I am positively bursting at the seams with how this project turned out. It was so much fun…and I think mostly because I was doing it for my sweet son. He was visiting grandparents in Michigan for two weeks, but calling every few days to check on the progress. And you parents know, kids don’t call home…so that shows just how excited he was to kiss his ‘baby’ room good-bye!
Let’s start with memory lane….the ‘Before’ shots.
Pale lime walls, puppy dog patchwork bedding, pictures he made as a toddler, Crystal Light carpet stains
Furniture pushed to the side to create ‘play space’
Baby pictures, stuffed animals….definitely not saying, ‘I’m a cool 9-year old boy!’
So we emptied out the room, packed up the sentimental baby stuff, painted every square inch of the walls and most of the furniture….and here are the ‘Afters’:
I know, right?!? Drastic change! The bed was spray painted high-gloss white. The small Ikea sisal rug was borrowed from the laundry room and adds some warmer tones as well as texture. The over sized wall clock was a Marshalls find:
My amazing aunt spent an afternoon helping me with the stripes and arranging furniture…she actually has the patience to use an eyeliner brush to paint along the corners and baseboards?!? (I see where my mutant OCD gene originates.) The walls are slightly textured, so I was concerned about getting a clean line on the stripes. But Frog Tape didn’t let me down! I pressed the edges down firmly before painting, and peeled the tape off immediately after the final coat.
I covered his old corkboard in burlap to bring in texture:
Replaced the oversized table for a sleek Ikea desk that happened to be in the brown/white color scheme of the room…even luckier that it had the chrome accent I also used. The chair is a spare from our breakfast table set:
These basic Ikea shelves come raw with the chrome brackets….I painted them brown with white trim to match the desk:
Here’s the cute soup cans I made into pencil cups. Walmart had the orange alarm clock and desk lamp (that has a built-in charging station!).
Much more organized study area….he’ll probably never sit there, but it’s sure cute!
Gallery wall for him to add to as he wants (since it can’t be seen from outside the room!). I made the prints from our trips to the animal park.
Cool soccer art by Mr. Sugarplum….and the ‘Do What You Love’ canvas was a fun find from Target. World Market has a great collection of Decal Art, including the ‘Rock Star’ and bass guitar. Bonus because they peel off easily.
I did a happy dance when I found this night table at Home Goods. I made the small picture from his favorite fortune cookies. The metal bucket was collecting dust in the pool shed…I love the pop of chrome, and the extra storage.
I made this map board out of an old corkboard that was chilling in the garage. The map is also a decal from World Market. The shelf matches the two over the desk.
I’m crazy for the drapes…so warm and textury! The giant cardboard F is from JoAnn Fabrics…I left it raw so my son could decide how he wants it decorated. Orange boxes from Ikea for more storage (boys have so many small gadgets!).
The dresser definitely transformed, and I added a shallow bowl for the little treasures that he brings home every day.
The dolphin picture over the bed was my grandfather’s…so it brings a dose of sentimental, great shades of blue, and a mature tone. The fish picture over the dresser is by the same artist. The bedding is from Kohls and the throw pillow from Target.
He didn’t even want to stop for ice cream on the way home from the airport….straight home to see his room! And the verdict……
HE LOVES IT!
And immediately made little sister get her feet off his new bed!
Then dove in to wallow in all the ‘Big Guyness’ of the room before declaring, “I feel like I’m 10!” (he turned 9 this summer)
This morning he had the bed made and everything back in it’s original spot….I think that means the room makeover was a success! And the even better part?!?!?! By using items we already owned, updating his existing furniture, and shopping cheap smart, the total amount spent was under $300!!!
The colors are the brown paint leftover from painting our bathroom cabinets, Behr Swan White, and Obstinate Orange (sounded fairly appropriate to me!) by Sherwin Williams.
I’d love to hear what you think!!!
Update: We’ve made a few changes to this room….like making Galvanized Pipe Curtain Rods and building him a Giant Wall Command Center!
I would have DIED to have had a bedroom like this as a kid! You are such a sweet mum! And plus, those stripes? A-MAZING!
Hi! Thank you so much for becoming a follower of my blog. 🙂
There are so many things that I love about this room… stripes of course, and the giant letter F, and the orange accents, etc. etc. etc.
My favourite has to be the look on your little man's face when he walked in. I kinda got teary-eyed seeing that.
🙂
Love it, Cass! What a good momma sweet Jackson has! Now I have the bug to fix up the girls' rooms… Thanks for sharing! Love u.
The room looks amazing, I LOOVE the stripes! What a lucky little guy!!! His reaction is priceless.
looks amazing! love the colors, i'm not usually an orange person, but i love it in a boys room! great job!
What an amazing room! It looks fantastic. I am trying to decorate my boys rooms (they are 6 & 3) & I would love to know what the Ikea table was in your before picture? My 6 yr. old loves to play w/ cars & trains but hates playing on the floor…I think that oversized table looks like a great size for him. I love your blog by the way.
