Room For Boys

One of the things I felt I missed out on raising the boys in apartments was the chance to decorate an nursery. Bug's "nursery" consisted of his crib at the foot of our bed in our first one bedroom apartment.

I did give in once, and painted a beautiful room at one of the places we lived when he was nearly three years old.

Bug's 2 year old bedroom, at apartment #3

It was promptly painted over the minute we moved out. (I knew it would happen...but still...)

So the chance to create an amazing boys room at our new home was exciting. For everyone. Bug had no shortage of ideas.

I want my walls painted like a tiger. I want really, really, really dark green. I want a Batman room. Can I paint one wall orange?

I'm all for letting children have input into the design on their own room. But some of these ideas were just a little too bold for me.

Then one day, Bug announced he wanted a red room. Once he decided that, there was no changing his mind. Although I wasn't sure I wanted an entirely red room.

So I told Bug we would do a red stripe in his room. At first, he was incredibly disappointed. He'd been counting on floor to ceiling, all four walls type of red. Even trying to sell the stripes as "racing stripes...you know like race cars have" didn't make him happy.

Until we found the bunk bed. We weren't even looking for one, although we had discussed it, since Bug and Monkey were going to share a room. We walked into a wholesale furniture store, looking for a coffee table. And there it was. A red bunk bed. It was beautiful. I fell in love with it immediately. So did Bug. I said that we couldn't have red walls and a red bunk bed, because then we couldn't see the bunk bed very well. "That's okay. Maybe we could just do a red stripe instead."

Just like it was his idea all along.


The BEFORE: Just a typical bedroom



The AFTER (part 1):
We used the same warm tan in all the bedrooms. The trim got the same antique white color as found in the living room and kitchen. We installed new darker brown (clean!) carpet. And then, of course, there are the stripes.


The red bunk bed makes its appearance.

A home for Monkey's entourage

Bug's art desk

The boys' room is the most finished in the house. I think it is a style that works well for two little boys now. And hopefully for two bigger boys in the year to come. And while the walls are not head to toe red, the room definitely is Bug's much wanted red room.