Weekend Makeover: Boys' Bedroom

Happy Monday!! My day started with this...

If a giant rainbow isn't the best way to start a new week, I don't know what is. God is the ultimate designer.


We had a very chilly weekend, so it was a good excuse to do a little inside work. Ever since our spring break trip to Arizona, my 8 year old has been begging me to make the bedroom he shares with his 5 year old brother "more western."

Here we are, sans 5 year old, on a trail ride. My little cowboy is on the far right...

Well, I've been feeling guilty that I'd never answered his request. In fact, the bedroom remains much the same as it did when our older boys shared it.

BEFORE

I'm not much of a "theme" room person, so I didn't want to go overboard. I also didn't want to spend much money. Using what we had on hand, and adding just a couple of small new items, I gave the room a western vibe.

AFTER

One new item I added was the faux cow skull from HomeGoods. I think that one piece alone would have taken care of the western vibe.

The biggest change we made was removing the wall unit on one side of the room. Try as I did, that thing was one big clutter-collector.

I kept only the desk, moved the dresser to the closet, and put the shelves in storage.

Ahhh… much better! Losing all that furniture really opened up the room. I've had the star for years but wasn't using it anymore. I got the vintage camp stool on etsy.

I bought a printer's tray at a vintage market eons ago, and finally hung it up. It is the perfect place for the kids to store their "treasures." All the rock and shell collections that were junking up the room now have a place.

I restyled the dresser area by hanging hats and adding some other "western" things we already had like the lantern, rug and canteen. I picked up the little red cross sign at my friend, Lori's studio sale this weekend.

Yes, there is also a flask. No, my kids don't know that it's used for anything but water :)

You may have spotted a few paint samples on the wall. This room is going to get a fresh coat of paint soon. Well, hopefully by Christmas.

I had some big ideas for this room… like making window treatments out of drop cloths that looked like tent sides for the dormer walls and Pendleton blankets for a more rustic look. But, sometimes you've got to reign yourself in. Get it? I had to remind myself it's a boys' room. They are happy as clams with the cow skull and cowboy hats. Anything more would have been me trying to get all fancy. And the wild west ain't for fancy folks.

I know it's no rainbow, but the sight of a clean, organized kids' bedroom is also a rare sighting around these parts. It makes me rather giddy.

Giddy up and have a great week, friends!!

My Ship(lap) Has Come In

One of my favorite things in our house are the planked walls in the kids bathroom.

Unfortunately, the only time I spend looking at them is when I'm in there scrubbing the toilet. And, honestly, how much fun is that? None. At. All.

I needed some planks where I could actually appreciate them, and our side entry seemed like the perfect spot. We come and go from there all day long, and I can see it from the kitchen and the laundry room, which is were I spend most of my time. It's also where most visitors enter the house, so it's the first impression they get.

I was tired of the brown walls that we had chosen to hide dirty fingerprints. I was craving something lighter and brighter.





Enter the new planked walls...

I wanted wider planks than we used in the bathroom, so we used shiplap siding.

I painted the walls above the shiplap Sherwin Williams' "Comfort Gray," which is the same as my kitchen walls.

And, while I was lightening up the space, I got out my paint brush and put a little "duck egg" chalk paint on the bench.

I may do some more tweaking down the road. There are two boob lights I'd like to replace, and I want to add a bamboo shade to the window. I'm also trying to decide if I want to paint the console and mirror and possibly the doors. Decisions, decisions.

But, for now I'm just enjoying the planks and the light and airy feeling of this space.

I had to laugh the other day. My sister, who lives just a few minutes from the ocean, was telling me that her kids were teasing her for buying a blue and white striped rug for her family room. They thought it was too "beachy" for a non-beach house.

I told her not to listen to them. My entryway is totally coastal, and I live at least 12 hours away from the ocean.

Have a fabulous weekend!!


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