big boy room ideas

The time has come for our oldest to get a true big boy room! He was a crib veteran, moving out only about 6 weeks shy of his third birthday–and I LOVED that. I occasionally read about 18 month old kids moving into a real bed and honestly can’t wrap my head around it. More power to their parents, but I certainly relied on those 4 confining walls of a crib to help bedtime and naptime feel less negotiable!

That being said, Sam has done great since he moved out and hasn’t yet got up to wander around or start the day at 5am–thank goodness. Since we are almost 6 months in to this big boy phase, I want to spruce up his room a bit!

He actually sleeps in our old queen. I loved the idea at first since we already had the bed and since he could roll around more and not fall out. But it takes up so much space that there is no room for anything other than sleep in there. He has a really cool room with mid century style built-ins that I’d like to see him use more.

When we moved into this house, I was focusing more on the nursery for the one on the way, so I didn’t do much for his room. It was his second “nursery” but his old decor didn’t match his wood walls. I ended up with a half-hearted  gallery wall attempt and these buffalo check pillows, but it has always felt a little blah.

So, I am collecting ideas for his new room and think I have honed in on something classic but quirky. His walls are all wood (that we will not paint) so working around that to make it feel kid-friendly probably means some pops of fun color and one or two statement pieces on the walls. Check out my inspirations!

Wish list:

Jenny Lind or similar style bed painted a bold color
Let me digress for a bit: I had never heard of Jenny Lind until I was hunting for nursery ideas about 4 years ago. Then it seemed Jenny Lind cribs were everywhere and I just assumed it was either a brand or a designer. They seemed highly sought after at garage sales and I thought if you flipped it over you’d surely see a mark reading Jenny Lind just like you would see Heywood Wakefield or Eames.

Well, while planning the big boy room I noticed Amazon and Target were selling Jenny Lind beds and I just thought…so is she still alive making beds?! Or are they knocking it off for $300 and no one cares? One quick Google search later… I found that Jenny Lind did not design or manufacture furniture at all. She was an opera singer who is said to have slept in a wooden spindle style bed during her American tour. So it seems now any bed of that style is referred to by her name. You may remember her if you’re seen the movie The Greatest Showman! The more you know…

Anyway, Jenny Lind style or similar vintage wood bed is on the wish list, here are some favorites:

Fun but no fuss bedding
Out little guy runs hot and rarely sleeps with so much as a sheet. So the duvet cover and decorative pillows that he has are just an annoyance. With those wood walls in his room giving off an adult-vibe, I’d like to make it more playful with some punchy sheets while keeping it mod and minimalist so he doesn’t have anything to sweat under. These are some I like:

Bedside lamp
He loves a good bedtime story and it’s only a matter of time before he may want to read books on his own at bedtime. So a mid century style table lamp with a child friendly on off switch is on my list. Maybe along the lines of:

Wall art
Wall décor can make or break a space. If only it didn’t cost an arm and a leg! As I mentioned above, I did try a gallery wall in his room, but it was a bit scattered and everything seemed so small with his super high ceilings. I hate when art work is too small for a wall, but it’s a constant struggle of either breaking the bank and going large enough, or saving some money but the art work looking too small and falling flat. My idea this time is to thrift for huge frames or prints and do maybe two clean statement pieces like these rooms accomplish:

Plant
Plants are the flavor of the month for me. I love how they add texture to a room and contribute to cleaner air. I have been drawn to examples of plants in kids rooms. I think Sam will get a kick out of watering his own little plant! Examples below:

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