Boy’s Room: Sources, Projects, & a Question

By Kate Riley March 9, 2011

Thanks friends for all the kind comments on the boy’s room!  As promised, here’s a recap of all the projects that went into the space over the last six months, with questions answered plus the source guide.

cg boys room after

I love the rug. Where can I find it?  ~ Maria, Beth & Brenda

I do too, it’s my favorite accent in the room.  The cotton rug adds both a boyish stripe and a coastal feel.  The rug is the 6’ x 9’ Woven Caravan Stripe by Dash & Albert. 

 

Where did you get the little table and chairs?  ~ Amy W.

Can you tell us more about the tiny chairs and table?  ~ Stacia

cg chair dresser rug

 

Hey gals, I found those chairs and the little coffee table at two different thrift stores, then reupholstered the chairs with some vintage tweed fabric, also from a thrift store. 

I painted the table with Hudson Paint ‘Deep Ocean’ chalkboard paint last summer. 

I’m completely smitten with colored chalkboard paint.  Next up?  I’m painting my friend’s little girl’s closet doors a raspberry color.  Should be fab!

chalkboard table

Read the step by step on the fun chalkboad table and chairs in my boy’s room here!  Both my kids doodle on this table all the time, waging fierce battles of tic-tac-toe.  

 

Please can you cite the source of the curtain fabric?  ~ Suzanne

Did you sew the curtains?  Jeannene  & Alice A.

The window panels I made myself out of a retro inspired print called Pendant Blue that I found at Tonic Living.  Have you visited Tonic Living?  Amazing patterns, and at reasonable prices.  Use the code CENTSATIONAL to save 10% !

retro fabric

The fabric is so quirky and cool, but mostly I love how it pulls together the shades of blue and green in the space, and the chocolate brown looks fantastic against the crisp white board and batten.  It also adds a fun geometric! 

BTW, lining your curtains with *el cheapo* drop cloths is a great trick to add weight and texture to your window panels.

sewing panels

No one will ever see it, but to me it feels oh so nautical to have canvas on the backside.  I stitched the canvas and the fabric together, then flipped them inside out and hemmed the panels to the proper length.   Making panels just like these is just another reason why I taught myself to sew

 

Where did you get his bed frame from?  It is so simple and versatile!  ~ Beth   Could you include the bed in your source guide? ~ Megan

Hey Beth and Megan!  I can’t remember exactly where I bought this platform bed a few years ago when we got rid of the crib, but you can find a similar one right here.  Shop around, many sites offer this style of bed.  I love its simplicity but more importantly, because the room is narrow (only 10’ wide) having a platform bed makes it feel more spacious. 

platform bed

Months ago, I had every intention of building him a bed similar to this without the skirt.  I still might.  For the time being, I gave the existing maple wood bed a coat of Zinsser oil based primer and two coats of fresh paint in Ben Moore’s ‘Split Pea’. 

painted bed

 

Above his bed, I had planned on building longer versions of West Elm’s modular shelves, but settled on a gallery wall instead.  

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It includes his own art (a ‘treasure map’ to the left and hand print to the right), a boat print found in an art shop, two Star Wars images found online, this Whale Dreams print, this motorcycle art print, and over in the corner, this sweet Milner chopper print

art wall

 

I’m loving the text that is framed but can’t quite make it out. Could you let me know what it says?  I would love to make one for my boy’s room.  ~ Catherine

Thank you Catherine, that is one of my favorite A.A. Milne quotes from the voice of Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh.  Don’t you think it applies to us grownups too?  

braver quote

It just typed up the text in a Word document, you can download my 8 ½ x 11 here.

 

That ceiling fixture is wonderful! ~ Tery   Can you give us the source on the ceiling light?  ~ Melanie & Dani   Where did you get that lovely light fixture?   ~ Pita & Shannon   Could could give details on the hanging lamp?  ~ Tara

The center 24” drum chandelier is from Lamps Plus, and so is the plug in drum chandy over the dresser (I added ribbon trim).  I had a store credit, so these are what I picked.  You can find a similar oversized version at CB2.  My boy thinks it’s an alien space ship, I love that.  Does anyone have any other source for a similar drum shade fixture? 