I love the stripes! It's the perfect space that will grow with him. Great job!
OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me?!?! This looks AMAZING!!!!! What a freakin awesome KID room! I want it to be MY BIG GIRL ROOM!!!
I love the look on his face!!! He's growing up!!!
You did an amazing job! From EVERY little detail!!! Soup cans to the dresser…. can't deal.
how is it POSSIBLE you work FULL TIME?????
SO cute, the perfect room for a 9 year old! I love the picture at the end with the 2 of them laying on the bed, you can just tell how much they love it! Nice work!
Holy cow, that is amazing! He is going to enjoy that room for a long time.
I love the stripes and especially the look on your boy's face, priceless !
xo
Kate
AMAZING!!! Love it, my boys who are 9 and 12 share and now want their own rooms, going to use this as inspiration and a jumping off point, LOVE the stripes!!
OMG I love love love that he said "I feel like I am 10!" I seriously remember feeling like that. So sweet!
I came over from Kate's blog, and the room looks so great. Congratulations on such an amazing job! You really combined form and function beautifully.
It looks SO good! I can't believe you only spent $300. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G And the quote from your son "I feel like I'm ten" so cute! Great job!
That room is AH-MAZING! Even my almost 12 year old would love it.
Your son's expression says it all. What a great mom you are! I hope he continues to make his bed and treasure his wonderful new room. Great job!
Stopping by from Centsational Girl – this room is terrific. Thanks for sharing.
great room makeover and the look on your son's face is absolutely priceless!
You did a fabulous job! When I first saw it it looked liked you'd spent a fortune and bought all new things. I love that it's not little boy themey – what an inspiration!
Oh wow! this is so adorable! My favorite picture is of your son's face as he's sees the room – priceless! The stripes are fantastic…
You ROCK!!! What an amazing job you did! Can U pls come to my house??? I hopped over from Censtational Girl and am your newest follower:)
Happy Tuesday
FABulous! That came out so awesome. I'm loving those stripes! Good job!
Absolutely AWESOME! I am so impressed with the change on less than $300! I cannot even believe it. I am inspired and it comes at a perfect time. I'm redecorating my 2 year old's room as we speak!
Thanks for sharing!
The very BEST part is his delight…the rest is WAY cool, and I really, really like the look! GREAT job, mamma!
Suzanne
My little guy is 2, and I know it will be fun to one day do something like this for him. Thank you for sharing the photos of your little ones! He'll never forget this and how much you love him!
That is so awesome! So wonderfully awesome. Just the look on your son's face says it all.
Kudos to you for all the work and for the surprise for your son.
BEAUTIFUL!
This was an amazing makeover i love the fact that you used what you had and ohh dont you love IKEA?
It looks like something out of a magazine and your son's expression does say it all…
OMG! What an amazing make-over. You should be so proud of yourself. I'm a new follower–love your blog!
awesome! I hope to try and be as successful since my son's room is my n ext DIY project…wish my sister was here to paint; she too can do stripes and fab painting WITHOUT tape 🙂 but, she lives tooo far away so I shall have to do it alone 🙂
Hi! Came over from Centsational Girl. A-ma-zing job! I can imagine your glee at finding JUST the right accessories — like that desk! So perfect. Great job, and great photos of your kids. Enjoy the fruits!
Love,
Michiganhome
Great job! The room looks amazing! I love the stripes!
LOve the stripes on the back wall. I am in the process of redoing my son's room again – I have done a few things similar as you: eyechart art, maps, and burlap. But I love the colours you chose!
I too love the stripes on the wall and not to mention all the other details that made your sons room absolutely perfect! Your son's expression says it all.
I love what you have done with his room! My son is at the age of wanting a big boy room as well, so this has given me some great ideas!
I think the look on his face and the fact that he's keeping it clean says it all! What a wonderful transformation! I love the striped wall!!!
love the stripes!!! come on over and link up t o MMM!!
What a great makeover! Love the stripes and the look on your son's face! Precious and Priceless!
Popped over from Centsational Girl and now I'll be a new subscriber! Love the makeover. My "little guy" turned 8 this June and his Winnie the Pooh theme is starting to feel (to me at least) soon to be outgrown. I love how your son's room will transition easily into his (gasp) teen years!
Amazing transformation. I'm just waiting for my guy to stop having room-destroying meltdowns so that I can make his bedroom a fun space too. Your tranformation is night and day. And I love his, "I feel like I'm 10!" comment.
It's an amazing room, but the best part is the look on his face! Thanks for linking up to the Mad Skills party!
LOVE IT!! I have an almost 9yrold boy who is currently sharing a not-even-in-the-slightest-bit decorated room with his almost 5yrold brother…totally NOT cool! But this is something I could do that would appeal to both. I have a dresser, chest, & bunkbeds that need LOTS of paint to cover up that out-dated wood grain finish…I'm thinking steel grey, orange, white & navy…hmmm…SO wish I had an IKEA closer than 8 hours away!!
