Hospitality, Friendship, Encouragement

Thursday, March 3, 2016

Boy's Bedroom: Updating

Kyle is going to be 11 this year.  He loves legos, science - especially Astronomy, being active, minecraft, and playing with his niece, Kamryn.

His room reflects all those things, and yet it is also cluttered as it is a very small room - about 10x10 with the closet coming into the room. 

Just as you come in his cool desk is on the left.  full of legos, rocks and anatomy pages. ;)  

 I'm okay with this because its a roll top desk and it all can be 'out of sight' with a quick pull down of the roll top.

Tim made this bookcase/toy storage when Kyle was a baby.  It was white, but I've painted it with ASCP in French Linen.  (Kyle, who is VERY sentimental was completely fine with it staying white)  I am trying to add in some more of a pre-teen/teen look to his room, since he doesn't like stuff to change.  Example of his lack of wanting change; his big basket of cars.  He doesn't really play with them anymore, so I was going to move them downstairs.  They'd be accessible if we had young guests, but he's not ready for that yet.  He also said, "Kamryn still plays with them, Mom."  So, okay, they'll stay.


My inspiration for painting the bookcase grey is this metal K.  
 Now to explain a few things.  There is one window in this room and it is behind this bunk bed.  The bunk is low, and Kyle and Tim made the top bunk a platform for building and playing, yes, you guessed it - Legos!  The light in this room is coming from his window and its white curtain which is still closed.  That paper plate on his shelf?  He drew lego minecraft characters two years ago.  He doesn't want to throw it out yet!

 He has some cool vintage (from my dads collection of old Astronomy magazines) posters about the Solar System and that kind of thing.  I want to keep those, but would like to ditch his birthday poster from last August.  He likes it and wants it to stay.  We are working on a compromise!

When you have such a small room, I think it's important to keep things as clutter free as possible.  For me it means that legos must be contained on the desk, the loft, or the bins.  But it's also important that there not be so much visual clutter.  So we'll be working on that.  I may paint this room this summer - he is into green these days.  

Bit by bit it'll get changed.  I don't want to come in and make it into my image, it's HIS room, but I do want it to grow with him, and make his room function better.

Joining these fun gals again this week @ Thoughts of Home

10 comments:

  1. Kyle is the boy version of my Bekah!! Nothing must change!! In a way, that is comforting, because it means that they have connections and happy memories. Of course, it can also be frustrating that everything has equal value!

    I just had this conversation with someone yesterday...that children's rooms should be a reflection of who they are and that they should have the freedom to express their loves and style (within reason). I know that you and Kyle will come to some solutions and his room will be great!!

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  2. Our grandson loved Legos as well...stepped on a few!
    hughugs

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  3. What fine interests Kyle has! And how wise of you to honor his resistance to change (to a degree)...I'm sure it's not w/o frustrations, but in the grand scheme of things...

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  4. As one that had three boys I so understand the room of a boy! I absolutely love the idea of the play area above the bunk! How creative and wise using the space so well!

    I saw the tin letters like K in Hobby Lobby and loved them~it is neat to see someone use them!!!
    Jennifer

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  5. I love the personality you can see in his room. I love the shelf color.

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  6. This looks so familiar to me! I have two boys who are 26 and 23 now but their rooms were always covered in Legos. Legos are good for their brain...don't you think? The shelf is awesome and I wish you luck with the neatness. (said in my understanding mom voice)

    We love having you at Thoughts of Home on Thursday. :)

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  7. Kyle sounds a lot like my son who is now 18 - very sentimental, likes to keep everything! It's kind of sweet actually but it's hard when they want to keep it all. Using the top bunk for Legos is genius too. And guess what color my son's room is - green of course!

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  8. Yes, just guide him a bit. You are a good mom not to change it completely. Is this a boy thing? Not wanting things to change. My son hated change and always wanted the same holiday decor brought out. My grands don't play with many of their toys here, but they don't want me to get rid of them. Oh well. The entire family leaves me with things they don't want to chuck...why not the grands? I do think the box of cars looks especially nice on the shelf.

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  9. I agree with Cheryl's comment and she, of course, said it so well. I love how you give preeminence to accommodating legos..such an important toy for a growing boy.

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  10. Oh it was only a short time ago that I had the same scene in my home. Sniff. I miss it. Thank you ever so much for linking up at Thoughts of Home on Thursday. Your presence adds such a ray of sunshine!

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