The IKEA Hemnes dresser I found on Craigslist and painted white with blue stripe trim, read the full story here

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Did you create the nautical mirror next to the sail boat?  ~ Katharine

Yep!  A porthole mirror is easy to make from simple craft supplies (mine are from Michaels) including a wooden plate, a mirror, birch buttons, craft and spray paint. 

porthole mirror supplies

Simply spray paint the wood white, super glue the mirror, then paint the little knobs and glue them on top.  So easy and too cute!  They’d be fab in a trio on a beach cottage wall, doncha think?

porthole mirror with boat

 

I’m wondering about the picture of your son on the beach.  Did you do the wrap around?  ~ Manja

boy on beach 2

Hi Manja!  That gallery wrapped canvas is from Color Incorporated, they did a fantastic job mounting one of my favorites of my boy on canvas.

 

Can you tell us the names of the paint colors; specifically the blue and also the green in the bookcase?  ~  Wendy  

What is the wall color?  ~ Jen & Amy

cg storage tower

Hi ladies!  The green inside the cabinet is called ‘New Orleans’.  I found it at True Value last year when I painted this storage tower.  The wall color is ‘La Fonda Villa Fountain’ by Valspar, available at Lowes. 

And yes Traci, I agree with you my friend, boys are just the best!  But don’t tell my daughters I said that.  I’ll just deny it.  Them’s fightin’ words, and my girls will challenge many boys their age to arm wrestle.  They’re kinda feisty like that. 

Finally, this question came up from Victoria:  What kind of camera lens do I use?  To capture this 10’ x 12’ space, I used my Nikon D90 with a Tamron 10-24 mm lens. 

A huge thank you Sarah Jane for this kind reflection on the room, and also some insight on the struggle we moms face to design a space that fosters imaginative play without completely bowing to commercialism.  I’m sure if my boy had his way, he’d cover his walls with Stormtrooper wallpaper (does it even exist?).  I prefer to give him a blank canvas upon which he can create his own universe with his imagination. 

I’m sure I’ll face those issues as he grows older, that sliding scale of youthful expression versus what’s acceptable in the home.  I’m a believer in letting kids express themselves in their own spaces, but within reason.   

The Question:

Moms of teens, what are your thoughts on the subject?  I welcome your insight!  Do you involve yourself in your older kids’ room décor?  Are there televisions or computers in their rooms?  Do you set limits?  Or do you allow them full rein of their domain? 

 

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66 comments

  1. THANKS so much for the references! These are great!

    And the topic of “how much to let your child design the room” is such a great one! thanks for commenting on my post about it…it’s a fine line! But really, I think that when it is collaborative like you made it with your son, it will end up being the best for everyone! But I really commend you for bringing in his current loves right now, while still giving him a room to grow into.

  2. What a beautiful, peaceful room. My 8 year old son is sitting with me, and is also in awe! :)

  3. Hey Kate,
    I was the mother of two boys who were teens when all the home computer craze began. Our computer was always in the family room…NEVER in their private bedrooms and all passwords were known by me. Not until they went off to college where they allowed to have a computer in their rooms.
    I have yet to meet a young teen who was fully aware of the possible dangers on the internet.
    Most of them have a false sense of security.

    Hope that helps

    Janet xox
    http://theemptynest-janet.blogspot.com/

  4. Thank you so very much for sharing everything about this spectacular project. It has inspired me to make some updates in my own home and it has also helped to pursuade my husband to support “my cause” by showing him your website. Your photos are beautifully detailed only to be complemented by the step-by-step instructions. All the best to you and your family!

  5. I just started becoming a “regular” to your blog and absolutely love your posts! Today’s post was so inspiring how you put together your sons bedroom and dished out your great finds and decorating secrets. Looks fabulous.

  6. Thanks for the tip & discount code for Tonic Living. I just ordered fabric for the faux roman shade that I plan to make (with your instructions!) for my laundry room!

  7. Hey sweet Kate!
    I am just loving this room! I am getting ready to put Eli in Adam’s room, and I am searching for some great inspiration. Thanks for providing it! :)
    I love the idea of lining with drop cloth! Genius, I tell ya! I will definitely be doing that. :)
    Oh, and I really love the chalkboard table. I bought a great kids table at GW last year knowing I would be using it for the boys’ room re-do. Right now, it still sits in my garage! Hopefully, I will be getting to it soon, and I might be buying some chalkboard paint.
    xoxo
    Traci

    p.s. Thanks for the shout out too. :)

  8. I say it’s their room, let them be creative….to a point. i draw the line at completely black rooms or anything vulgar on the walls. but bright turquois walls and zebra print everywhere? GO FOR IT!

