Hey friends! Every first Wednesday of the month I join forces with Pam of Simple Details, Jennifer of Dimples & Tangles, and Kris of Driven By Decor to chat about different topics. This month we’re so happy to have the amazing Julie Blanner joining us! Julie has a gorgeous blog filled with her beautiful and effortless style, along with tons of recipes and ideas, and on top of that, she is ALSO the fun mom! Who said pretty can’t be amusing too?
Did you catch that? This is from Julie’s easy last minute Halloween ideas; don’t miss the rest of the post, so cute and clever!
Today the five of us are sharing some of our favorite ideas for kids’ rooms, one of my favorite subjects. I’ve done maybe twenty children’s rooms over the years and they are always a fun place to get creative.
My own kids are all teenagers now. Through the years it has always been important to me that their rooms be a reflection of them, filled with their interests and treasures, a cozy respite in which to think, be creative, do homework, read, listen to music, hang out with friends, daydream and slumber. My big design ideas have sometimes collided with what my kids had in mind for their rooms, but I try to keep it all in perspective and encourage other mommas to do the same. Choose your battles and try to enjoy planning and putting together a room for your kids!
I’m actually figuring out a new layout and room for my youngest, who has preschool pictures on his walls because mom is slow to accept that he’s 15 and not 5 :), so this subject has been on my mind a lot lately. Here are a few simple projects that have worked well for us over the years. Affiliate links are included in this post for your convenience.
CHALKBOARDS, WE ARE SO NOT OVER THEM
The blog world might be done with chalkboards but my kids definitely are not! Peter’s Moody Masculine Mighty room has an entire wall of chalkboard paint and he used it for sports scores all through high school. It’s the perfect place to pay homage to Friday Night Lights. Also: the smoky effect of the chalk on a black wall gives interesting texture to a room that is so so good.
See the tutorial on how to use your own picture to make large scale block art.
I painted a chalkboard in Hannah’s room when she was 10, and 7 years later she and her friends still write on it ALL the time!
Here’s how to give a chalkboard a finished look with paint:
Roll chalkboard paint onto the wall. I didn’t measure, just eyeballed a rectangle. Allow to dry completely. • Apply a border with paint. Using a level, mark the 4 corners and apply painter’s tape twice, creating a channel to paint a border. Remove tape while paint is still wet, otherwise the tape can peel off the dried paint unevenly when removed. • If you’re adding more than one color, let the first one dry for at least 24 hours, then re-tape for the next color. I didn’t measure the width of each stripe but I did use a level to make sure it was straight. • Add a ledge to the bottom of your chalkboard to hold chalk, an eraser, and the deluge of chalk dust that will descend as soon as your kiddo gets the chalk in his or her hand (it vacuums up nicely though!)
PHOTOS EN MASSE | FRAMED BULLETIN BOARD
Check out the building supply aisles of the hardware store for 4’x8′ sound proofing sheets that make excellent bulletin boards for under $15! This board in Hannah’s room is framed with simple wood trim and serves as a backdrop behind her bed. Her photos grouped together make a super fun large scale piece of art! (
Don’t miss the lacy Ikea hack sconces that are mounted on the board!
I used lightweight polystyrene for a floor-to-ceiling bulletin board in our garage. While not quite as sturdy as the sound proofing sheets, it’s super easy to cut around outlets or light switch plates, is easily covered with fabric and is a great way to add a large pinboard to a kid’s room.
These customizable bookcases are easily mounted to the wall for safety and cost less than $60 all in for this size. They are functional for storage, but also great to coral trophies and display signed memorabilia and sports treasures. And you know, books and stuff 🙂
You can read how to make utilitarian Ikea shelves into this rustic-industrial shelving unit right here.
I used PVC “brick” moulding to make a fun display out of my then-14 year old daughter’s vast nail polish collection; even though as a senior she doesn’t spend quite as much time following tutorials on how to do marble manicures, the ledges have served as colorful, functional art.
They are easy to cut and install, and would be perfect for Lego figures, Matchbox cars, or other small collections!
You can see more of Hannah’s teen room here and read about how I made two twin bed mattresses into a king size so Hannah’s room can double as a guest room when needed.
HANGING SPORTS EQUIPMENT OR INSTRUMENTS
This is one of my favorite things to decorate with in kids’ spaces – their sports or hobby accroutrements. My super inexpensive trick for displaying bats and guitars……vinyl coated tool hooks!
To install, drill a hole slightly smaller than the screw into a stud, or use an anchor that is large enough for the screw, and twist it onto the wall. For kids’ equipment around the house we have used these awesome hooks to hold Ripsticks and Razor Scooters, ice skates (on a longer version), skis and ski poles. Some of these things are probably better off in a garage than a bedroom, but baseball bats, lacrosse sticks, old hockey sticks, tennis rackets, and musical instruments all make great decor for a kids’ room.
Read about how to hang a snowboard here!
There you go – just a few fun ideas to kickstart your kids’ space! Don’t miss all the favorite kid room ideas of these clever friends:
Pam of Simple Details,
Jennifer of Dimples & Tangles,
Kris of Driven By Decor
and our special guest host,
Visit the other posts in the ever-changing MY FIVE FAVORITES series!
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Calypso in the Country says
I love all your ideas, Lisa. My boys are 11 and 13 so most of these would be great in their rooms. My 11 year old has recently decided to hang a few posters in his room and now I cringe when I see this tacky looking sports car poster…but what can you do, it makes him happy! I have to remember it’s his space and I want it to be filled with things he loves. Enjoy the rest of your week!
Shelley
Lisa says
Shelley that’s so funny about your son’s poster…you’re right, it makes him happy!…..and it brings me back to when I was a tween with a million pages ripped out magazines and taped to my walls! Matt Dillon, C. Thomas Howell……basically the whole cast from The Outsiders! Did you do that too?
Julia@Cuckoo4Design says
Love Peter’s room and I’m especially interested in boys rooms right now because my son wants his redone. I think he wants to go moody too. Lets see
Lisa says
We have actually really loved the black walls! The light bounces off of it in the day so it’s actually quite bright, and feels cozy at night!
Susan says
These are great ideas!
Lisa says
Thank you Susan!
Jennifer Griffin says
I think your grid wall art if one of my all time favorite projects that you’ve done! These are great, Lisa. You always have such unique and practical ideas!
Lisa says
Thanks Jennifer! 🙂
Vel says
Love all your ideas Lisa! Glad to know I’m not alone in thinking the same way!
Lisa says
Vel I have always loved your creativity in your kids’ rooms. You do such an amazing job making them chic and personal!