If you’re a long time follower then you may know I bought a house last year. And that I turned our upstairs into a “creative space” for my two boys.
They are a little old for a play room, and I wanted the room to grow with them. I blogged about it all in detail. I honestly loved the room, and the idea of it. And this past year, my boys have read, and played, and built legos and much more in that space. But my oldest son whose 10, is becoming a little testy in his tween hood, and it just seemed like he really needed his own room.
Last summer when I gave him the option for his own room, he was emphatic that he wanted to share a room with his brother. But I guess after a year of 5th grade, hanging out with your 8 year old bro, can grow tiring at times. 😆
From Tween Creative Space to Tween Boys Room
When I had started putting the “creative space” together last summer. I knew I wanted it to have an older kid monochromatic feel. So, the bones were great for a tween boys room. We made the decision for him to get his own room on the fly, and I already had to have a window unit air conditioner installed, so I told him I wanted to try and renovate his room using stuff we already had, and I’m happy to say, somehow we did it!
In true tween boys room spirit, he wanted to base the theme of his room around a Japanese cartoon character named “Gudetama : The Lazy Egg” the embodiment of a depressed egg that feels like life is too much. How he even knows about this character is beyond me, but I had to admit that he was pretty cute.
I Tried to Let My Son’s Ideas Shine Through
In a blog post for another day, I’ve been having a hard time navigating this next phase of parenthood, where we start to loosen control, and let our kids go their own way. Embracing who they want to be, instead of forcing them into what we want. My son wanted Gudetama sheets, posters, stuffies, and more. I told him I wasn’t going to be spending money on all those things (though he could spend his own), but still wanted to honor his desires. So, I printed some Gudetama art and framed them, and we found some figurines at Five Below, and he was beyond ecstatic.
We stuck with the black and white monochromatic theme, and just moved around the art that was already in their “creative space”. We added in a dresser, storage cube, mirror, and bed. And voila it came together beautifully.
Room Goals
My general design philosophy is to have a room that looks amazing, that people actually live in and love. I’m not the type to hide every last thing for a photo, because it’s not real. This is where my son keeps his legos, snapships, books, and hand drawn art. And while I want those things to look classy and organized. I don’t want to pretend they aren’t there.
And while I’m still a minimalist, who throws ALOT of stuff away. 👀 My kids are still asking about stuff from when they were 3, we keep the stuff that’s meaningful. And I feel like everything left in my son’s new tween boys room totally fits the bill.
Where to Shop for Your Tween Boys Room
This twin bed is from a bunked set at Walmart that was under $200, Bedding, & Yellow Stripes
Dresser is old from Ikea, art is DIYed, and his rug
The desk is Ikea, his keyboard, and mini fridge
Reading Nook: Beanbag, Cube Storage, and Bins and Lego Bins from Target
Geometric Art, Picture Ledges, and Gudetama Art
If you’re decorating for your tween, what is your theme or colors? Tell me in the comments below.
Check out my son’s rooms throughout the years. Shared bedroom, Toddler Bedroom, and his Nursery