Today I’m excited to share the big reveal of our newly remodeled shared boys’ room!

If you had told me six months ago that I would soon be completely redecorating my boys’ room, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are! This was definitely an “if you give a mouse a cookie” situation, where one thing led to another and soon I was redoing the whole room!

It all began when my boys said they wanted a desk in their room. I realized that if we were going to put a desk in, it should go in the alcove where we had a large dresser and hat rack. But once I got the idea in my head, I decided I might as well install beadboard while I was at it. And then I might as well add floating shelves, new bedding, a new rug … etc., etc.!

Even though I didn’t anticipate this project coming along, I’m so happy with how it turned out. It really was great timing! The boys’ previous room was more geared toward little boys, and now we’ve created a more mature teenage boy room. It will be perfect for them as they get older. They love having a space to sit and do homework and draw!

I relied on YouTube videos and online tutorials for steps like installing the beadboard and floating shelves, so I’m not going to create my own step-by-step tutorial here. But I will share a bit about my process and provide ALL the links and sources!

Room Links + Sources

Beadboard, Paint, + Decor

I’ve always loved the look of beadboard, so when I decided to fully commit to a remodel of the boys’ room, I knew this was my chance to make it happen! Beadboard is a timeless type of wood paneling that adds interest and can really transform basic drywall. It’s fairly affordable and easy to install, especially when you buy large sheets that fit the full height of the room.

I also took this opportunity to repaint this room, taking it from a light beige to warm white. After taking a poll with my Instagram audience, I decided to paint all of the trim and doors, too. It definitely required more work, but I love how it turned out!

• Beadboard
• Paint: Sherwin Williams Dover White
• Rug
• Rug pad
• Hamper basket (similar)
• Mini basketball hoop
• Mini basketballs

I ended up taking down the builder-grade white blinds and installing Bamboo Roman Shades from Lowe’s. The Levolor brand has an awesome product that can be cut to the custom size of your windows right in store!

• Levolor Trim + Go Bamboo Roman Shades

Bedding

I like to follow a basic formula for all of my kids’ bedding. My kids certainly don’t want to deal with a million layers and throw pillows. So if I want to ensure they’re going to make their bed in the morning, it has to be simple!

This formula strikes a happy medium of being straightforward, but also having some nice layers and textures. I add just one simple throw pillow, a cozy throw blanket for colder nights, and a quilt that can go into the washing machine for easy cleaning. I skip the flat sheet, since it’s just another thing that will make it harder to make the bed in the morning.

• Mattresses
• Mattress protector
• Fitted sheet
• Machine-washable quilt
• Throw pillow
• Pillow insert
• Throw blanket

I also got these felt pennants customized from Eventide Pennant Co on Etsy with their names to go above their beds.

• Custom name felt pennants

Lighting

Layered lighting is a must-have for creating a cozy, polished-looking space. I love adding lighting for every need my kids might have: an overhead light, nightstand lamps, scones, and floor lamps. I was also super happy to find a flat outlet extender, which allows you to push a dresser or table right up against the baseboard. Now I don’t have to worry about the lamp cord sticking out awkwardly!

• Ceiling fan/light
• Nightstand lamp (similar)
• Wall-mounted sconces
• Rechargeable remote-operated light bulbs
• Dresser lamp (similar – mine is from Home Goods)
• Dresser lamp shade (similar – mine is from Home Goods)
• Floor lamp
• Flat outlet extender

Furniture

I loved the beds we had in the boys’ room before this revamp, but when I found a cute set of twin beds at a thrift store, I knew they would be perfect for the new color scheme I was going for. The beds were missing the sideboards, so I had to make those and then color-match the paint. We kept the dresser and nightstands we had in the room before (hand-me-downs from my childhood!) and added a fun bean bag chair for lounging.

• Dresser (similar – mine is from my childhood)
• Nightstand (similar – mine is from my childhood)
• Twin beds (thrifted from Habitat for Humanity)
• Bean bag chair

Gallery Wall

I love a good gallery wall in any space! It’s always fun to bring unique art together to create a bigger statement on the wall. Rather than sticking with just framed prints, I wanted to mix it up with maps, banners, and flags. I think the whole thing came together nicely and is perfect for my boys!

• Map
• Wood hangers
• Circle mirror (similar)
• Claude Monet portrait (similar)
• Sailboat painting (similar)
• Vintage art (similar)
• Art (similar)
• Sandlot quote flag
• “I can do hard things” felt banner

Built-In Desk

This desk was the inspiration for this entire redecorating project. I wanted to create a polished, built-in look, and these IKEA drawers made it pretty easy to do that! They came in this beautiful deep blue/teal color, so I decided to color-match that shade for the desktop and shelves.

To streamline the building of the floating shelves, I decided to install the brackets behind the beadboard. Then I added a small slit in the beadboard so I could install the sheet flush with the bracket. Since the shelves would be covering up the seams of the beadboard sheets, I was able to use two half sheets rather than trying to perfectly fit one giant sheet over the whole wall.

I also had to add a bit of trim around the IKEA drawers to fill in the gap between the trim and the desk. If we had it sit totally flush with the wall, the boys wouldn’t be able to open the drawer. I also realized during installation that the floor in this alcove wasn’t level at all, so I had to add a few filler pieces to one of the drawer units so that the desktop would be level.

The give the particle board I used for the shelves and desk a finished look, I ironed on edge banding to make it look more like a solid piece of wood.

• IKEA drawers
• Brackets
• Desktop and shelves
• Edge banding
• Chair

Final Thoughts

So there you have it! I’ve spilled all of the details of this boys’ room revamp, but I’m happy to answer questions if you want to know more!

All in all, it was a well-timed project that really suits my boys and the new teenage stage that is quickly approaching. My boys are so excited to have their own desk nook, and I love the way the rug, beadboard, and new blue color scheme came together!

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