Over the past year, we have been working on updating John and Wesley’s rooms. At the ages of nine and eleven, this has been a fun process, albeit, a bit challenging at times. We wanted the new spaces to be rooms they love now, but can also grow into. Additionally, I wanted these spaces to flow seamlessly with the other rooms in our colonial home, while still allowing their personal styles to shine through. I searched high and low to find boy bedroom ideas that felt right for our home, and I’m excited to share the finished product and touch on what I learned along the way!
In today’s post I’m going to chat about how we updated our little boy’s rooms to bedrooms that felt more age appropriate, which furniture we chose and why, and practical tips for designing a kids’ room. There are lots of great boy bedroom ideas that I learned along the way, plus some images of other kids rooms that I love, for extra inspiration!
Boy Bedroom Ideas for Older Kids
Boy Bedroom Ideas: Choosing Paint Colors
When it comes to making your boy bedroom ideas come to life, the first task I recommend completing is choosing the overall aesthetic and paint colors. Again, it’s no surprise that I like to lean into classic and timeless paint colors, as this is very on-brand for me! So I combined this style with my boys’ individual styles to come up with the vibe for each room.
For their wall color, we stuck to White Dove by Benjamin Moore. This is the same color that we have on the walls in our living room and a few other spaces in our home. Personally, I think having the same color on different walls throughout a home helps tie the rooms together.
But, we did add fun pops of color on the trim! Johns room has Labrador Blue by Benjamin Moore. The green in Wesleys is Leaflet by Sherwin Williams. In John’s bedroom we went with blues and added pops of red because of his love for American history. And for Wesley’s trim we chose green as a subtle nod to his love for Minecraft with some splashes of blue here and there. When brainstorming paint ideas for a boy bedroom, I highly recommend thinking about what the child loves and building upon it!L
Choosing a Theme for a Boy’s Room
Speaking of leaning into what the child loves, there are so many fun ways to do this, beyond just paint colors.
Americana Boy Bedroom Ideas
As I mentioned, John loves history, particularly Revolutionary War history. I think our colonial home gives us a slight advantage for this theme, as I have picked up a some colonial eagles at thrift shops over time. I have these in a few different rooms in our home, including his bedroom. He also loves Star Wars, so I’ve tried to incorporate this theme into his room as well.
Minecraft Boy Bedroom Ideas
As I previously stated, the green in Wesley’s room is a nod to his love for Minecraft. Additionally, the pops of blue are a reminder of his love for Manchester City. We built upon this theme by adding an Eerling Halland poster, which, I have to admit, is actually pretty cute!
There are tons of boy bedroom ideas that are based around different themes. Outer space, nature, sports-specific…the list goes on and on. The goal is to highlight things the child loves without going overboard, because as we know, interests can change over time!
It’s All in the Details
In the end, the ultimate goal is to create a happy, welcoming space for your child to love. In order to pull this off, I like to think of all of the smalls ways to incorporate items that are reflections of the child. For our boys bedrooms, we have a lot of sweet whimsical details. From the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling and lego displays to heirloom pieces and the little olive wood cross my son puts right next to his bed, there are lots of precious reminders of what makes each unique. Keep in mind, the details don’t have to be big or grande to make a significant impact.
Boy Bedroom Furniture Ideas
As with everything else, choosing the right furniture for a kids bedroom can be tricky. You want pieces that reflect their current stage, but also allow them to continue growing. Nobody wants to remodel a room only to turn around and have to order new furniture a few years down the road. This was at the forefront of my mind when coming up with boy bedroom ideas.
Choosing a kids Bed
After you’ve decided on a color scheme, the next step is to select the biggest pieces of furniture in the room, which happens to be the bed! While it was definitely bittersweet to graduate from their little boy beds, I was excited to choose a few styles that I think will last for many years to come.
For John’s room, we went with The Inside’s slipcovered bed. I felt like this was a great option, as it is versatile and spacious enough to allow for plenty of growth. I also love that I always have the option to recover this piece down the road. However, I feel like the striped fabric we selected is very classic!
For Wesley’s room, I really wanted a spindle bed. I love the classic look of them, and had my Facebook Marketplace alert set to find one. But sometimes you just can’t beat a white glove delivery directly to the room! So in the end, we went with the Chris Loves Julia Turned Wood Bed from Pottery Barn Kids.
