Toy Storage in My Boys' Room~

After my post on the Boys' Room Reveal, I had a few of my readers asking about toy storage.  Isn't storing toys ALWAYS a dilemma? 

Luckily, we have a small loft where we keep the majority of the toys for the younger boys (as well as the Wii, and other kid-friendly entertainment that I'd rather not have in the main living space).  That said, we do have some toy storage in the boys' room.

Boy #1 is a bit of a Lego fanatic.  Okay, that might be an understatement.  He is completely Lego-crazy.  Combine that with a love of Harry Potter and Star Wars, and isn't hard to guess that we are overrun with Lego sets.  So, in the room design I added a couple of shelves for displaying his favorite-at-the-moment Lego creations. 

And, in all honesty, the top of this green dresser occasionally gets used as display space as well (although not in this pic - ha).

 

As does the top of the bookshelf.

And there is even more space out in the garage "man cave" where the Hubby helped Boy #1 construct a makeshift Lego table.  That's where you'll currently find Lego Hogwarts, as well as a Quidditch match.

Of course, if you have Legos at your house, I'm sure you know that the sets don't always stay put together, and those little bricks find their way ALL OVER YOUR HOUSE (and under your feet - OUCH!).  But we've found that inexpensive buckets from IKEA do a great job corralling them.

And for the littler guys who still play with other building toys, these closet bins from Tar-jay do a great job. 

And they all fit nicely in the Expedit bookcase from IKEA.  Love that thing.

So, there you have it.  A bit (just a bit) of toy storage solution for you....that is if you have Lego-hoarders like I do. ;-)

Have a great day~

My Boys' Room: The Reveal~

Hello, my lovelies!!  Today's the day!! I'm finally going to "reveal" the boys' room.  I hate to use the term "reveal" though, because I know I will end up tweaking things as time goes on.  But since it is basically in its' finished state, I figured I should finally share it with you all!

This post is going to be a bit picture-heavy.  I have a hard time editing out photos I love...plus that's what we all really love about blogs anyway, right?  So off we go...

I talked and talked about finding bunkbeds for the boys.  I love what we ended up with...espresso brown, substantial, and a steal because we bought the floor model from a warehouse store.  Again, I say, I love them.  Now we just have to get the matching trundle for Boy #3 so he can join his brothers in here.



On the other side of the room is the striped wall.  I am so in love with the bold stripes and the rich blue.  The expedit bookcase is perfect turned on its side to give the boys extra toy storage, and I adore the deer head... (more on that in a bit.)

Here's the green dresser.  I'm so glad I chose to paint it this wonderful shade of green!  It gives the room some real pep!!  And the "B" wall?  I couldn't be happier with how that turned out.

So on to the deer head...it's from Cardboard Safari.  I wanted something whimsical that "screamed" boy!  What better than a "mounted" cardboard deer head?  To give it some presence in the room -  and to give the room some rustic warmth -  we put it on a board we made from an upcycled palette that we got for free on the side of the road. 

I love the look of the globes against the striped wall...and my little boys are especially in love with the tiny, vintage piggy-bank versions which Boy #2 calls his "penny planets".  If you look closely, you can also see their special "rock collection" proudly displayed around the base of the lamp.  Of course, Boy #1's lego Hogwarts Express also finds a place of honor here.

Back to the bunkbeds...finding just the right bedding was a bit of a challenge.  I really wanted something neutral in color that looked like linen.  I lucked into these duvets at IKEA.  They are perfect!

The green pillow cases also came from IKEA and just happen to be the exact color of the dresser.  The sconce on the wall is another IKEA find.  And the cute bicycle pillows came from HomeGoods.

Here's that sweet green dresser and the "B" wall again.  The globe is vintage and was a gift from my mother.  "I love you to the moon and back" is the way Boy #2 and I say "I love you" to one another.  The sign was gifted to me by my lovely bloggy friend Leslie of  Glitter and Bliss.

