I made a few updates in the boy’s room over the weekend. All three of my boys (including Jeff) have been sick, so I’ve been playing nurse most of the time, but Sunday afternoon was so beautiful and the sunshine and warm weather gave me a boost of energy. I threw open the windows, so my “patients” could benefit from it as well after hanging out under blankets in dark rooms for a couple of days. So, with this boost of energy, I decided to do some cleaning and “playing” in the house (while movie-watching and napping was happening elsewhere.)
I’ve been collecting a few things for the boy’s room and I decided to put them into place.
I wanted some window treatments that would fit with the vintage sports theme I have going on, but it’s taken me a while to figure out exactly what I wanted to do. I originally thought I would get a plaid fabric and make a simple valance, but I never found a fabric I liked. Well, I found one Ralph Lauren print I loved, but it was $110/yard and that was NOT going to happen for a little boys’ bedroom. Well, or any room in my house.
I found some antique golf clubs for $5/each at an antique store and knew they would be the perfect curtain rods. I then started to hunt for felt pennant banners to tie to it. I was hoping to find banners from colleges, but those were a lot more expensive, so I went with souvenir pennants for $5/each.
I hung the golf club from old curtain rod hooks I had in the basement.
I showed them to Jeff the next day when he emerged from bed and he said, “Wow. Those really do a great job at blocking out the light. Those are such practical curtains.”
Wise guy. They are decorative.
I’ll keep an eye out for more banners, so I can do the same treatment to the smaller window.
I also found the perfect cabinet to fit between their beds. I had my Oma’s camp trunk with a suitcase on top as a stand-in, but it wasn’t very practical. I knew I wanted a cabinet, so I kept an eye out for one. I bought this one to paint and sell at Lucketts, but I really liked it unpainted and I knew it was perfect for their room. (It was $60 from an antique store.) So, Sunday, I went over to the studio to pick it up and put it in their room.
It really is the perfect piece. They can put their books and flashlights and treasures inside and the height and scale are much better suited than the trunk and suitcase. (They usually have their Lego alarm clocks on the stand. I just set out the antique clock for the pictures.)
My boys have really loved having their room decorated. It’s been sort of neglected as we’ve worked on the rest of the house. My eight year old has especially taken to it, wanting to read his books upstairs on his bed and he even made the decision to make his bed with his “pet” from the Grand Canyon in front of his monogram pillow. I told him they looked cute and he suggested I take a picture of it for my blog. He’s onto me!
The ticking quilts are from Pine Cone Hill, the monogram pillows were custom made from Etsy and my mom made the log cabin quilts folded at the end of the beds.
The walls are painted in Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore.
I found the tennis racquets, the UVA banner and the old pictures from my Opa’s house. The pictures are in frames from Target. The globe was $1 at a yard sale.
I also found a little pillow made with a vintage Gettysburg pennant on Etsy, so I bought it to put in the child’s rocker that belonged to my Oma. We have a picture of her in it when she was a little girl, so it’s a special piece and the petite pillow was a perfect fit.
After I showed the boys’ room in process a few weeks ago, I received some questions about where their toys are. We had their toys in their room for most of their lives, but I’ve learned that they don’t play with toys in their room. They always haul them to the family room. Their room is upstairs and we’re mostly downstairs, so that’s where they play. So now, we store some toys in the family room and the rest in the basement where there is more room. 90% of the time, though, this is where they play…
…smack in the middle of the family room. They are two social little boys and they want to be where the action is. I just thought I’d share to keep things real.
I love their room! You’ve struck the perfect balance of making it kid-friendly and fun while also attractive and blog-worthy. I’m glad they like it, too! I know as they get older they will really cherish the items you’ve incorporated that came out of your Opa’s house.
I remember when I was little I didn’t really play in my room, either. There were some great built-ins in our family room where all of my toys were kept. Same thing – I wanted to be around my parents and brother, where the action was! They do say that it’s best for your quality of rest if your bedroom is used exclusively for sleeping.
Love the pennant idea, FYI a couple of weeks ago I added pennants to my booth at Rebels Roost.
I love everything about this room! Also, FYI, JoAnn’s currently has HD fabrics in orange and navy…When I saw them, I immediately though about this room.
I love the boys room. You are totally right… that little chest works perfectly in there. And I love the pennants. My husband and I are expecting a little guy in July and I just found a vintage pennant for his room too!
