space, “We don’t want to leave.” It’s a perfect space for him over time to make it his own.