Hope you enjoyed this little tour of my boys' room!! 

Have a great day~

The Letter B: A Wall Collage for the Boys' Room~

All of my boys' names begin with the letter "B".  We didn't do that intentionally, but that's just how it ended up.  Sooooo, when it comes to decorating a room for the three of them, it only made sense that I should incorporate the letter "B" into the room somehow.   And how, you may ask, did I decide to do that?  Why, with a wall collage!!

You may recall that my original inspiration board for the boys' room included an alphabet collage.

Well, even though we've moved worlds away from this original inspiration board, I did manage to keep the idea of the alphabet wall in the current design.  I just tweaked it a little.  I decided to use a single letter instead of all 26.  And that letter?  B of course - pretty much gave that away in the title, and the first paragraph... ;-)

So I set about collecting "B"s.  And you may recall a little tutorial I did on how to create your own Mod Podge letter.  In any case, after a bit of searching, painting, and Mod Podge-ing (yes, that is a technical term)... I give you The B Wall.

I'm lovin' how it turned out.  I like the organic shape of it...rather than having it be a "grid", I decided to let it kind of flow.  I really like it! And, it allows me to add in another "B" or two if I find one I can't live without.  And please  keep in mind, I have yet to accessorize the dresser. (just sayin')

So the boys' room is almost complete.  Just have to finish the window treatment and make some basket liners (a la Restoration Hardware Kids), and then when the final piece de resistance arrives in the mail, I'll put it on the wall, and we'll be ready for the big reveal!  I can't wait!!

Have a great day~

More Boys' Room Inspiration~

I have to be honest, decorating children's rooms is my favorite part of designing.  I like the freedom that comes with not having to take things so seriously.  With being able to add a good dose of whimsy to a space.  Children's rooms are just plain fun. 

So when I know that I get to redo the kids rooms, like I will in our upcoming move, I spend inordinate amounts of time planning and daydreaming about the spaces.

Of course, this time around I have some practical issues to contend with as well...like fitting three boys in one room.  I shared my dreams of a bunkroom in this post, but I also have to realize that the room the boys are moving into won't allow a huge built-in bunk space.  So I have been searching online for bunkbeds with trundles, and other bunk inspiration.  And that's when I found the new line from Restoration Hardware. (Okay, just so you all know...Restoration Hardware is not paying me for this post...this is just me...having some serious infatuation with their new products...)

Holy darling stuff, Batman!  I admit that I got excited when I found out a couple of years ago, that RH was starting a line for babies.  And I liked it.  But I wasn't wild about it - everything was pink, green or blue with polkadots or stripes- that's it.  So even though I received their emails, I didn't often take the time to read them.  Until this week when I saw the one with the picture of the bunkbeds.  I didn't know RH made bunkbeds, so I clicked on it.  And fell in love.

I am big into a soft-industrial look, especially for the boys' room...so these spaces are all right up my alley.

I love the zinc-finished wall pockets and the storage behind the bed.

Here I am in love with the bedding....and the vintage lockers. 

I would live at the beach if I could, so nautical rooms are always a favorite.

I love the stencil letters on the wall...and check out those cute floor pillows.

So much inspiration in one room.  I love the vintage school chairs and the table with the metal top (I'm seriously considering getting a metal-topped table for our dining room- virtually kid proof.)

I love the metal storage baskets, and the amusement park art.

I adore this menswear-inspired bedding.  When we moved into our last house, I was determined to find menswear-look bedding for the boys room...not as easy as it might sound.  And now, here it is.... hmmm.

Lovin' the locker-style desk and the ticking stripe bedding.  And those cute vintage clipboards used as frames!

This room is just plain soothing. 

A leather headboard....don't know if I dare with my crazy kiddos...but I love it.

And here's the bunkbed that caught my eye.  Lovin' the dark stain...and the heaviness of the piece.  It even has a trundle.  Alas, I think the pricetag might be a bit rich for my blood.  But a girl can dream, can't she?

