Decorating a Thirteen Year Old Boy’s Bedroom

As you know my oldest son turned thirteen about two weeks ago. It was time to do something with his room as it has remained a blank slate since we moved into this house (about two years ago). I was waiting for his interests to define and wanted him to have a room that would last until he trots off to college.

The idea was to not go crazy with decor but give him a base to easily personalize over the next few years. 

While we were in Hawaii over Spring Break, my dear friend Kari of Kari de Lavenne Design came in and revamped my son’s room. It was a surprise for him and he loved it!

Here is a before shot of his room. The bed is stripped but and you can see, it’s bare bones. As you can imagine, my son was not happy with the Tiffany style lamps he inherited. 

His room is a fairly large size and has a window above the bed and a larger window to the right. His room sits next to a grove of oak and Douglas Fir trees so it has the feeling of being in a tree house. It’s a really great spot within the house.

 
The closet is a great size with built in shelving.

We already had the furniture except for a desk. This made it easy to go forward and make a plan.

The first order of business was to choose a color for the boring white walls. This is one of the few rooms in the house with carpet so we chose a shade of grey to play off the flecks of grey in the floor. 

I have never had grey paint on the walls before and I have to say I love the way it turned out (painting done by Ask a Contractor). It’s really warm, inviting and changed the mood of the room. It is the perfect color for my very serious, studious boy.

As I mentioned we did not have a desk in this room. The one you see here is what we ordered from Pottery Barn Teen. What I like about it is the very large work area (5 feet), perfect for spreading out. It also has a pullout keyboard tray and pullout work surface. 

The bonus was that it matched the furniture we already had.

My son is completely obsessed with basketball and fast-expensive cars. Pictures and postcards of Corvette’s, Ferrari’s and other cars were added to the room. A bulletin board with pictures and original artwork were placed above his desk along with paperweights and books.

A 6-pocket cubby for holding special things is also on top of his desk. Isn’t it cute? I think it was purchased at Cost Plus but I’m not totally sure.

On top of his chest of drawers sits a cartoon drawing he had done in the Caribbean, and a more formal portrait taken a few years back. A duck for the Oregon Ducks, a wooden box and some books. 

Of course his beloved Ferrari and Hard Rock Cafe hat are also on display.

I purchased this bookshelf from Pottery Barn Kids many years ago. My son is an avid reader and it has really come in handy. However, the books started to get out of control so now he reads everything on his Kindle.

On top of the bookshelf is what we refer to as “the canoe”. It came from Goodwill. It’s just this super-heavy curved piece of table decor that looks really cool. The small globe rolls back and forth over it like they were meant to be together. Overall it’s unusual and fun.

Don’t rule out Goodwill when you are looking for things for your kid’s rooms. It’s fun to turn unusual objects into something unexpected.

There were not any drapes or blinds on these windows. By adding the simple window coverings it really changed the look of the room. Drapes were also added behind the bed. These are more for decor than function. I am still having my Hunter-Douglas lady come out to put blinds in the room that will match the rest of the house. But I loved the drama these added, the windows really needed them.

The artwork pieces above the bed are actually vintage drawings with extreme detail of a 1953 corvette by a Japanese artist. These were found on Etsy. Kari (our designer) had these custom framed in gold beveled mats. They are so cool…no one else has these!! 

A basketball hoop on his door was a no-brainer…this kid lives and breathes basketball.

Reading lights were also installed on each side of the bed and I’m still looking for a ceiling fan. There is plenty of room for more car posters and I think a hat rack is in order.

Overall, he…we…loved his room. He loves being in there and I’m so glad we waited until the appropriate time to transition his room for his age. Now..of the course the 11-year old is begging for a room makeover too…how can I say no? I can’t.

Thanks again Kari!

One Year Ago: Party in the City Where the Heat is On
Two Years Ago: Apple Matzo Cake
Five Years Ago: Everyone Loves a Good Deal