Both of these beds have a classic design, which is perfect for a boys room at this age and as teenagers. I also love that they are great quality. This way, if the boys eventually decide they need something else, they should be easy to resell.
Kids Bedroom Nightstand and Dresser
Something that I love doing throughout our home is mixing heirlooms and thrifted items with new pieces. I adore the character that antique items add to a space, but also appreciate the newness of current items.
Some of the furniture in our boys’ rooms are heirlooms that are so special to our family. JB’s family was once stationed in Germany, and they brought back nightstands and a dresser from their stay. These moved all over the country, eventually became JB’s, and are now in our boys’ bedrooms. Needless to say, they are some of the most precious items in these rooms.
John has the treasured nightstands, while Wesley has the heirloom dresser, which is made from a beautiful wood and has a marble top. For John’s, we went with the Brynn Wide Dresser from Z Gallerie. This piece has a ton of storage, and I love how the Burl Wood looks in his room.
What to do With Empty Space
If you’re looking for boy bedroom ideas in regards to empty space in a room, I highly suggest considering adding a little reading nook. You could do this with built-in cabinets or a bookshelf.
We actually removed the built-ins in John’s room last year, and I’m so glad we did. Normally I like the look of these, but the ones in this room were blocking light and just didn’t feel like they belonged there. Once these were gone, I found a vintage Etagere bamboo bookshelf on Facebook Marketplace, and added it to his room. It looks a bit like this affordable bamboo bookshelf on Amazon. To complete the reading nook, I added a cozy traditional-looking chair from The Inside. This makes for such a sweet and practical setup in a kid’s bedroom!
Boy Bedroom Ideas, Tips, & Tricks
The aesthetic you select for a boy’s bedroom will depend upon the child, your home, and your personal style. However, I did jot down a few boy bedroom ideas, tips, and tricks throughout our remodel process. Here are the main ones that came to mind!
1. Be patient
Putting together any room doesn’t happen overnight. Take your time, hunt for the right pieces, and give yourself grace when you see other boy bedrooms that look perfect. I promise you, they didn’t start off that way!
2. Start with the big ticket items
These include the overall aesthetic, paint colors, and large pieces of furniture. Start with these, and then build from there.
3. Make the space useful
Many kids spend a lot of time in their bedrooms. Keep in mind the activities the child might be doing in the space – hanging out with friends, completing homework, etc. Try to come up with boy bedroom ideas that comfortably allow for these activities.
4. Mix the old and the new
Combine heirloom pieces and thrifted treasures with new items for a classic bedroom with lots of character. Some of my favorite places to shop for a boy’s bedroom include Ballard Designs, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, and The Inside.
5. Make it personal
One of my favorite things about our boys’ rooms is how personal they are to each child. I think this encourages them to embrace their uniqueness and also provides them with comfort.
6. Plan for growth
The rate at which kids grow is truly astonishing sometimes! This is very important to keep in mind when planning a boy’s bedroom. If possible, purchase beds and furniture that will allow for plenty of growth.
7. Resell old items
In the same vein, if your child has outgrown something, reselling these items is always a great option. This is the upside to purchasing high-quality pieces, as they are typically easier to resell.
8. Coordinate with other rooms
While it’s not always possible to continue the same color scheme throughout a home, especially when allowing kids to personalize their rooms, I do try to do this to a certain extent. For example, you could select a neutral wall paint, keep the trim the same color as other rooms, or try to achieve a similar aesthetic. When this is possible, I think it makes the home flow a bit better!
Additional Boy Bedroom Ideas
Obviously, not everyone’s child love American History, Minecraft, or Manchester City. So if you’re looking for some more boy bedroom ideas, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite boy room saves on instagram. I love how all of these rooms are classic, but with fun nods to what the child loves!
This spot is so charming for a boy!
Classic Bedrooms for Boys
If you’re searching for boy bedroom ideas for an upcoming project, I hope this post has been helpful! And if your child is a younger boy, be sure to check out Wesley’s old room and John’s old room. For additional home favorites, browse these posts on timeless paint colors, our grandmillennial living room, and our Southern Living feature.
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