We’ve lived on our current (and forever) home for 6.5 years now, and I’ve just about finished every space. The very first space we completed was our son’s room. The Train Display Wall & Ikea Hack Closet were big hits on Pinterest. But, that 5 year old little boy who loved Thomas the Tank Engine is now an almost 11 year old boy who still plays with trains occasionally but loves Legos more. He’s also not so little anymore. So, I’ve decided to refresh his room for the One Room Challenge this Fall.
The One Room Challenge
If you’re not familiar with the One Room Challenge, twice a year, a group of designers & bloggers makeover one room from start to finish in 7 weeks and document it weekly. There are also hundreds of Guest Participants who play along, chronicling their own start to finish refreshes on their blogs & Instagram feeds. It’s a great way to get inspiration for your own space. It is also an opportunity for the bloggers/designers to get more exposure for their work.
The Befores
Here’s what that popular train storage wall looked like 6 years ago.
It was cool, and it looked cool, though that picture is bad. Yikes.
His room evolved a bit over the years. The trains got replaced with Lego sets & books. His bed-making skills are questionable.
He’s had a lot of fun in this room, but it’s time for the design to grow up a bit.
The Space
The space for our One Room Challenge is a great space. It’s just about 12′ square. The doors are all on one wall, but the high window placement is a bit tricky.
As with any room refresh/remodel in our home, I like to identify the needs and create zones to satisfy those needs. He gave me a list of things he wanted, including a place for his alarm clock, Lego set display, and a workspace. He also needs a new ceiling fan, new dresser, and the ceiling needs to be painted white. This room is actually the very last ceiling to be repainted in this house.
The Design
I don’t really do themes in kid’s spaces. He’s really into Legos and Harry Potter. We’re going to focus on using more “grown up” colors, bring in some wood tones, and make it a space just for him.
As an almost 11-year old, his needs are much different now than they were when he was 5. When we moved in, it was all about toy storage and a fun, colorful space. Now, he needs a place to study, a place to hang out, a place to build & display legos, and some storage solutions.
The Budget
We’re in stealth saving mode for 2 HVAC units and a water heater, so the budget for this One Room Challenge is tight. We’re going to try to do this space for $1,000 or less. He’s pitching in some from his savings account, and he’s also going to help me with the work, none of which we need to hire out.
In order to stick to this budget, we’re re-using most of the furniture in his room, and we’re going to modify some of it. We did buy a few new pieces and got some really good deals. We also sold some stuff on Facebook Marketplace.
Will the space look like something out of a magazine? Probably not. Its more important to me that he loves the space. and that it’s not too grown up for him, but that he can grow into it as well. I think it will look cool, but with our budget constraints, we’re not going to do anything Earth-shattering or spark any new trends. The One Room Challenge is more about accountability for completion for me.
My Plan is to complete & reveal a section of the space each week of the One Room Challenge, so make sure to come back every Thursday to see the progress! I’ll also be updating on my Instagram feed and doing Stories as we go. Follow along on Instagram so you don’t miss anything!
Make sure you stop by the One Room Challenge Blog and check out all of the other spaces in the challenge. There’s so much inspiration!
So what do you think? Tell me in the comments!
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