So I'm off to plot and plan for the boys' room some more...I'm having too much fun!

Nature Center Outing~

I just love to discover fun, new places to go with my family.  And if they're educational, that's even better (especially when the educational part is slyly disguised as good old fashioned fun.)

A couple of weeks ago, a group of bloggers in my area was invited to discover the Ogden Nature Center,  152 acres of preserved  land just 25 minutes from our house.  There was so much to see and do, and my kiddos had such a good time that they've been asking to go back ever since.

The Nature Center had a trail filled with birdhouses made from recycled and found objects.  The kids just loved seeing all the creative ideas!

 They had a chance to make some fun paper snakes...

And even got to pet a real one...

My little boys discovered this "cave" and they didn't want to come out.

Mr. Three (my 4-year-old) thought this mask was pretty funny.

There were a few turkeys wandering around the grounds.

My kids loved seeing these big old birds up close. 

 These were some happy kiddos! 

Here's a little photo of me (just to prove I was actually there - ha ha!) with Meg from Brassy Apple.

Photo Credits:  1st photo from Ogden Nature Center,  All Other Photos are mine.

Thanks to the Ogden Nature Center for inviting us up for the day.  It was such fun! 

From their website:

Visitors enjoy 1.5 miles of walking trails, picnic areas, tree houses, bird blinds and an exhibit of live birds of prey.  Two of Utah's greenest buildings are on site to teach about sustainable structures. A unique gift shop is located in the Visitor Center. The Ogden Nature Center offers a wide variety of classes & workshops for all ages including art, photography, birding, wildlife in Utah, outdoor recreation, conservation, sustainability, summer camps and more.

 I'm always grateful to find a hidden treasure. Do you have one in your area? 

Bunk Rooms: Shared Space Inspiration~

As I mentioned in this post, we are moving.  And in the move, we are going to be downsizing.  So all of my boys are going to be sharing a room.  I have been wanting to build a bunkroom for ages...and this gives me the perfect excuse opportunity.

So today I want to share a few bunk room ideas from my inspiration files...

I love the nautical theme in this bedroom and the  "porthole" window near the lower bunk.

traditional kids design by chicago general contractor Stonebreaker Builders & Remodelers

I love the built-in beds, the drawers underneath for added storage...the "wainscotting" molding on the sides of the beds.  Perfection.

traditional bedroom design by boston architect Smith & Vansant Architects PC

In this room, I'm in love with the sconce above the top bunk and the planked walls. mmmmm.

contemporary kids design by atlanta interior designer Brian Watford ID

Although not technically "bunks", I love the built-in cubbies for each bed...and the curtains for privacy.

eclectic kids design by birmingham interior designer Tracery Interiors

This room has amazing use of space...love the built-in bookcases and workstations on each side of the bed ( although that top bunk needs a higher safety railing, if you ask me.)

traditional kids design

This room had me at "hello". I love the putty colored built-ins. The stairs/ladder is pure perfection. And I simply adore the addition of the built-in bookcases at the head of each bed.

spaces design

I have been enamoured of this bunk space for a long time. I love the juxtaposition of industrial elements with feminine elements (and that oversized photo is amazing!) Of course, remove the butterflies and the twinkle light "chandelier" and this space could work just as well for a group of crazy boys like mine.

spaces design

All rooms above via Houzz.com

This is perhaps my favorite bunk room image of all time. It's from BHG, and I've had it in my inspiration photos since, well, I've lost track of how long it's been there. I love EVERYTHING about this room. The bunks are amazing, the built-in workstations are inspired, the colors are perfect.  Now to figure out how something like this can translate to a smaller space. Ohhhhh the possibilities.

via BHG



Sure does give me a lot to think about.  Whether you have kiddos or not, I hope that you've been able to gather a little inspiration from this set of shared spaces too!

Have a great day~