Great job! 🙂
shay
What a great room… My 11 yr old is ready for a make over and I'm def. going to be copying some designs from you! =)
How did I miss this before?! It is just wonderful! I especially like the striped walls. Lovely, just lovely. 🙂
-Lauren
It definitely looks a lot more "grown up" after this striking and affordable makeover — and the reaction shots were excellent, thanks for sharing!
That is an awesome room. The rest of your house must be spectacular as well.
I've just been having a whale of a time browsing your awesomeness! I just about have my last bag packed and ready to move into your house! It is just what I would choose if I could! Thanks for sharing!! :o)
This is gorgeous! What a lucky boy. Congratulations, mom. Well done.
What a fantastic makeover! I can't believe that is the same bed. It looks great painted, and the stripes on the wall give the room so much personality. My favorite picture is your son's reaction!
Such a great room, girl! I am stealing some of your ideas for sure. I love the F. I also love all the items on and around the desk. so cute. What a great target find {do what you love}. You rock! So happy I found you and your blog recently!:)and if you all go to blissdom I will be very jealous!
You did such a great job on this room! That striped wall and gallery walls are my favorites.
Wow, great job! LOVE this room!
I adore this room and you have totally inspired me to do my sons room, I've started with the stripes, but got uninspired fairly quickly becasue of the paint bleed through . . . everything about this room looks great, especially your sons reaction! Awesome Job!
Super cool room!!! Love all the stripes and storage!
Although I am pleased to see such affluence, it is amazing to me that nine-year-olds can have a whole private room, and a large whole private room to themselves. I wonder if such children appreciate what they have. I have always had to share. When I was his age, I not only shared a room, I shared a bed. When I began living outside the family home, working and going to expensive colleges and universities made it impossible to have a room alone. Seven years ago, I retired and moved into my luxury one-bedroom apartment in an elevator building which I saved for all my life; but in order to afford it, I have a young student sleeping in the living room, and there is an extra bed in my bedroom for guests and extra mattresses that go on the floor when my children and grandchild come to visit. I am extremely happy and feel lucky, but I have friends who are still living in walk-ups and sharing baths and kitchens, and some of them have to go to other floors to get to a communal kitchen or bathroom.
Love how you made the room into a "big Boy Room." My little boy and only child will be turning 5 soon and is ready to leave the babyboy blue nursery for a big ready for school room, thanks for the great inspiration. Also love baybgirls room, wishing I had a girl to decorate for too.
I just found your blog, and love what you have done with your sons room, soon as i am done my laundry room i have to fix my sons room. We have had a leak and his ceiling needs repair. I love the inspiration you offer on your blog. I did stripes also but very narrow around the top of his room. Keep up the good work!
I just found your blog! It's great!!! I am searching for shared boys room ideas. I love the new boy boy room (and the "baby" girl room!) I am actually searching for dog fabrics! Found a few but that patchwork is adorable! Thanks for a new fun blog!
Just scrolling through old posts {I have to catch up!} and I heart this room. My oldest, Jack, is six and I never really "did his room" in this house so I want to make it great in the new one. Thanks for the inspiration! I love that he felt like he was ten. 😉
Where do these Michigan grandparents live??? Do you ever come visit? I'm in Grand Rapids.
abby
What an absolutely wonderful makeover! Such a great room. I really love those stripes, they make such a statement. Hope he keeps it clean and enjoys it!!
Great job on your son's room! I'm very partial to stripes, so those are my favorite part. I have Frog Tape at the ready for whenever I get around to painting stripes in my powder room.
Those stripes ROCK! Amazing transform — my nearly ten year old would so love this, too!
Hello Cassie – you did an amazing job with this room! I linked it to my childrens rooms post too today, well done!
You are very talented. The redo's you did for your daughter's room and son's room are fantastic. The Paris/french theme in your daughter's room with the green, pink and teal color scheme — with black accents has so many wonderful details. And the stripes on the one wall of your son's room is soooo sharp. I wanted to do some sort of strip pattern in my son's room but he said No. You also have a great knack for creating wallscapes. I look forward to seeing many more of your completed rooms!
Beautiful! I love the stripes : o )
I don't know how I landed here, but I am glad I did. The room looks fantastic, but how cute are your kids!! Mine, 11 & 13, don't play like that (together) anymore. This is so sweet.
This is my favorite room! It is a great room for a young man growing up! I especially love the wall treatment you did behind the bed, I need to do something with my sons room too. This is such an inspirational space. Thanks for sharing!
I went back to the beginning and, wow, Jackson is so young here! Time flies. 🙂
Wow — you went back a LONG way!! Thanks so much for reading, Sarah! And yes, can you believe how much he's grown!?!?!? xoxo