  9. Love this room!! Missed the reveal…great colors. A friend was just asking me a few days ago if it was possible to paint a table with chalkboard paint, as soon as I saw this post I clicked over to that post and sent it to her, she is wanting to do one for a school auction! Thanks, Janell

  10. Loved this room because there are great ideas in here for adults, too! Thanks for posting all the links as well. Some of them, such as Tonic, I’ve never heard of, and can’t wait to check them out! Our bathroom is painted Benjamin Moore’s Nantucket Fog, which is jussst a little bit similar to your wall color. (at least, it looks like it on the computer screen!) :)

    As for the teen room question, my two daughters are 22 and 19 now, and when they were younger I always let them have free rein over their rooms when it came to decor. They’ve had paint colors in everything from teal to a wild sherbet-colored orange that made me cringe. (I just closed the door during the day!) I have a whole house to live in and decorate, so I felt strongly that their space should be their own. They love to talk about the colors now that they’re older. My only rule was that they couldn’t have a totally black room, but I would have allowed a black accent wall or two.

    The odd thing is that now they both have all WHITE rooms. This is a first for us as a family. We’ve never had a single room in all white!
    taking a cue from their new choices… I just might paint the family room white…..
    Anyway, thanks for all the great ideas in this post and in your blog overall!

  11. Kate,
    Love your blog and your fresh voice and wit.
    We have 3 teenagers and while we decorated their rooms almost 5 years ago when we moved into this house (they each had a say in their decor,) we let them be in terms of how they maintain them. Teens love putting “stuff” on their walls and early on I was opposed to tacks or push pins or tape, so all of them have a couple of bulletin boards, but I have lost the battle (one of those not worth fighting if you know what I mean) and the ‘stuff’ has migrated to the once pristine walls. I also tend to close the door on the daily messes, unmade beds, etc. our rule is that once a week, the room must be cleaned up and the kids are pretty good about that. If they feel good in that mess on a daily basis, then so be it!
    No computers or TV’s, our mindset is much like that of Janet at The Empty Nest, though we hear all of the time about friends who have such things. Kids need help in setting limits and parameters, heck, I sometimes lose track of time on the wonderful world of the internet…
    Just my 2 cents, hope it resonates!
    Cathy

  12. How did I not know about Tonic Living before?! I’ve been hunting for fabrics and finding nothing that i want within reasonable prices.. until now. Thanks!

  13. My son is a teenager, and I kind of miss those cute little-boy’s room decorating days. I mostly let him have it the way he wants it now (minus the TV and computer he’d like to have in there). Now and then he wants to rearrange everything, so my husband and I will help him move the furniture, but he dictates where it all goes.

    He likes taking photos, so for Christmas I had some of them blown up and framed for his room, but he chose where and how to hang them. I even handed him the hammer and nails and let him do it himself (while I supervised). I figure he’s gotta learn how to do these things for himself, and there’s no time like the present! :)

  14. Teenaged boys (I have raised 4) need even more organization than younger boys… (think the organization of 2 year olds)… I decorate their rooms without imposing my theme per se but let them use their interest – football, fishing, baseball bats, hotrods to generate a theme. I am not afraid to hang their award (but just one – I’m the layering mom, I will stack awards ontop of awards in a single frame. I take old equipment and hang it on the walls or on shelves, and try to find a shadow box at Hobby Lobby. I also try to find a decent shot of them playing that spot or at that event and blow it up for a pic of them and frame it.
    There are very few books – like toddlers they seem to get destroyed – they walk on so many things, so the goal is to keep stuff off of the floor. For some reason teens don’t seem to care what they walk on. So I have not one, but two trashcans – one by the desk and one by the door they come into – and I learned to have large ones.
    But the biggest trick is to have a desk with shelves like you have – so that they can throw their school junk. Fill one with paper and spirals. Fill one with an extra calculator, pens, pencils, a ruler, other school stuff in another container. Have a container for them to throw their completed work (did you actually think you would see that A? Another for school projects that they finished. Leave a couple open for books…. You will need super, extra heavy duty hooks for their backpacks – as close to their door as is possible. You will need another hook for their coat(SSS)…
    I don’t even use a laundry hamper because they never could stuff their clothes in it – but somehow, clothes could make it into a laundry basket. I gave up on drawers. I have their underwear in a shelf in baskets in the closet – one basket for socks, one for underpants, one for undershirts, and the bottom becomes the shoe catchall. The rest of their clothes hang in the closet. Makes it easier to identify dirty clothes.
    Boys do not seem to use a top sheet so I gave up. They have a nice bottom sheet, a nice light blanket and a duvet cover – all that I can wash. I try to keep them in solid colors and toss a few decorative pillows that spend time on the floor.
    The one thing all boys agree on – they need music, so figure out how to supply it – whether it is a boombox, a mp3 that plugs to speakers or whatever. And attach everything to a wall so they won’t walk on it…. or they will. Oh – and the alarm clock? Put it on a shelf close to the door. Why? because they tend to roll over and sleep through it – and so when they want to turn this off, they have to get out of bed and walk.
    Decorating a teens bedroom is simple – less is more, everything needs a place that is easy to reach, nothing belongs on the floor, hang all clothes up and figure that they need to go towards minimalism. Limit your colors, your decorations, and go heavy-duty for those raging hormones. I don’t allow phones, computers, or TVs in rooms. Good luck with your son when he turns 12!!!

