A Bedroom Fit for a Tween~

My oldest son is about to turn 10 in a couple of short months. And since we've moved into this house, he has his own bedroom for the first time in years. So you can imagine how excited he is to make the space his own. He has been very patient as he's watched me decorate every other bedroom in this house. (Okay, not that patient...he has asked repeatedly when it was going to be his turn...poor kid.) And now, his day has finally come!

His room poses a couple of challenges. First, it's in the basement with only one small window, so it gets very little natural light. And second, his room has no storage at all. (This house is closet- challenged as you may remember from this post.)


Here is my proposed layout for his room...

In addition to the the challenges of the space itself, we are facing a serious furniture drought. Mr. One is going to need some major clothing storage, a new bed, bed side tables, and a desk and chair for homework. That's a tall order, and although you all know how much I love thrifting for furniture and giving new life to the "previously loved", we decided to take a more contemporary approach to the space. So with that in mind, and the fact that I am on very strict budget, I saw only one solution. And it is spelled I...K...E...A.

Here's my wish list...

At first, I considered getting Mr. One a large dresser to hold all of his clothing folded up. But then I decided that a wardrobe or an armoire might be a better solution.

Image from IKEA

Enter the Hemnes wardrobe. With this armoire, Mr. One can hang his shirts, use baskets for his underclothes, socks and miscellaneous items, and use the drawers for his shorts and pants. Not only that, but placed across from the bed, it will visually balance out the high window.



Next up...a homework desk. I love the Expedit workstation. The bookshelves will be perfect for all of Mr. Ones stuff. He is a bit of a packrat, so using storage boxes that fit in the shelves will create a clean/uncluttered look with TONS of storage.

Images from IKEA

I love the idea of using the Jules chair in a contrasting light wood. It looks clean and modern with a touch of whimsy.

Finally, I love the Lillesand bed. It's metal with fairly clean lines and looks both traditional and contemporary at the same time. Perfect.

Image from IKEA

The bedside tables are currently just a vision in my imagination...but I hope that with the Hubby's woodworking skills, we'll be able to make them a reality. So you'll have to wait and see...right along with me.

Now to nail down the color scheme. I have already made the window treatments in deep indigo denim and blue ticking fabrics. And Mr. One has picked out his first piece of "art" for the room. A poster of Percy Jackson : The Lightning Thief. (He's a huge fan.) I actually really love the colors in the poster...primarily dark blues and grays, so I'm going to try to work within those paramaters...adding a touch of something brighter for punch...maybe yellow? That remains to be seen.

Image: Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief

I hope you'll come along with me on this decorating journey as I create a room fit for a tween!

My interview on FaveCrafts radio is coming up this Sunday at 7:00 EST on BlogRadio. I'd love it if y'all would tune in!!

Have a great day~