When it comes to boy's bedrooms I personally prefer a classic navy and white scheme with some red thrown in and even some pale blue thrown in - see inspiration images above. I have always decorated Harry's room in this manner. When we moved into the cottage we put Harry into the only other bedroom we had which is the size of a shoe box!! At first I thought it was very cute and charming but then as time went on I found it to be completely impractical for him will all of his toys and books and things overtaking the space...don't forget he's a collector/hoarder just like his mother!!
So, Harry is now moving into a new room which was actually the original lounge room. I think he's very lucky as it has the most beautiful old ceiling in the entire house.
With his move comes new curtains and a few new pieces of furniture will also be required. I will be incorporating his old red and blue striped armchair and of course I will be using his beautiful old Antique bed {images above}.
Now that Harry is a little older it isn't as easy as it once was decorating his room. He is now old enough to have an opinion. I have been bringing home lots of fabric samples over the last couple of weeks to look at against his armchair and I have been quite surprised by his response. After much thought and consideration we have FINALLY made our decision. Of course I am the one who makes the final decision {definitely no Spider Man bed linen or racing car beds in my house!!} but I have enjoyed the challenge of him putting forward his opinion. This has actually made me consider other options and I think it has resulted in a perfect solution for the room.
I just purchased an old chest of drawers on Ebay which we will use as a bedside table for him. I will be painting these drawers a pale blue and I will replace the handles also. This will be a great storage piece for him to keep some of his toys in and it will be a fun weekend project for he and I to embark upon. Once we have finished painting it he can actually say that he painted it himself{with my help of course}!!
I rather liked the navy blue lamp bases which Tory Burch used in her boy's room {pictured below}. I have found a very similar lamp base which I will paint navy with shades made in the blue and white fish patterned Lulu DK fabric in the below image. I was a little concerned at first that this patterned fabric was a little too 'girly' but I decided it looked a bit like a pair of vintage board shorts...well that's what I told Harry!!
We decided on the navy and white geometric print {above - bottom right} for his curtains which we will install on an existing white painted timber pole.
I thought I might frame some old flags I have and also some old vintage sailing boat prints which I will hang around his room. His new {vintage} sailing boat will fit in perfectly!
I haven't made a decision on the bed linen yet however, I may use his existing patchwork quilt which I bought from Douglas & Hope a couple of years ago or if I decide to do something new {budget permitting} my choice would be to go for something very plain....maybe even a denim doona cover. I have lots of cushions I can re-use from his old room which I will place on his bed along with a couple of his most favourite teddies.
I'll be sure post some after pics once we are finished!!
What colours/theme do you like in a boy's room?
36 comments:
Anna - your plan is total perfection. With three boys, there is nothing I adore more. As they get a little older (my oldest is turning 12) I do like the neutral, brown, men's ware fabrics as well. I have always loved the stripped chair - so glad it's staying.
ANNA! I love it! What is that fabric you have chosen for the window treatments? I wouldn't change a thing about your selections (as usual)- you are soo good! I love navy in a boy's room!
nice!!!
these are wonderful fabrics! great job with your prints, i think the "vintage board shorts" looks like a tropical print & it's not the primary fabric anyhow. figuring out a boy's room was so tough for me because i noticed there were little touches of girlie that i had to censor.
can't wait to see the end result =)
I love the idea of Red, White and Blue in a boys room. I am always for the more traditional color schemes, but I also like browns, blues, and yellows for boys, too!
what is it about reds and blues that works so well in a boy's room? I agree, that's exactly the kind of look I like.
Anna,
What beautiful inspiration rooms. I love seeing pics of Harry's exsisting room. You have a way of mixing and match red, white and blue and not making it look patriotic (for a US girl), which is hard to achieve. I love that Harry is helping out in choosing items for his new space. I can't wait to see the finished project. Tell Harry I love all the fabrics that he picked out. Now I want to re-do my bedroom!
Oh Anna, i just loved reading this post on H's bedroom. I love your selections. Might have to stop at the floral though. I don't think "vintage boardies" would cut it with my husband.
I can't wait to see his room finished.
It has Anna Spiro written all over it.
xx
How incredibly sweet that Harry has been involved in choosing fabrics (that he cared to be involved!) They look like beautiful fabric choices too.
I think the colors are perfect for a boys room. I can't wait to see the finished room!
I let him pick...and surprisingly, he chose a dark, dusty blue, with pops of bright red and yellow. The boy has style. :p
For themes, we went with Lego and Warhammer. Rofl.
Oh I really enjoyed reading this post :) Harry's room is going to be amazing. Like you, I've usually tended to stick with the red, white and blue colour scheme for my son's room. My son is now almost a teenager and he's becoming a little more opinionated with his decor. We are now looking at a light grey/blue grey colour scheme but I'm still going to try to encorporate a few splashes of red here and there lol.
I love the piece you bought on Ebay, I can't wait to see it's transformation.
Anna :)
i love your direction! so classic, and something he won't grow out of too quickly as well... boys rooms are definitely tough! i love using a dark brown and orange :)
to avoid the stereotypical blue, I would go for white and shades of beige with some light blues incorporated into them.
I absolutely loved the first image, as well as Tory Burch's son's room. They're my ideal rooms.
