Boy’s Bedroom Makeover

Hi friend!  I hope your week is off to a great start!  I’m so excited to share my 11 year-old son’s bedroom makeover with you today!  The post was going to be titled “Tween Boy’s Bedroom Makeover” but he wasn’t fond of the word “Tween.” 😉

I have to admit, I was really smitten with James’ old bedroom, especially the wallpaper and blue trim, but he was ready for a change.  We’ve been toying with the idea of him moving into the ‘media room’ for months, and a few weeks ago, on a whim, we finally did it!

The media room is a large room located right off the upstairs hallway, but it rarely got used.  It had a big screen TV mounted on the wall, two leather chairs, my mini treadmill with some workout equipment and that’s it.

James liked the idea of moving in there because it was a larger space and had the big TV.  I liked it because he spends a fair amount of time in his room, and this room is more centrally located than his old room at the back of the house.

Also, his old room opens right into a wall, so I’d have to walk in and peek around to find him if he was sitting at his desk.  Now, as soon as I open the door, he’s right there! #momwin 

And, he can hear me so I don’t have to YELL AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS when I’m trying to talk to him when he’s upstairs and I’m downstairs.

Tween Boys Room

Similar BedBlue Stripe BeddingNavy QuiltSimilar Euro Shams

He and I were able to move most of the furniture ourselves, but the bed and desk required Brian’s help.  We kept the same bed and furniture that was in his old room, and just rearranged it into here.  He had strong opinions about where the bed and desk would go, so I let him choose.  I just wish the lights were centered better- but we may change that in the future.

I do like how the dark blue bed coordinates with the dark walls (Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams).

Tween Boys Room upholstered bed

Similar BedBlue Stripe BeddingNavy QuiltSimilar Euro Shams

I kept his Euro shams and softest sheets on the bed, and gave his bedding an upgrade with a striped comforter/pillow case set from the new Gap Home line at Walmart.  Have you seen it?  It’s so good!  All the pieces are well made and meant for mixing and matching.

The navy quilt is from Walmart too and it’s a little hard to tell in the photos, but it has a slightly faded effect that looks cool and relaxed- perfect for a tween’s room.  It’s also super soft, an organic jersey cotton blend.

The light blue and white striped comforter and pillows helped lighten things up a bit.  I’ve been so happy with the selection, quality and prices at Walmart Home.  You can find things for every area of your home and the site is super easy to navigate. The Fall Home Lookbook is calling my name next!  I’m so ready for the change of seasons, but I digress! 🙂

During the week, James is allowed on electronics at 7 p.m. after a “mom check” that his homework and daily responsibilities are done.  When screen time is up, he can stay up and read if he’s not tired yet.

This book is required school reading and he says it’s “okay”.  But, you can find his book recommendations for 8 year-olds here.

Tween Boys Room Upholstered Bed

Similar BedBlue Stripe BeddingNavy QuiltSimilar Euro Shams

 

Tween Boys Room Upholstered Bed

Here’s the big TV that drew him into this room.  He’s got it set up so he can play video games on it and we can watch movies from his bed now.

We kept his same dresser that he’s had forever and it’s held up well!  The striped bin holds his dirty laundry and he empties it into the laundry room on the weekends.  I wash and fold his clothes, he puts away and hangs up.

CLOSET

Which brings me to the issue of there not being a proper clothes closet in this room.  Since it was designed as a media room, the closet is shaped to hold electronic components.

Brian mentioned that he could help install a hanging rod in here and we got that project done last weekend.

It was pretty simple, we just cleaned out the space, tidied up the wires, and Brian installed the rod at a height that James could easily reach.

We also adjusted the shelves to make them more functional for uniform shorts and pants.

Tween Boys Room closet

The “after” is so nice and holds all of James’ hanging clothes like his school uniform and button down shirts, plus a couple of suits.

Tween Boys Room closet

He really was impressed with it and there’s even space at the bottom for his steering wheel driving game and a couple of lego boxes.

GAMING DESK SET UP

Gaming ChairGaming Desk

James is super proficient at computers and gaming- his teachers affectionately nick named him “tech support” at school! He set all of the components up himself (thank God because I have no idea how to do it!) He loves playing Minecraft on the computer and it’s amazing the things kids can create in that game.

The gaming desk was his choice and he likes how the L-shape gives him more surface room.  His second monitor is the old TV that used to be in my office.