    When do we find out abbout the Rustoleum paint???

  15. What a fabulous room! I am so happy to find such a great boy’s room – usually the ones I love are all for girls! (and of course I have 2 boys!) We will be working on one of their rooms this summer so I will be bookmarking this post for sure! As for the rooms when they are teenagers, I still have a ways to go before I have to worry about this but I know that I will definitely not being putting a TV or computer in the bedroom

  16. My boys have thumbtacked their artwork and posters (about a 50/50 mix). They won’t even hear of letting me in there to paint!! My attempts at adding some color and order includes the curtains (I like your drop cloth backing idea!) and some painted furniture. I’m totally with Janet and Julia and Rebecca about no TV or computer in the room – it’s just not negotiable.

    I’m thrilled to know about Tonic Living and thanks for all the great details about the room – there’s a lot of inspiration in that space!

  17. I have two teens and have recently redecorated both of their rooms to be more grown up and functional. I did let them choose the colors with some “gentle” guidance and asked what was most important to them. My son has many interests so we “urbanized” his room a bit. I painted one old chest red with black chalkboard paint insets and allowed him to plaster it with cool stickers. It’s a fun way to make it his own without messing up all the walls! My daughters room was a bit more difficult and I had to persuade her a bit with some items. She chose a fun modern bedspread and the wall color, but I pushed some of my own ideas, like adding a painted antique vanity that I knew would save some bathroom sharing hassles with her bro. She loves her room now and actually keeps it clean…uh, well a LOT better than before! We don’t allow them to have t.v.s or computers in their rooms and feel strongly that because they tend to pull away as it is during this time of their lives, we want to press in as much as possible and keep them from isolation as much as we can!

  18. Thank you so much for all your references! I love the fabric site you gave us! This room is beautiful (along with all of your other rooms) and you should be so proud!

  19. My oldest is 13 so just barely a teenager. I have 3 boys and none of them care about what their bedroom decor looks like as long as it’s not girly. I do let them participate in the decorating. They each got to choose a duvet that they liked but I only let them choose from 3 choices that I’d already narrowed down for them. They also have a space above their bunk beds that we put book bins so they can keep their treasure and important stuff and little clipboards so they can hang things that are important or interesting to them. I don’t like commercialized cartoony decor but I have two with Star Wars duvets. They love them!

    We have no TVs or computers in any bedrooms. My kids would be in there at 1am watching TV!

  20. Very lovely Mrs. CG! Question, where did you get the white frames from? I checked Ikea and $14.99 each…ugh!

  21. Beautiful room! You are such a talented DIY’er. I, too, love to decorate my home, it’s definitely a passion. But when it came to my teen daughter’s room, I let her have full reign. Not that it started out that way! When she was 6 I built her a colorful loft bed and hung adorable homemade curtains and upholstered a coordinating storage bench for toys, etc, etc. Ahhhh, it was just SO cute! But as she got older she had her own ideas of creative expression, and I just let her do what she wanted. (At least I took pics before she RE-decorated!) Yes, she was allowed to hang any and all band and movie posters she wanted. Her walls were covered with pics of celebrities and cute guys. (Not that I minded looking at pics of Brad Pitt or whoever else was the flavor of the month!) And she had hundreds of snapshots of her friends on multiple “messy” bulletin boards. You get the picture. But to me it was a beautiful, wonderful, crazy chaotic expression of who she was. If I didn’t want to see the chaos, I just closed the door. It definitely didn’t fit the vision I had of her room, nor did it match the rest of my house…but it had a wonderful energy. I could “feel” her whenever I walked into her room even though she was away at college. But with all that said, I do look at your little boy’s room with wistfulness. It takes me right back to the day I unveiled her purple and pink painted loft bed. Ahhhhhh…

