It’s Reveal Day! After 8 weeks of hard work, I am happy to announce that this Big Boy Bedroom Makeover is (almost) complete! This blog post is part of the One Room Challenge event, where interior designers and DIYers pick one space in their home to give a complete transformation from start to finish and share their progress weekly.
The big reveal and progress pictures
In the last 8 weeks, I came up with a design plan, made a custom built-in desk from scratch, made my own shaker style doors with MDF and (only) a circular saw, added a shiplap wall, installed wallpaper, and furnished the bedroom with a modern ceiling fan, a buttery soft area rug, and some comfy chairs and a new bed.
The before was probably the most uninviting and boring kid’s space out there.
During the project…
And the AFTER…All dolled up. With fresh new paint, cabinetry and accessories.
My vision for this space was a modern boy’s bedroom with a calm and soothing color palette and lots of storage. My little guy has gathered many toys/souvenirs over the years and keeps getting new ones every time we go to Target or visit grandparents. I desperately needed a better solution for organizing than the just-pile-everything-on-the-floor strategy we’d been using. It’s also important the aesthetics of the room can grow with him as his interests change (which is why I didn’t do a full on themed bedroom).
This was not the first time I designed a kids-friendly space. I’ve tweaked our indoor playroom a few times, and built a full-scale outdoor playhouse with my husband a couple years ago. But having his bedroom finished (and furnished) feels like such a major accomplishment. He’s got many new amenities right in his own room.
IKEA hack built-in computer desk
The built-in computer desk might be my favorite part of this Big Boy Bedroom Makeover. I always dreamed of having a built-in desk that can function as a multi-purpose workspace and is made to standard vs. a temporary setup for kids. This desk added so much function to the room and turned out even better than I pictured.
By going the DIY route, I was able to save (at least) a thousand dollars with the built-ins. The closed cabinets on the top are great for storing books, souvenirs and less-commonly-used items. The drawers at the bottom are perfect for papers, art supplies, and Pokémon cards (yes, he is currently obsessed with Pokémon card game).
The trim details took a long time (you can read all the details here) but it’s totally worth it. They make the built-ins look like a high-end custom piece. Even better, the DIY shaker doors are soft-closed (fancy!).
DIY accent wall behind the bed
The second biggest transformation of this Big Boy Bedroom Makeover was the shiplap wall. My original plan was to do kid’s themed wallpaper. I found one on Love&Design and almost placed an order.
As I went through inspiration pictures, I found myself kept coming back to the classic shiplap feature, which I have done in both the guest bedroom and the home office.
Since I wanted this boy’s room to be neutral and versatile, I wanted to avoid overloading it with bold colors or busy patterns. A white shiplap wall is simple, timeless, and works great for this neutral bedroom.
A mid-century modern platform bed that is made of solid wood (say what?!)
An awesome Amazon find I made for this room was this wood platform bed. I was eyeing the iconic Thuma bed, but came across a similar model at a fraction of the price. It has a classic MCM design with round legs and a wood plank headboard.
Putting together the bed was a breeze. For $229, this bed provides a lot more value than what it actually costs. You can’t beat the price for such a pretty and good-quality design! I highly recommend it.
New furnishing that took this bedroom to the next level
We were able to save quite a bit by reusing hand-me-down furniture after our son was born and throughout his toddler years. (The little guy didn’t need much other than a crib and a place to change diaper.) Because of that, I gave myself a bigger budget for this big boy bedroom makeover than what I normally would. He not only got a new desk and bed but also upgraded to a much fancier furnishing and decors.
For example, I added this light blue constellation wallpaper (gifted) to the back of the built-in desk and the wall opposite to his bed. Installation was a a bit of a learning curve, but I love the soothing color and its fun patterns vs. the original big blank wall.
He also got a cozy swivel chair from Wovenbyrd (also gifted). It’s a popular style that’s been popping up on Instagram.
Paint:
💙 Good Jeans from Clare
🤍 Fresh Kicks from Clare
Ceiling fan: Emiko fan from Alora Mood
Rug: Record from @revival
Wallpaper: Starry Night Sky from Ever Wallpaper
Swivel chair: Bowery Modern Cozy Barrel Swivel Chair from Wovenbyrd
Office chair: Roosevelt Executive Chair from Wovenbyrd
What remains to be done in this Big Boy Bedroom Makevoer
Although most of the room is done, there are a few things I still need to finish:
- DIY floating nightstands. I bought the materials but haven’t gotten started with the build plan yet. I really need a break from the 8-week ORC marathon first.
- A gallery wall. I bought a pink cheetah painting from Home Goods, and was planning to use it as the focal point of the gallery wall. Then I found something even cooler online and decided to pivot. It’s going to be an eclectic and unique gallery wall!
- Wood base basketball hoop. I need to figure out how to retrofit a behind-the-door basketball hoop into a cool one with a wood base that I can secure to the wall.
More to come in the next few weeks! In the end, congrats to all the participants of Spring 2024 One Room Challenge for coming this far. We made it!!
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