Tween Boys Room with Gaming Desk

The gaming chair was a Christmas gift and he loves it!  It’s cushy, rolls, swivels and also reclines with a footrest!

On his XBox/PS4, he plays The Show 19 & The Show 21 (baseball games), NBA 2k 21 (basketball), and FIFA. (soccer).

Tween Boys Room with Gaming Desk

On his phone, he likes to play Clash Royale and Cash Inc.

Tween Boys Room with Gaming Desk

BOOKSHELF & NOOK

Similar Side TableSimilar Chair • Denim Floor PoufBlue Stripe PillowSimilar Blanket

We moved his bookshelf into this room and put most of his books on the bookshelf in the hallway.  That way, he could use the bins on the shelves for extra storage.

Tween Boy wooden iron bookshelf

Similar BookcaseGlobeSimilar Storage BinsSimilar Pedestal Bowl

Walmart, Boys Bedroom Makeover

Similar BookcaseGlobeSimilar Storage Bins •  Similar Side TableSimilar Chair • Denim Floor PoufBlue Stripe PillowSimilar Blanket

He’s still great at solving Rubik’s Cubes, which seriously impresses his little sister (and me).  He can solve one in under a minute and competed in a World Cubing Association tournament a couple of years ago!

Rubik's Cube

I just got him this floor cube and it makes a great foot rest.  I like come into his room and sit in this chair with my coffee in the morning and chat.  The footrest is a really nice addition!

Tween Boys Room

Can you tell how happy he is in his new room?!  The next project will be cable management.  I was careful to corral those ugly wires for the pics, but let me know if you’d be interested in seeing how we control the chaos of wires in the future!

And now what do we do with the empty room?!  It currently has his guitars, keyboard and my treadmill and some weights in it.  It’ll probably stay that way for awhile!

Click through to my blog to view the shoppable images

Have a fantastic day friend!

 

 

Thank you to Walmart for sponsoring today’s post

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Meet Megan

Hi! I’m Megan, mom to a thoughtful teenager and spunky young girl. We call Houston home and recently moved into our dream home. I traded my lawyer hat to become a full-time blogger in 2010. I love sharing my passion for affordable fashion, home decor, organization, & fitness to help inspire you to take care of you!

20 Comments

  1. The room looks great. We set up my son’s room like that with his own tv, gaming system, and gaming computer which he built himself. It was great for a while but the temptation for him was too much. He felt pulled to play after bedtime because his friends were allowed to play later than he was. So. unfortunately, we had to remove it all. Praying you don’t end up with the same situation especially as you head into the teen years. Unlimited access to the internet is dangerous even for the most obedient, straight-A students. I don’t say this to critique your choices. If we had not made the choice to put the electronics in our son’s room we would have saved ourselves a lot of trouble.

    1. All valid points and something I will watch out for too. Good for you for recognizing the issue and making tough choices. You’re a great mom!

  2. This room looks amazing!! I love how cozy it is with the dark colors, without being intimidating – perfect for a gamer his age.
    Will James ever do a book recommendation post again? He’s so descriptive without giving too much away!

  3. Gorgeous room! This will definitely carry him through the teen years. I recognize the coastal print and gold side table – I have both haha. That Gap x Walmart line looks sooo good!

  4. Perfect- good on you for allowing him to make choices for his own space! He looks so grown up. Sounds like he has skills that will carry him far in life- well done you!

  5. Really nice room James. He reminds me of our eldest son who is now 22 and finishing his electrical engineering degree. He too loved to game and still does. He was always able to balance great grades, competitive sports and friends. Life is about balance and enjoying the interests you love. Enjoy your room James, this is a room fit for a young man taking him into adulthood. Great job!

  6. He looks thrilled – always nice to see!

    No window, though? – that’s brave as he heads into his teenage years!! ?

  7. The room looks great! I love the colors that you used. And I know he loves that gaming set-up! It’s perfect. I did want to mention though, that you should always have two ways of exit from a bedroom. God forbid there was an emergency. Maybe you have already thought about it, but I wanted to mention just in case!

  8. You are totally correct. James looks soooo happy. He really sounds like a wonderful boy and you’re doing everything right. Kudos to you Megan. I’m happy to see you’re having a nice time with Brian. He is a lucky man! 😉
    The room looks so good. Every time you decorate it turns out fabulous!!!

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