  22. Thanks for the references. Since I am going to incorporate a few of your ideas into my son’s room it is great inspiration! Thanks for the introduction to Tonic Living! I am in Love!

  23. I have two teenage boys (pray for me ;) ). No tv’s or computers in their rooms. I like to work with them to decorate their rooms, what has been popular has been framed photos, some large, some small, of them doing their various sports. They like to put up posters of basketball super stars, etc. I try to limit the posters to a bulletin board, so we don’t have a lot of holes in the wall. A bulletin board, or two, is great for displaying their ribbons and other current favorites. Since they like sports-themed stuff, I shopped around for sports decorations that look a little classier instead of a gazillion basketball posters. I love your blog, it’s so inspiring!

  24. Hey Michelle, they are from all sources. Clearance from Target, a few from Michaels, and a few I had in my stash that I spray painted white. Look for any clearance frame in any color ~ spray paint is your friend!

    xo
    Kate

  25. First of all, love what you did in your son’s room! As a mother of 2 teenage girls, I have to admit I “control” the direction of the decor of their room. I don’t let them hang posters, they have huge bulletin boards to hand their stuff. They chose colours and had some input but shamefully I am a control freak! My son really doesn’t care too much. He doesn’t like the kahki colour on his wall so we are re-painting but he just wants a place for all his “stuff” {boys collect so many things!}
    As for TV and computers in their rooms, no way. We even have them check in their ipod touches at night in a communal basket. We have a computer in the family room and a Macbook for them to take anywhere in the house but I have their passwords and keep an eye on what they are doing. There is so much junk out there and I want to keep it “out there”.

  26. Lovely room! He’s very fortunate to grow up in such a thoughful and though-provoking space. My son is also intensely into all things Star Wars and we enjoy it, share it and hope it lasts.

    On the question of youth and decor, I feel that while our children are the ones living in the spaces and should have plenty of input into the kind of room they want to grow in, parents are the final arbiters of everything that goes in it. So while I let my kids weigh in on their favorite colors and the style or theme, I have to be able to live with every bit of it and enjoy walking in there!

  27. I have 2 boys and 2 girls. Both are fun, but so different. My boys are ages 6 & 12 and they share a room. I plan on them sharing a room until my oldest moves away to college. I think it’s so important that children learn to get along and sharing a bedroom, albeit painful, encourages that. My boys are into Legos and Star Wars. We will never allow a computer or TV in their room.

    We’re almost fnished decorating it. I just need to find fabric with a large graphic print in navy/white or marine blue/white. Any suggestions? We purchased the largest IKEA Expidit storage unit & desk. This has really helped contain the Legos. I painted their bunkbed and dresser a grey, with a hint of blue in it, added the IKEA poang chair and a pillow. I want to find some wall lights with a cord to put up next to each of their bed so they can read at night. They are avid readers. My boys wanted blue in their room, thus the curtains and my youngest son wanted some red. I’m trying to find my way into that with accessories. I asked them what they liked before we started and we went with that. I think kids should have a say in their space but, the final decision rests with Mom. :)

  28. Beautiful room! Wish we’d had our own home when mine was young! He’s 21 now. For all of you who mentioned having teens, please know you will live through these years AND retain most of your hair! When my son was young we lived in apartments. Once we had our own home, he didn’t care much as long as he had his hangout space in the basement with the drums, tv, video game player! His one wish long ago was for a red room. Maybe I’ll see if that’s still an active dream!! The computer always stayed in a common area room (until he had to move into that room at age 20).

  29. Yes, I involve myself in the bones of their decor, but I allow them each to flesh it out– they choose posters, art work, trophies, etc and I give them designated space to display as they choose. Not always my favorite, but it’s a way to keep the space looking nice but letting them have their own stamp on it.

