One Room Challenge – Boys Bunk Room – Reveal!

One Room Challenge – Boys Bunk Room – Reveal!

Well, I made it.  My Boys Bunk Room reno is complete.  I am so excited to reveal the photos and discuss every detail!

*All images in this post were taken by photographer, Brian McWeeney, who I am very grateful to work with again.  Special thanks to him for all of the time he spent shooting and editing these images.

*Other sources and special thanks at the end of this post.

This was a major undertaking, and I sort of can’t believe it is done.  I’m thrilled, the boys are thrilled, and my husband is thrilled it is over, since that means I am sleeping again.  : )

Where to even begin?

Maybe with a full room shot?

boys bunk room

When you enter the room through the new entryway and look to your right, the above view is what you see.  I am so pleased with how everything came together.  And the space is just what my boys requested – colorful, imaginative, and full of texture.

To say they are excited and over the moon about their new room may be the biggest understatement of the year.

boys bunk room

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw the colors we pondered for the wainscoting.  We chose the darker blue, and I’m so happy we painted the wainscoting a color versus white.  The deep hue brings life to the space.  And those sconces!  The vintage brass ship lights I found at Round Top turned out amazing, and they are the perfect little reading lights!

boys bunk lights

At the foot of each bottom bunk, we used Ikea spice shelves as a place for books and other beloved items.  In the below photo, note the little crawl space that goes through to the other low bunk bed.  We thought the boys would like being able to see each other, and that is a fun space to crawl through or have little games in.

bunk room shelves and nook

If you are familiar with my design style, you know I love to infuse spaces with a story, a sense of history.  Since so much of this room is newly constructed (although our home is nearly 100-years-old), I ushered in a collected-over-time feel through a few intentional older pieces.  One of my favorite elements of the room is the life-size pair of Lone Ranger and Tonto posters from the 1950’s.  Children across America collected cereal tops and sent them to General Mills in order to receive these huge posters in the mail.  They are BEAUTIFUL.  The sharp pigmentation and detail of the art is just fantastic.  By choosing simple, acrylic frames, Kemosabe and his loyal sidekick shine, while not competing too much with the wallpaper.

lone ranger tonto

When I first received the posters (they were an amazing $100 Ebay find), I looked into getting them linen backed to take away the folds. (I did not want them to look too tattered)  But after placing the art in the frames, I realized the creases tell their story – folded posters sent in the mail anxiously awaited on by young people across the US.  I grew to love their patina.

 

bunk room

The curtain fabric designed by the talented Vivian Ducas of C’est la Viv pairs perfectly with the magical Forest Wallpaper.  Their duet is playful and youthful, and flows really well together.

The trim work adds architecture to this space, and those beds are oh so cozy!

bunk room curtains

A fun little detail…I designed a narrow shelf to go above the wainscoting all of the way around the room. I know tiny treasures will be displayed up here for years to come!

shelf ledge

I made the acrylic and brass stair handrail the same way I made my kitchen and bathroom hardware.  The sparkle and masculinity of the brass clips fits well with the scheme of the room.

acrylic handrail

The mid century chairs were purchased at an estate sale years ago, and I covered them in distressed camel leather.  We have owned them for a long time now, and they have moved all over our home.  After rearranging several rooms recently, I thought I had no place to put them, and I pondered selling the chairs.  But then it dawned on me they could work nicely in here.  The scale is spot-on, and the seats are low and comfortable for little boys.

I discovered the vintage dragon ship needlepoint at yet another estate sale (behind some junk in the garage!), and my sons were thrilled because it looks like Legos!

The brass lamp is another Round Top find.  To make the cord more aesthetically pleasing and “fun”, I wound some green nylon rope around it.

Let’s talk about the rug…I have major love for this rug.  It is soft, it is colorful, and it is just right for the space.  The quality is unreal.  I bought it from my friend, Jenn, (who is so cool and sells the most amazing items!) and you should totally follow her.

boys room chairs

The little card catalog is my husband’s from childhood, and it still holds his collection of baseball cards.  It is so special he can share them with his boys now.

P.S.  Those red shoes are AMAZING, and I bought a pair for all of my kids and myself!  They are very easy to slip on and off, and super durable.  You can choose from tons of colors and styles, I can’t recommend them enough!

baseball card catalog

I had a minor disaster with the frame of the vivid, brush stroke Sister Corita Kent lithograph.  Two days before the shoot, it fell and broke.  I was worried I would not be able to get it fixed in time until I called a local company called Fast Frame.  Literally, my first words were, “How fast is fast?” : )  I can’t thank Bruce enough for making a new frame for me in less than 24 hours.  Fort Worthians, you should definitely check out Fast Frame.

salvage closet doors brass

Utilizing these old closet doors (found at my favorite local salvage yard) as pocket doors saved so much floor space, and I am still basking in all of the storage I have for my boys now!  The new-old doors are eight feet tall, and the vintage unlacquered brass pulls are 30″ long. (pulls found on Ebay) Painting the edge of the door insets gives the pair such depth.  I really like how they turned out!  It is pretty obvious I have a thing for big statement doors.

