old country house blog

DECORATING BOYS ROOMS



I am 100% certain that it was a man who coined the phrase…
“If it ain’t broken…don’t fix it!”
Decorating Boys rooms is 
TRICKY AND EASY at the same time.

Tricky because they don’t like change and
EASY…well, because they don’t like change. 
and for as many times as I have done makeovers of my daughters rooms…
I have done the boys room…
THREE TIMES.
1. NURSERY
2. Little kids room.
3. Big Kid TEEN room.
(and I had to force #3, they were perfectly fine with the 
legos and the Cars and Humpty Dumpty stuff)
I have 3 brothers and 2 sons…I know there are boys out there who love to change their rooms,
but none of them are related to me. 
note…. underwear in the light fixture?
Here, the  color has always been a version BLUE. 
It is what they KNOW and thus, what they like.
I would wager that if their First room had been yellow,
 then it would still be yellow….
The boys I know are not fond of change.
…NEW things in their room or wardrobe do nothing for them.
Once the pants get nice  and soft and worn in….
….they are FINALLY perfect.
SO, the TRICK is, choose wisely…
When you are decorating your boys rooms…pick things YOU can live with for years.
Like these curtains….

I take back what I said earlier…
…..there actually WAS a time around age 8-10 when my boys were interested 
in doing their rooms…and they would have been either BLACK or NEON
and I nixed it, mean MOM that I am. 
But it was only because I knew that one year later…it would be ME
 who was trying to get ANY color over neon or black.
We settled Benjamin Moore “POOLSIDE”.

 

HERE is my 
SHOPPING LIST FOR BOYS ROOMS
1. Sturdy bed that can be jumped on, crawled under and dragged to make forts.
Sure you can have a NO bed jumping rule…
still, I would get the sturdy bed…
2. DRESSER- I have NO regrets in life…but if I did, it would be NOT investing in NEW large dressers for both boys.
Ones that are sturdy and large enough for how big their clothes will get.
CUTE little dressers,  with little drawers for their sweet little clothes
 will mean you need two dressers later…
Because they will NOT want you to TAKE their dresser!!!!
Noooooooo!
I have learned this the hard way.
Tate’s dresser was a hand me down, but new and I just removed the changing table top…
but TOO small now. 
In addition, and you KNOW how much I love a makeover…
KIDS KILL dressers…
….they pull the drawers out HARD and all those great OLD DIY dressers
with rickety sticky drawers can be a pain. 
Do you really want to spend the childhood of the  child you gave up coffee from when pregnant, 
 nagging them about the furniture in their room? I don’t. I didn’t!!!
 I SINCERELY WISH that I had spent a good chunk of change on a 
NEW
dresser , with smooth door glides and stops…
 Instead of recycled Old ones that stick and fall out on the floor.
ANOTHER lesson learned.

3. SOFT RUGS for hours spent driving race cars, building forts and playing with LEGOS.
 SISAL OR SEAGRASS for kids rooms ONLY with KNEE PADS.

4. GOOD STURDY NEUTRAL QUILTS.
Duvets and comforters can be changed out over the years, but if they can KEEP
ONE piece they are usually pretty happy to change the accessories. . 
Sheet sets are also great way to keep the room intact while changing  “themes”.
5. BIG GIANT Bulletin boards and places to tack up STUFF.
6. BINS, BASKETS, BUCKETS, BOXES for more STUFF.
7. BOOKCASE OR HUTCH for a few books and more STUFF. 

Obviously you can have a very happy boy with a bed, a flashlight and a blanket…
This is just my exhaustive list of things that make a great boys room.
My MOTTO with boys is
BUY BIG and BUY ONCE!
XOXO
come back tomorrow…I have news…