    TVs and computers are no-no’s in our bedrooms. Always have been, always will be. My personal feeling is that they don’t need another reason to close themselves off from the family. Plus it simplifies supervision. I can keep a much better handle on what they’re watching and what they’re doing online if I’m in close proximity and there are no closed doors. Works for us!

    Thanks for all the great sources– can’t wait to check out your fabric source!

  30. Re Teen Rooms:

    I loved that my mom let me and my 5 sisters do whatever we wanted with our rooms. She let us move the furniture however we wanted and decorate any way we liked. We were pretty broke so we didn’t exactly pick out any of our furniture and because we rented we couldn’t paint, but we became masters of collage.

  31. AWESOME!!! And now I want you come do the same thing to my boy’s room…Iowa isn’t that far away right? :-)

    In answer to your question, yes they do make Stormtrooper wallpaper and if my husband had his way it would be on his office walls.

  32. Hey Barbara, Audrey, Cathy, and Janet, I’m with you on the no TV or computers in the room thing. Plenty of my kids’ friends allow that, but we draw the line and require community TV and computer viewing. Too much junk out there. Glad to know we’re not alone!
    ~ Kate

  33. Kate,
    Love love you!! Your little mans room is so cute!! It will ne great for many years!
    Love the question about teens rooms!! I have 3 girls 2 are inder 8 and one is 17.
    It has been a bit of a struggle with my oldest girl :). She has her onw tadte :/.
    I have found that the best comprimise is that i give her a wall of her own.(one thats not in view from the hall ). That way she can do her own decor thing :). Makes me happy because i dont see it from the hall. I added like a 6 ft by 8 ft molding to frame out her area. It makes it at least look like a huge bullitin board!!
    As for computers and tv. It has been a hard struggle!
    We will never allow a computer/ laptop up there. But….. We caved in for the t.v this year! She is a pretty good girls and we purchased a small flat screen and it has parental controls on it. :)
    We also hav some kind of timer on it too.
    I gave in because my 2 little girls. I realized she really needed to be able to escape away from her rather noisey sisters :)
    Please keep your great blog!! I simple adore it and every post is alsways such a great treat!!
    Love another nor. Cal. Girl stephanie :)

  34. I love you son’s bedroom, especially the carpet.

    We have 2 teens and one that is in his 20s and we did allow them to make decisions about the decor in their bedrooms. That being said, they never asked for anything off the wall. I’m a firm believer in no televisions in bedrooms – helps to get the family to bond when we watch shows together. We also never let them have computers in their rooms, although my daughter does now that she is 18. I really like to be able to keep an eye on what they are doing on-line so the computers are out in public areas.

  35. Super cute room! I would love to know where you found the Star Wars portraits – my little man would l.o.v.e. that!

  36. Love your son’s room! My daughter just turned 13. We re-decorated her room when she was 12. It was very much a team effort. No TV but plenty of books. She did get a laptop computer for her 13th b-day but I don’t allow her to take in her room at bedtime. We do monitor the websites she visits.

  37. I love it! I’d have no clue where to even begin with a boy (mom to two girls) but it’s awesome! Beautiful and fun. I bet your son could stay in there all day even without a computer and tv. Ours also remain in the family room – I’d see little of my teenage daughter otherwise. ;)

    Have a wonderful weekend, Kate!

  38. Hey Kate, can you PLEASSSSEEEE tell us step by step how you hung the faux corner chandi. I want to add one to my little girl’s room in a corner reading nook, but I can’t commit to making the hole in the ceiling, is there a way around this? Was planning on using Tier Cascade Faux Chandelier from Urban Outfitters with the cord kit. P.S. I love this site, it’s my design go-to spot.

  39. Forgot to mention that we also don’t allow tvs or computers in our children’s rooms. For the same reasons sited above…supervision, cut off from family, distraction, etc.
    This is more of a problem for our kids’ friends than it is for our kids, who are quite used to it and accept our explanation for the policy. Just last month my daughter had a friend sleep over and the girl came to me and asked why no tv in her friend’s room. I explained but I suspect she just thought we were being mean! LOL! Oh well…Too bad! That’s what family rooms are for!

  40. What a beautiful room! And I appreciate your tip about using drop cloths as the back side of the curtains…what a cost saver!

  41. Oh, and by the way, when you tell your son to go to his room, it’s not much of a punishment. Lovely space for him.

  42. You did such a great idea making this room sophisticated while still keeping it a boy’s room – I’m so impressed! I linked to this post on my Weekend Links post on my blog this morning!

