An ugly and outdated room in our 1960’s colonial home transformed into an eclectic boy’s bedroom filled with color and meaningful decor. Check out the before and after photos to get inspiration for your own boy’s bedroom makeover.
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Trucks, trains, cars, dinosaurs, sports, superheroes and Star Wars: that’s what little boys are made of. Well, at least my little boy is. He’s also made of LEGOs, stuffed animals, and Ninja Turtles, too. My little dude has loads of different interests, so I didn’t want to fill his bedroom with characters that he’ll quickly outgrow. Instead, we created a meaningful and eclectic boy’s bedroom that represents all of the things he loves right now, but with pieces that will hopefully last him a long time.
Before the Makeover
When we first toured our house, my son’s bedroom-to-be was bright but crowded. The room is simply too small for a full-size bed, two nightstands, and a desk, but it gets excellent natural light for most of the day.
After: Adding Meaning to an Eclectic Boy’s Bedroom
This is how is room stands right now, minus the messy train table and the pile of clothes I shoved out of the way! The window in the photo below is the same as the one above the bed in the photo above.
The wall color is Benjamin Moore Van Deusen Blue, which is a rich navy, and it’s a great color for making a small room look both larger and cozier at the same time. Quite a feat for paint!
There are several special touches in this room that give it character (without too many characters!):
- The bed and nightstand belonged to my grandmother, and she gave them to me as soon as I transitioned out of a crib. When it was my son’s turn for a big-kid bed my parents passed them down to him.
- My mom made the chevron striped valances and the little John Deere pillow on his bed.
- The bookcase was mine in college, but I painted it and lined it with fun wrapping paper for his nursery (see the details on my home tour page).
- He chose the lamp on his own and is obsessed with the whistle!
My grandmother’s old bureau got an update with brushed nickel hardware, a tray for holding my boy’s random treasures (like LEGO pieces and socks without mates), and a Target mirror from my old apartment. Then, I folded an old table runner from Target in half to dress up the top of the bureau.
Even though there are still a few things I would like to do to “finish” the room, I love this eclectic boy’s bedroom. It’s truly a mix-and-match space, just like my son has a mix-and-match set of interests. The classic furniture and contemporary rug will last him long after he’s outgrown trucks and superheroes.
More importantly, this room is a special spot for snuggling with my favorite boy! How do you add meaning to your rooms?
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Leah says
I love the carpet in this room. Where is it from?
Laura says
Hi Leah,
The rug is by Safavieh. Here’s an affiliate link to the exact rug I purchased. It’s available in a variety of sizes: http://rstyle.me/n/cqictqcbzjp
Hope this helps!