I will do a separate post on the closet at some point because it turned out so fab, and I want to show you every organized detail!

closet doors

Of course, I am relishing all of the elements of this room, but more importantly, I know many special memories will be made here.

boys bunk room faces

My sons are 7 and 8, and they are crazy about each other.  It has been a delight to work with them on this project and design it with my eye and their preferences.  I’m so happy to be their Mom.

boys bunk room

They grow up fast, and I am grateful for these funny, crazy times.

reading to boys

My kids are all close in age (a year apart), and the boys AND the girls are excited about having “sleepovers” in the new Bunk Room.  (when I get safety rails made for the top bunks – the only thing I didn’t finish)

boys reading

We have plenty of chaos around here, and while I am feeling rather sentimental and a bit emotional over the completion of this space, I should absolutely tell you I am exhausted, and I feel like I have been running the last six weeks.  I took out the word “amazing” in the first draft of this post so many times, you would think this was an episode of “The Bachelor”.

boys on bunks

My kids see me working hard for other people’s spaces, and it was great to spend time and energy working on this just for them. I’m so happy it is done, and I am overjoyed at the outcome!

grace mitchell boys

My next post will be a Before and After article discussing more about the details of the space. Please let me know if you have any questions I need to address.

If you like this makeover, please share it!!!!

In case you are just now joining my One Room Challenge journey, catch up on Weeks 1-5 by clicking these links:

Week 1

Week 2

Weeks 3 & 4

Week 5

Thank you for reading, and please follow me on Bloglovin or subscribe to my website by entering your email in the sidebar on the right.  (you have to confirm your subscription via email, or you won’t be alerted when I post!)  Keep up with my work and everyday life via Instagram, or follow me on Facebook.

Special Thanks:

Juan Wall, Head Carpentry & Trimwork (I’m so grateful for all of the nights you came after your full-time job to work on this)

Alonzo, Assistant Carpentry & Trim

Brian McWeeney, Photography

C’est La Viv, Curtain Fabric Design

Marleny Welch, Seamstress

Acrylic Framing, Kipp Walden & Team at Nationwide Plastics

Painting, Sergio’s Painting

Lithograph Frame, Bruce at Fast Frame, Fort Worth

House Beautiful, Media Sponsor

Linda, Calling It Home, Creator of the One Room Challenge (don’t forget to look at all of the other spaces!)

And lastly, my husband, Kent.  He works really hard so we can do projects like this, and he definitely ends up taking on more household duties when we are in the throes of project chaos.  Thank you, sweetheart, for all of your support and encouragement!

Sources:

Wallpaper  /  Curtain Fabric  /  Moroccan Colorful Rug  /  Drawer Pulls  /  Ceiling Fan  /  Striped Quilts  /  Color Border Shams  / Whale Pillows  /  Alligator Pillows  /  Mattresses (I researched these a ton and I LOVE the ones we got)  /  Acrylic & Brass Stair Handrail (DIY link)  /  Hidden Drapery Rods (attached to the ceiling)  /  Vintage Leather Chairs (options here)  /  Card Catalog (mine is vintage, similar options here)  /  Record Player  /  Vintage Brass Shiplight Sconces  /  Vintage Brass Arm Lamp  /  Green Nylon Rope for Cord Cover  /  Sister Corita Kent Lithograph (options here)  /  Hardy Boy Books (love this set!)  /  Red Shoes  /  Bookshelves  /  Coloring Books  /  Colored Pencil Jars  /  Vintage Childrens Records (I buy most here)  /  Tooth Fairy Pillows  /  Building Toys  /  Boys Pajamas  /  Green Dot Pillows  /  Womens Denim Shirt

Written by Grace

 

 

 

104 Comments
  • Ruben K Layne
    Posted at 01:33h, 22 June Reply

    Hey Grace,

    Really love the room!! Amazing design, I must say such a boy thing. Every kid has a dream of such room. I wish to imitate this design for my kids’ room. Hope they both like too.

    Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Warm Regards
    Ruben

  • Lisa
    Posted at 17:17h, 08 July Reply

    What a wonderful fun room for your boys ! What a great Mommy you are !! So many memories to be made .

  • Julie Blanner
    Posted at 08:43h, 12 September Reply

    Is this real life? Wow, Grace, you’ve outdone yourself!

  • Lexi Westergard
    Posted at 22:52h, 28 September Reply

    This is so fun! It turned out amazing!

  • Patty Schmid
    Posted at 08:58h, 02 February Reply

    Where did you purchase the green and white shelves?

    • Grace
      Posted at 08:58h, 09 February Reply

      Hi Patty! They are from the Container Store! They have several different colors you can choose and even some wood tones! Love them. They are great, very sturdy. xo

  • Lori Brown
    Posted at 12:42h, 07 February Reply

    Wow! What a great space! The room looks amazing! I am a Fort Worthian ( so I will definitely Check out fast frames. To the other reader Patty I have seen very similar green and white shelves at the Comtainer store. Not sure where Grace found hers though.

    • Grace
      Posted at 08:59h, 09 February Reply

      Hi Lori! So great to hear from a fellow Fort Worthian. #itsthebest ; ) And you are spot on about the Container Store! Also, Fast Frames is great, definitely try them out. xo

  • Connie Miller
    Posted at 22:30h, 21 February Reply

    Hi Grace. I fell totally in love with this room over a year ago when I saw it in a magazine. I tore the page out and kept it for months. We were having our kitchen remodeled and I showed your room to the carpenters and asked if they could build the bunk beds for me. They were intrigued by the design and said it would be a lot of fun to build (if they had the plans). Do you have a blueprint for the bunk design? How could I get information on the construction? I have to have this for my grand children!!! I saw the picture again today in another magazine and was so excited to have an email to send an inquiry. Please help me with this amazing room.

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