  43. I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to tell us the fine details! I have a one year old son, and another boy due in June. I have been SEARCHING for the perfect wall color. I just got a sample of the color you used from Lowes… and it is absolutely perfect!!!!! Thank you! LOVE your stuff!!!!

  44. Kate, what size is the wrapped canvas. I have recently had photos of my son and his swim team done and I am think about having his gallery wrapped and wanted to know what size is the one in your son’s room?

    XOXOXOX
    Bunny

  45. Pardon me but it was suppose to be thinking about !!!! Sorry I can’t spell.

  46. I am the Momma to two boys who are now young men 24 and 21. As far as decorating their rooms as they aged, I was involved. My older son is really into golf, music, retro, old stuff/antiques so that was right up my alley! His room was in the room over the garage, off our kitchen. We decorated his room with my Mom’s old set of wood golf clubs, a retro record player, antique trunks, a retro slip cover on an old pull out sofa, you get the idea. The younger son was really into UNC, so his room was painted “Carolina Blue” and he had a lot of baseball “stuff.” :)
    I’ll have to say for me, my biggest mistake was allowing TV’s in their rooms. I wish I had never done that. Teens often retreat to their rooms anyway and having a TV just made it easier for them to not be in the family room. As far as the computer use, we moved it to the family room. We also had our boys sign a computer contract of rules. The main rule was if they minimize the screen when we walk in-automatic week off the computer. Each night I checked the history of where they traveled on the web, and we had several blocks set up of where they could not go. Part of the contract outlined time spent on the computer, sharing information, IM/Chat etc. I teach foster parents how to parent, and this contract is given to them to use with the foster children. Sorry I talked your head off here!

  47. Love your blog. Just discovered it a few weeks back and I’m obsessed! My three are all college graduates now but we did not allow them to have tvs in their bedrooms. My husband said that growing up he and his siblings all had tvs in their rooms and so no one ever “mingled.” Like Mary said “teens will retreat to their rooms if they have a tv.” Because of that, we chose not to let our children have one in their bedroom. There was one in the upstairs children’s den and the others were downstairs in the family room and kitchen. I’m so glad we did it that way because it forced them to be together with each other or with us downstairs. We also had family meals whenever we didn’t have school sporting events. I’m a firm believer in eating together as a family as much as possible.

  48. Congratulations on creating a beautiful room! I am hoping to do the same soon for my own (soon to be born) son. My question is about the wainscoting. Did you do that yourself? Hire a carpenter? How much did it cost (if you don’t mind me asking… If you’re uncomfortable with that question, you could give me a range, or the number of hours you expect a professional to spend doing it.)

    Thank you!

  49. this room is FANTASTIC!
    i was wondering where the pillow covers were from?
    i LOVE them!
    thanks a lot

  50. I found the tutorial for the wainscot after poking around a bit on your blog. Thanks!

  51. Beautiful room. I love that you used the drop cloth to line the curtains. I would never have thought of that. I know how to sew but don’t very much. I definitely could make those curtains though! It is a great skill to have when you need it!

  52. A v. cute room. It’s perfect! I too love the pillows- Do you remember where you got them from? Specifically the blue striped ones that look like burlap or something. Really nice!

  53. Ok so I just found this post, I’m redoing my 11 yr old room an was looking for inspiration! I would love to answer your ques about teens boys, I have 3 sons 17 15 an 11, as far as their rooms u let them have full reign of the color, an the set up an the pretty the could care leas what I do!! We have a room painted all black an girl it looks awesome, I was scared at first, an I jus painted my little guy room 2 shades of purple he picked!!!
    Good luck as they get older , boys are amazing

  54. Love your blog just discovered you from pinterest. I have a question on the wainscotting in your son’s room. did you install this. I have been looking for a product that is easy to install but other blogs or magazines are not clear where to order the kits or if they do the information is difficult to find on the manufacturer’s website.

    I am looking for this exact look in a kit if possible or wider spacing between the stiles.

    Thank you keep up the great blog.

  55. Lovely. Crafty. Creative. Great Job! Thank you for sharing. Would there be a tutorial on the how to’s of “remodeling old sliding closet doors”? Assuming that is what you did.

    Thank you,
    Rachelle

    • Hi Rachelle, I just painted those closet doors with the same paint as the wall!
      Kate

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