The Third and Final Boy Bedroom Reveal

Happy Easter! My kids already peeked in their Easter baskets this morning and ate all the good stuff aka chocolate. I suppose that's a good thing because I have a habit of sneaking the chocolate and also because I found Mario on the dining table eating what was left over. Easter is definitely different now that the kids are getting older. They used to get so excited to see what the breaking and entering Bunny brought them when they woke up on Easter morning, but now they are so blasé about the whole thing. Don't they look thrilled? My oldest son in the gray shirt tried to make a show of being excited, but brought his Ipad down and hid it behind his basket. Kids these days!

 

 

Mario was excited waiting for something to drop on the floor.

 



The best Easter ever is when the little naked man in the swim trunks (your guess is as good as mine) was a year old. I bought a bunny eared headband and took a picture of everyone in the family wearing it. He was only a year old, but he hated it. Every time I put it on him he put his head down in shame. Here he is in the background of a photo kicking those bunny ears in the corner. I just crack up every time I see this picture. 

 

 





 

But, today I'm talking about my 9 year old son's bedroom. That's this guy in the black shirt.

 

 



 

He doesn't normally look this tired, but he had a late night at a sleepover last night. He loves everything outdoor and rustic, and sports of course. That's why this room is perfect for him.

 

My favorite part of his room are these sconces I found at Lowe's. They give this room a bit of an industrial look to keep it from being just another boys sports room, which is what he asked for. I just realized he's missing his throw pillows. Unfortunately, my boys take "throw pillows" literally so they are always missing.

He has a thing for hoodies, but can't quite reach high enough to hang them in his closet. Hooks by the door to his room keep them handy.

More craftsman wood trim around the windows and doors.

I love this desk from World Market. It's just slightly bigger than a nightstand so it's great for a small room.

 

 

He really loves his room because it fits him perfectly. And of course this room was done on a budget. Aren't all my rooms? The Ikea bed and dresser aren't the best quality and we will buy something better in a few years when he is out of he destructive phase, as we did my older son. At least we only have to replace two pieces of furniture instead of an entire room redo.

 

I'm exhausted after redoing three boys bedrooms and all of the other projects I completed at the same time, but this was definitely a productive year. I only have one unfinished room in my entire house, my master bathroom, but I've made great progress in there already that I'll show you as soon as I take pictures. It's been a lot of DIY. I'm starting to really dislike those three little letters!

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 



Nautical Boys Bedroom Reveal

As a mom of three boys I've tried to make their rooms reflect their individual personalities. It's tempting to do a sports themed room for each of them because they are what people call "all boy." They would be perfectly happy, but I love what makes them different from each other and I want to bring that into their rooms. My 7 year old is my youngest son and he's funny, vibrant and outgoing. Well, I hear he's shy and quiet at school. Thank goodness he keeps his wild side at home. He loves bright colors and I found a madras quilt on sale that led me in a nautical direction. That's how I work! I look for the hardest to find item in a room that's also going to be expensive and work off of that. This is one way I keep my costs low. I already had his louvered furniture and it's a perfect match for a nautical theme. The rest of his room came together with small décor items and a lot of DIY.

 

You could say this is the kid version of a bear skin rug. ;) I try to use as much of my kids toys, books and gamer stuff as décor. It's a lot less to store!

 



 



I took his nightlight/lantern off the wall and I'm using it in lieu of a lamp. His lamp kept ending up on the floor so it's now higher up on his dresser.

 



 

 

 

The $20 oar got a makeover with spray paint and new hooks.

 



I prefer two wide blue stripes in his room. It is easier to paint than multiple ones, but there was enough pattern going on in the quilt that it made sense, too. You can see that his room is functional, too. A place to store books by his bed, hooks for sweatshirts, and a pinboard for his artwork from school are must haves in all my boys bedrooms.

You can see how his room opens up right to the game room. His room has the same craftsman wood trim around the doors and windows that we built in the rest of the house. We also replaced his small and dinged baseboard with taller ones as well.

