A Toddler’s Big Boy Bedroom Design
My clients came to me with a request: help us make our son’s room match the vibe of the rest of our house. Lucky for me, this is right up my alley!
The existing room was nice: it was painted a neutral tan, had a cute little reading nook, some fun things on the wall and a beautiful view out the window. But the one thing that it was lacking: personality.
Some of you may wonder, why does a toddler’s room need personality anyway? My response: enjoying a space is not limited to older people. Having a room that is pulled together and esthetically pleasing is good for anyone. In this case, young mamas spend a lot of time in the rooms of their children, dressing, feeding, and playing so this space needed to be comfortable for both mom and little guy.
These clients knew they wanted two things: to incorporate art of vintage cars, and a board and batten accent wall. They already had a nice convertible crib and dresser, so the furniture was not an issue. I just needed to help them put the visions in their head into the room.
The design process is a very collaborative effort. Throughout the time we spent working together, I modified my original design a few times, after I received their input. Never think that you have to choose the design a designer puts in front of you. At the end of the day, you have to like the space. There’s no point in decorating a room with things you don’t love.
I started off this design with the idea of using navy and a contrasting color, like orange or yellow. I wanted bold statements in this room; I wanted it to to be cozy and have some visual interest, adding in elements to compliment the natural wood tones of the furniture and to warm the space up. I added the vintage car art in bright colors, wooden light fixtures, and boldy patterned rug and curtains. Below is the starting place of my design.
Now I personally love to mix prints, textures and colors. I’m a huge fan of geometric shapes (especially for a more masculine space) and warm materials like wood and leather. My clients, however, preferred a bit of a softer statement. They preferred black lighting, as it went with the rest of their house. They weren’t a fan of the bold pattern on the curtains, and they wanted to swap out the bench for a storage bench. They also wanted to add some side tables for when the bed converts from a crib to a twin bed.
Feedback is so very important, and I appreciate any and all feedback I receive. Like I said, collaboration is key! So I took their feedback and I adjusted my design. I toned down the curtains, added some new light fixtures and replaced the art with a black and white photo to tie in the black accents. I added a storage bench, two side tables and some accessories. Below is my revised design.
At this point, they were really starting to love what they were seeing, but it still didn’t feel like “it.” They were a little unsure of the navy wall color and weren’t huge fans of the rug. Rugs foundational to a room; the rug will dictate the vibe or feel of a room immediately. If you don’t love your rug, you’ll never love your space, trust me. So since they didn’t love this rug (even though I did!), I asked them to find a rug they love. They told me they wanted to go for more of a light and airy feel to the room too. So I revised their design one last time. Below is what I came up with.
We ultimately decided to lighten up the space by changing the wall color of the accent wall to a nice, medium neutral gray. My client sent me the rug, and I added it into the design. And alas, we had our finished product.
The final cost for this design was $400. The cost for all of the items listed in the final design was $1700, not including the dresser and crib. All in all, a fairly inexpensive investment for a room that you love!
My clients are in the process of creating the board and batten wall as we speak, and I cannot wait to see how this room comes together. I’ll be sure to share the final room photos. Below are some of the original before photos:
If you have a room you need help with, reach out to me for design consulting! I offer a very laid back, affordable experience. You deserve to have a house you love; one that reflects who you truly are. Let your home be Souly Inspired.