A boys room like you have designed is just perfect! Harry will love it.
Anna - you make me laugh - I love the no spiderman bedlinen comment - I can relate! :-):-)
I think Harry's room will look FABULOUS
Love Felicity
I always like your ideas, Anna. I have an 8 year old boy so I understand what you go through to fix up a boys room! No Spiderman for us either. Although we do allow him framed Spiderman images or posters on the back of his closet doors. That way when he decides he likes some other super hero we can change it easily.
I believe we need to teach our children how to develop taste, but also as you said we need to listen to their opinions. When they are around beautiful things they develop such a great eye that it is actually fun to see their ideas and incorporate them into the room. I cannot wait until we move again so we can do another room for him. I love classic rooms and navy/white too.
Happy day,
Melissa
xoxo
Hi Anna - I really enjoyed this post! Lilly & Lolly make a denim-coloured chambray doona cover with red piping. I have seen them & they are very beautiful (or should I say, handsome). http://www.lillylolly.com.au/catalog/index.php?cPath=23_38
i love what you are doing. i too love the navy, but we added the green instead of the red. i also like simple nothing to overdone, but still with some character. here is a link to my baby boys room!
http://twoellie.blogspot.com/2008/10/welcome-home-part-5.html
When I was pregnant with my third the colour of their bedroom were always going to be pale blue with touches of red (regardless of boy or girl!) Lucky me I got a gorgeous little boy and like you have had a ball doing up his bedroom.
I posted about it recently. http://bluebirdmakeshernest.blogspot.com/2008/06/little-boy-blue.html
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and inspirations!
Sounds like Harry's room is going to be super. My boy's share a room with very similar colours to the ones you have chosen. They have a travel theme - vintage boat, map of the world, and some old suitcases for all those lego pieces!
Clare
Wow! What a lucky boy.
Harry's room sounds lovely. I also love this colour scheme for a boys room, it's something he won't grow out of too quickly.
Looking forward to seeing more of your beautiful work. xx
what a lucky guy! :)
Hi! Just founs your blog and enjoyed scrolling down looking at all the inspirational pictures ;)
I myself have a daughter on 2 years, and we are now decorating her room, so boy's rooms are not what I've been thinking of lately, but I would say pale ble, light grey and a ice greenbluish colour I have in the original paint on some of my oldest furniture ;) I'm sure the result in your home will be beautiful!
Oh, thank you so much for all of your comments! So lovely to hear from a few old blog friends - Mrs B etc. etc. I loved hearing your thoughts on boy's rooms. I too think a gorgeous taupe and pale blue colour combo would work beautifully too and I do like the idea of some green too which was suggested also! So many great ideas and suggestions - thanks for sharing your thoughts!
xx
Anna
Blues are always good, as my boys tower over me now, I tend to go for the neutrals, khaki, with pops of color, orange and green.
I still adore ticking stripe or menswear fabrics for boys. Grey flannel is chic or cotton is simply chic.
This is so wonderful. I love your choice of colours. I also like rich browns too.
Love, love Harry's room! My 3 yr old, Trip, is always trying to con me into everything with characters. NO CHARACTERS!! ha ha ha I can't stand the characters. Your pics have given me great inspiration to take my son's room out of the "little boy" stage. Thanks!!
I've switched to reading blogs in Bloglines but couldn't work out how to comment there - I'm really not as tech savvy as I should be - so popped along to your actual blog as I just had to comment.
I LOVE this post Anna. Obviously it's more pressing on my mind since Charlie has come along. It's wonderful that you're creating a space that is a boy's space but it still blends with the rest of the decor in your home. Keep us up to date - can't wait to see the finished look!
www.dailyimprint.blogspot.com
harry is a very lucky boy!!!great room!!
kate
What a gorgeous room it will be. I love the things you have chosen together. I wonder if when he lives alone he will buy himself that spiderman duvet cover though?!
I love what you've done, esp. incorporating the sailing things and what he likes. I have teenage boys and it is much more difficult! One room is painted a pale brown/tan with chocolate, teal and burnt orange thrown in. The other has baby blue walls with darker blues,oranges, yellows, and browns mixed in. We had the blues and reds when they were little and this is just a little something different.
Same thing here: the shoe box is getting too small.
I just got the German AD magazine with a long article about kids rooms (I think the author was thinking about BOYs rooms). One thing I liked and remember: It said that maps are decorative and educational at the same time.
Great project, love the chair and the fabrics. In my oldest's room I'm doing toile de Jouy wallpaper on one wall (navy on cream background with a forest/ stag/castle theme) pale blue on the other three, seagrass on the floor,antique wooden chest, navy blue bed and blue and brown bedlinen.
Thhe whole lot is tastefully accessorized by piles of dirty laundry, of course.
In the twins bedroom everything is white(walls and ceiling) except the floor (seagrass again)and a chest of drawers each (one pale blue, one green) They loved the all white walls beams and ceiling and requested white beds and bedlinen. Accessorized by a black cat, dirty laundry and so much stuff that the room looks really colourful now.
I love navy style too! Its not too childish and Perfect for long lasting deco. Love your blog! Greetings from Buenos Aires!
I think the nautical theme is great for a boys room, especially the idea of the flags with the bold colors.
Maya
completely-coastal.com
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