Seeing Stripes: Teen Boy Room Makeover

Some projects seem like they take forever to finish and this room was no exception. Sometimes you’re just waiting on one last detail to “make” the space, and for me and my middle son’s room, it was these amazing metal-looking negative space oversized letters above his bed. But before I gush on those awesome things, let’s start from the beginning of this room reno.

We moved into our home almost ten months ago and as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, there’s a LOT to do. A. Lot. But the first area(s) I wanted to focus my attention on were my kiddos’ bedrooms. By no means does this indicate they are actually finished but we’re getting closer and closer with each passing day. So close, that I decided to post the before and after pics of this room for you all.

Here’s where we started:

The tan walls and matching carpet were fine and all but I like to add personality and character into my rooms and this was missing a whole bunch of both. Besides, prior to moving into this home I created Pinterest boards for each of my kid’s rooms and consulted with them on colors and the overall look they wanted to achieve. My boys were the easiest to work with (go figure), and here is where we’re at with “K’s” digs today:

The first step was to paint the walls a cool blue-grey and he selected Valspar’s Stormcloud (with a 25% reduction) followed up with Valspar’s Drizzling Mist (same color reduction) for the large and small striping up top (courtesy of AFC).

Next was the layout of the room. With a double bed, it created a bit of a problem with how the room was initially designed—so I opted to frame in the not-so-centered bed with shelving and nightstands to make it all work a bit better and yet still provide him enough space to perfect his Fortnite moves…seriously. ;)

Most people have a tendency to shove a bed up against the wall but if a room is large enough, placing the bed in the middle or even off-center as I did here, could be an option. It all depends on the size of the furniture you have and the amount of room you have to work with.

When it came to syling this space, decor was super easy with this son o’ mine. He’s got a lot of personality and spunk so the pieces selected had to reflect who he is. I think we got it right.

Even better? Most were on clearance. As it turns out, not a ton of people are interested in buying banana bookends, ghetto blaster art pieces, or even framed bicycle prints. But me? I will take them and love them even more since they were crazy cheap. Sometimes, the weirder, the better.

And how about those letters? Originally I wanted oversized steel letters (we’re talking 39” each) to create a really bold look above his bed. Simple but bold. However, the only place I could find such a thing was through Restoration Hardware Teen. Even though I loved (like, love-loved) these letters, the price tag of $149 each was a dealbreaker. I just couldn’t justify it. But aren’t they pretty?!!

Instead, I found Jillian Van Horn of Lazy J Signs here in Yuma, AZ. Rather than use the actual letter, I asked for the negative space instead. This gave me the height and width I needed inbetween the shelving units pictured below. I asked her to create a rustic metal look on top of these wood cut-outs and she rocked it. These actually look like metal and I love how it completes the space.

Last but not least were the small finishing touches which included a set of old lockers (I painted black) for additional storage, an oversized cork board, and large industrial clock.

That’s it! We’re just one window treatment, one new door, and one new area rug away from this room being completely finished. So close I can almost taste it. But in the meantime, here is the before and after pics one more time.

and after:

The Details:

Paint: Walls-Valspar’s Stormcloud (25% reduction in color)

Stripes-Valspar’s Drizzling Mist (25% reduction in color)

Paint Labor: A Fresh Coat-Yuma

Shelving: Hobby Lobby

Decor: Target, Hobby Lobby

Side Table Lamps: Kirkland’s

Side Tables: Hobby Lobby

Ceiling Fan: Lowe’s

Bedding: Pottery Barn Teen

Headboard: Wayfair

Negative Space Letters: Lazy J Signs-Yuma, AZ

Clock: Hobby Lobby

Cork Board: Hobby Lobby

Desk: Pottery Barn Teen

Industrial Mail/File Holder: Hobby Lobby

Love, J

Superhero Skyline...

I love a good superhero room and it’s been a really long time since I’ve had the opportunity to do one. So, I was pumped when asked to implement a cityscape skyline for two little boys’ shared room.

Now, there are a number of options when it comes to doing these. However, I wanted to keep it simple so the boys could grow with their room—and after talking to the homeowner—she agreed. The only addition we might make? Possibly adding windows.

But here is where we started…

And here is the end result:

Baseboards will eventually be added just as the wall will be patched where the doorknob went through it. In the meantime though, here are the details on how to achieve the same thing in your kiddo’s room.

1. Surf Pinterest: Like I said before, there are a ton of options when it comes to creating this mural. Do your homework and decide which look you like best.

2. Color Selection: I opted for Sherwin William’s Dovetail and Valspar’s Dark Kettle Black. This is the color combo I used on my son’s room a few years back and I really like how well they work together. You could opt for blue tones though—totally up to you. The cool thing is these wall murals are completely customizable (is that even a word? I think it is but I’m not positive. I’m going with it though). Even better? I purchased three sample sizes of paint and that was all I needed for this whole project. Pretty cool when projects are so inexpensive. Like, less than $20!

3. Tool Time: Grab your trusty level (at least a two footer), detail brushes (angled ones work best), some trim brushes (2”, short handle), a pencil and then get to work. I started by creating these geometric shapes off of the picture I had saved to my phone. Using the level to draw different angles is really easy and super fun. Start at the top (if opting for a silhouette), and then work your way to the bottom.

4. Sticky Stuff: Once you have all the sections taped and ready to go, it’s time to paint. Start with the silhouette skyscrapers first. Add two coats. Allow enough time to dry. Remove tape and then begin working on the bottom section of the mural. Follow the same steps as you did before.

Also? Expect to use 2-3 coats of the black.

6. Detail Work: Once the walls are dry and the tape has been removed, touch-up’s will more than likely be necessary. Grab one of your small angled brushes and fix the areas in need of tending to. Make sure not to get too much paint on your small brushes to avoid globs and drips.

7. More Details? Once the fixes have all taken place, it’s up to you how custom you want to make this wall. Windows take a decent amount of work and are a bit tedious but also look amazing. If your son is like mine, the Batman call signal is a necessity. A bit harder to do but simply surf Pinterest and complete the same steps I’ve outlined here.

8. Enjoy. This really is such a fun mural and makes a big impact for hardly any money.

**Total time? Expect 1-1 1/2 days with taping and drying time, 5-6 hours without taping.

Love,

J