Rockwall Mural | Private Residence | 2023
A family was looking to update their basement into a colorful, play-inspired space for their two young children. I developed a rock wall mural as the focal point of the room with foam pits below and monkey bars along the ceiling. Additionally I carved out a space for a mini basketball/pickleball/indoor soccer practice area. The final result is a vibrant and play-centric space that promotes active play for kids from ages 4 to 12!
The rock wall is the focal point of the room and required the most planning and design work. Rock wall grips cannot be directly installed into drywall, so we devised a plan to paint the mural on three planks of plywood. The grips could then be secured on the plywood before attaching everything directly into studs. I found colorful, kid-appropriate rock climbing grips and created a palette around the colors available. Above is how I mapped out the mural within the space and planned where the grips would land among the artwork.
Transferring the sketch onto the boards was done with the grid method and curved lines were drawn with the use of bowls, cups and a string-made compass. After the painting was complete, I chose grips for the per-determined spots, making adjustments as needed to ensure the wall could be climbed but was still challenging for a wide age-range of kids. The screw points were marked and holes were drilled for attaching. Once attached, the back of the screws was cut flush to the plywood for flush-mounting to the wall.
Everything came together to create a colorful and unique play space! Both kids and their friends have been enjoying climbing, swinging, hanging and leaping into the foam pits.
In addition to the rock wall mural, we replaced the carpet with a combination of soft turf and wood laminate, researched and ordered foam pit components, installed a basketball hoop, and painted a backboard for practicing pickle ball. The small rectangle in the lower part of the back board can be used as a soccer or hockey goal. This photo was taken before the monkey bars and basketball net had arrived!