 

 

 

 

So what does little man think? He shrugs and says he likes it. Considering how much time he spends in here I think he is happy with it. I will walk by and see him enjoying himself in here, especially playing on the Ipad in his chair. He reminds me of an old man relaxing in his recliner. He loves to turn the nightlight on at bedtime, change out his artwork, and add new books on the wall for us to read. Without a doubt this room is functional. Everything he needs is in reach and able to be seen. That means this room stays semi-clean most of the time. Works for me!

 

 

Source List

 

Bedroom Furniture-Bought years ago at Bombay Company

 

Quilt, Chair, Lamp, Nightstand-Pottery Barn Kids

 

Octopus Pillow and Puppy-Target

 

Oar and Pinboard-Homegoos

 

Rest of  the wall décor-Hobby Lobby

 

Lantern and Red Rug-Ikea

Inspiring Master Bedrooms with Hometalk

Inspired by my recent master bedroom reveal, I have curated a board on Hometalk of other bloggers great master bedroom DIY projects. Each one is a unique idea that will add character to any bedroom.

 

 

 

I have included everything from DIY headboards, drapes, furniture makeovers, and built-ins to my favorite wainscoting treatments. These are all versatile looks you can customize to fit your style. Visit this board at Hometalk here. See you there!

 

 

 





Master Bedroom Update: White Duvet Alternative

Will I ever learn the lesson that white does not work in a house full of three boys and one very naughty dog? Probably not considering the recent décor choices I've made. I did make one very wise decision recently regarding my white dilemma. I finally said goodbye to my white duvet. I love the way duvets look, but I have had horrible luck keeping them clean and unwrinkled.

Here is my bedroom with the duvet. This one is new and I bought it knowing I wouldn't use it. I really just wanted the king shams that came with it. Surprisingly, it was cheaper to buy it as a set than to buy the shams separately. I suppose I can throw on the duvet if I want my bed to look nice for company. Yeah, that will never happen. It is nice to have the option.

 

It looks a little too white in here until you see how it contrasts with the dark wood floor.

Now, here is my new alternative.

 

It's still light and bright, but the faux fur does not get nearly as dirty as the white cotton duvet. It's perfect for lightening up the black coverlet. Keep this in mind when you want to lighten up any area of your house. If you want to lighten up a dark sofa place a light colored throw or pillows on it, or both.

 

I added a bit of decor to the nightstands as well. We don't really have room for it with our laptops, phones and drinks we carry up here every night (wine). But, it looks nice for now.



 

Just in case you're wondering that really is I picture I took when we were in Paris. I promise I didn't leave the fake photo in the frame. I might have done that in the past, but not this time.

 

I showed you the dresser a few months ago, but here it is in case you haven't seen it.

 

 

I really love the way this room has come along, especially considering the very small budget. I did have to DIY almost everything, but it was so worth it!



Update for Source List

Headboard-Originally from Target.com and recovered in a white microfiber fabric (See the DIY project here)

Black Coverlet-Restoration Hardware

White Duvet and Shams-Overstock

Dresser Hardware painted gold, Throw Pillows-Lowe's (Yes, Lowe's!)

Furniture-Ikea

Black stencils-Overlays painted black

Drapes, Picture Frames, Gold Vase, Chevron Tray and Throw Blanket-ZGallerie

Lamps, Bust-Homegoods

Nightstand Hardware, Gold Sunburst Mirror-Home Depot

Dark and Dramatic Bathrooms

I didn't mean to stay away from the blog for so long, but I've been so busy with projects. Yes, that's vague! I promise to share soon. A side benefit is all of the pretty images and new trends I've come across. You've probably noticed my penchant for black and white with more emphasis on the light side. But, that's not always the case. I've come across some great dark and moody bathrooms lately.
































I think dark rooms are harder to pull off than light ones, especially in a bathroom. There's such a fine balance between light and dark. Great lighting is must, whether natural or installing extra layers of lights. But, when it all comes together the result is amazing.