Son's Room Needs a Makeover

9 years ago

Hello Houzz Community!

I'd like a more tied together look for my 3-year-old son's bedroom. The first 2 pics below are my son's room. The last 3 are pics of rooms I found on houzz that I like.

My house has a transitional look so his bedroom needs to be between modern and traditional (although I lean a bit more modern). The only things I need to keep in the 2 pics you see are the dresser and nightstand. I really like the zig zag lamp and would like to integrate it into the decor, but if it doesn't work I can get rid of it.

I'm looking especially for paint, bedding, and window treatment colors. It would be great not to paint the walls blue because that's so expected for a boy. Any other advice is welcome. Thank you for looking!

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Featured Answer

linlac

9 years ago

Since you didn't use the stripes on the wall how about striped bedding that incorporates your colors? You could even throw in a little of the orange that you liked.

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Comments (21)

User
9 years ago
Start with the bedding. It is easier to match paint to fabric than the other way around. There are a lot of teals and turqs around, so finding something you like won't be difficult. If you choose multi-color bedding, it will be more fun and kid-like, as well as providing other color inspiration for the space. You might consider adding storage, and a desk. Now, he can use it for coloring, but soon, he will need it for school. Boo-hoo, they grow up so fast! The storybook chair could be slipcovered to match. Some of the things in the space would already provide a nice color contrast, such as the lamp and green bookshelf.
beautifulmaryland thanked User
Maureen
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
The picture below is my favorite of the boy's bedrooms on Houzz - wall could be lime green also. It's youthful and will work when he gets a bit older. Not sure if you are keeping the two beds? If not, I would place the bed along the wall and paint that wall navy and you could leave the rest of the room as it is now. Add mocha, white and a bit of red and your furniture and lamp will work as well. I'd use vertically striped white/mocha and navy curtains with fun finials. Use simple bedding and find some great posters of things he loves and pick up frames/matts and frame yourself. If you had room, I'd add a little tent and purchase a metal basket that you could stencil his name onto the liner.
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beautifulmaryland thanked Maureen
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magada
9 years ago
Hi monica,

I think the soft lime in the last photo is great choice if you don't want to go with blue. And as you see it goes with a lot of colors. Maybe a blue voile on the windows but see what cute bedding you find first. Or paint the windows blue with white or biscuit color voile.
beautifulmaryland thanked magada
PRO
Remodel Advocates - Virtual Project Management
9 years ago
First off, great question post - you really laid it all out clearly. It might be helpful if you specify what you like about the Houzz photos you choose, so the new suggestions can be more on point.

Or post a pic of another room in your home if you're trying to tie it into that style.
beautifulmaryland thanked Remodel Advocates - Virtual Project Management
beautifulmaryland
Original Author
9 years ago
sooz001 - I agree I will need a desk in there at some point. Right now there's not enough room with the 2 beds. I'm also hesitant to choose the bedding first because I often see rooms that have plain bedding so as not to compete with everything else in the room.

Maureen - I've seen that picture too and like it a lot! I'd like to consider colors besides blue because it's so traditional, although I will say I've had a blue accent wall in a living room and loved it so I might give in. :) The accessories you chose are just great. I could make room for a tent by removing the chair. We never use it anyway except to catch clothes.

Remodel Advocates - Good point. In Pic 3 - maybe I like the window seat the best, which is not easy to replicate on a budget. Perhaps I'm trying to use the zig zag lamp as a proxy. I also like how the orange pillow make the room cheery. In Pic 4 - I like how the stripes tie the room together and make the room look like its own world. In Pic 5 - The lime green is cheery and what fun with all the animals,
linlac
9 years ago
I love the burnt oranges and grays or blues for a boys room. How about the striped feature wall behind the beds? You could use simple solid color quilts for the beds.
beautifulmaryland thanked linlac
Maureen
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You could replace the navy for lime green in that photo and then use navy/ivory in the accessories.
beautifulmaryland thanked Maureen
beautifulmaryland
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
linlac - I do like those stripes. And the fact that they're only on 1 wall, unlike the inspiration pic I posted.

Maureen - I guess it would look something like this. Not as good as the blue, I think. Some other colors would need to be changed around it. Like maybe making the walls a brighter white.
Maureen
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I think that is too yellow..something like Benjamin Moore Huntington Green 406 below might be complimentry to navy and white.
Contemporary Dining Room · More Info
beautifulmaryland
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
This is where I am now. I used a greener green and put a couple of framed pictures on the wall. I added a couple of headboards (assuming plywood with fabric streched across). The window treatment is my attempt at simulating a Roman shade. I tried a blue curtain but it made it too traditional for my taste. Please forgive my sloppiness on the bedding. And I'm thinking it might be too white? I'm trying to keep some youthfulness in the room since my son is only 3. Thoughts appreciated!
pkisch
9 years ago
Consider adding Ugly Dolls on the bed, or walls as soft scupture.
linlac
9 years ago
I like the vibrant green wall and blue shade. The bedding looks more like sheets and a little too babyish.
beautifulmaryland thanked linlac
pkisch
9 years ago
Check out this cloud pattern bedding from etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/213169940/custom-cloud-duvet-bedding-set-dazzling?ref=market

This is also a strong graphic bedding:

http://www.serenaandlily.com/catalina-medallion-duvet-cover-%26-sham/P10015.html#start=13
beautifulmaryland thanked pkisch
beautifulmaryland
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi Everyone,

Thanks so much for all your help. You may notice that I've incorporated some of the ideas you gave me.

I've done some work on the room and would love to get some feedback before spending more money. I especially need some tips on making the wall with the shelf look better. (The dinosaurs aren't flat on the wall yet because I'm not sure about the placement.)

I'm considering adding 1 more shelf below the current one and painting the shelves green to tie them back to the opposite green wall. I might also spray paint the lamp a bright yellow. But I'm not sure if that will still look cheap - perhaps I need a new lamp.

Any suggestions are welcome!
miacometlady
9 years ago
How about a shelf that runs around the perimeter of the room, the height of the shelf on the chair side? I would also consider an IKEA shelf with cubbies. Instead of chair next to bureau how about an IKEA bench laid on its side ( IKEA hack) with a cushion on it. I would love to see you add that wallpaper for the bureau side of room! I have 4 boys by the way. They collect everything from bottle caps to balls! Storage and display a must in my life!
beautifulmaryland thanked miacometlady
miacometlady
9 years ago
That material on bench is definitely Sunbrella!
Beth Scheel
9 years ago
I love the shade of green you chose, and I think another shelf would look good.
beautifulmaryland thanked Beth Scheel
beautifulmaryland
Original Author
9 years ago
miacometlady - I love everything about that room with the blue wallpaper you posted. You are really tempting me to try my hand at wallpaper again. I botched a bathroom in our last house and it looked messy for a year. :) Really like the green bins as well!
miacometlady
9 years ago
I bet the bins are IKEA too since the book shelves laying on their sides are. Very popular IKEA hack. You can find that wall paper online, but I bet at a local store too! I can see dinosaurs living in a blue forest! It works! That perimeter shelf is great because you can put stuff up there now but when the boys are older, they will use it for those $99 Lego kits they all love but have no place to display and every other thing!
beautifulmaryland
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Thanks to everyone who gave me the confidence to work through this project last year. Here is the final before/after. Total price including furniture: $600.