I too love the pennant idea…it serves two purposes and they look so great when used in a boys room. I do see them all the time at antique malls and most are relatively inexpensive. It sounds like the boys are really proud of their room and that’s a sign that you have done a great job!
BTW…I had difficult time posting this comment. When I put in my security code, a pop-up ad for Juicy Coulture kept appearing. I tried closing the ad and then it would take me back to putting in my code again. Never had this happen before.
So many good ideas in here for any kids or quest room. Thank you for sharing them with me!
Great idea I have some vintage snow skis and plan to use them as curtain hangers or maybe the poles . I do love the pendants very cute boys room the decor will last for a long time .
Thank you for keeping it real with the photo of the legos. My daughter is always stressing about how when they play with them they are strewn all over the floor. Glad to see that is how its done. Love their bedroom also. The cabinet is perfect.
Such a great vintage little boys room… that can also grow with them 🙂 Lovely work!
LOVE this room, as a mother of five sons I feel I am an expert and this is lovely and my guys would love it!!
I love the room. I want to redo my 14 year old’s room and he is really into sports! Great Idea!!
I love what you’ve done in the boys’ room, Marian. Best of all, I love what your 8 yr old did, taking his books up to read in there, and suggesting you take a picture of his buddy on the bed for the blog. That had to melt your heart – so sweet.
Fantastic, if you’ll pardon the pun. It’s original yet classic. Good job!
You’re a good mom. There’s a reason why it’s called a “living room”, it’s because we, the family, use it for our activities. The time when it was just a parlor for guests is in the past., that’s not practical. What kid wants to be isolated. Your guys are going to turn out great because they’re learning by osmosis when you’re all together in a comfortable space such as a living room or a kitchen.
Your a Good MOM.
Their room looks wonderful. Recently, I saw a pennant pillow that was just the pennant stuffed with a backing.. Would be cute in a bookcase. I like your pennant pillow.
Love the golf club curtain rods!
The boys’ room looks great! If I were a kid, I’d like to have a room like that.
The boys room is so perfect. I had 3 boys and could never get it to look so good. The last picture is more like I remember. Thanks for sharing the real world as well as the pretty.
I never tire of seeing this adorable room!! 🙂 Love the theme so much and the golf clubs with pennants is perfect!!
I think the pendants on the old golf club is very clever. The room looks wonderful.
My girls are in their 30’s, and I still remember dodging toys in the living room when they were young. NEVER got them to play in their room! But it saved me from having to check on them a hundred times a day! Now I dodge the grandkids toys, but they aren’t here every day. I’m still used to watching where my feet land.
The boys room is very warm and cozy, I can see why your son wants to read there!
BTW, I get three pop up ads when I try to read a posting. I use a kindle, with silk as my browser.
Where did you get the little lights behind their beds? I am looking for something just like that and have been unsuccessful. Love the room!
Adorable room! And…I’m glad you keep things real, because Life is real!
I love your sons’ room! What a sweet, memory-filled, BOY space. 🙂 I also love the chest. I have found having 2 boys of my own that they love little places to put “THEIR things”. This is perfect. And great job on the pennant-golf club window treatment. Very creative! And I love too that you are okay with toys being in the living room where all the people are. I was the opposite and actually liked playing with my dolls by myself in my room vs. with everyone else, but my boys are more like your boys. They haul their toys to the living room and want to play right smack in the middle of everything. It’s cute. Now I just need to figure out a good toy system that works for the living room too! 🙂
Hugs,
Gail
Love the colors etc. To make a long story short……. As a 6 year old I shared a room with my high school age sister. We had twin beds with pineapple posts with a dresser similar to yours between.
I know I used to get into her stuff so my father build her a book shelf unit with a door with a lock!
Wonder why?! Sorry I didn’t take it when the house was sold down the road. The dresser had a
Zenith radio on it and we were allowed to listen to it when we went to sleep. My other sister has
the pretty china lamp with a lady holding a bird cage. I remember stuffing stuff into the bird cage.
The boy’s room looks amazing and the fact that they love it says it all. I pinned for future reference
Such a sweet sweet room for your little men! I absolutely love that he arranged his stuffy in front of his pillow and then suggested you take a picture for the blog! That is absolutely amazing… it looks like you have a little blogger on your hands 😉 !
Love the paint colour! I’ll have to add Hale Navy to my “wish list” for my future house.
Beautiful room! All of the elements go well together. Great idea for the curtain rod!
Marian, I have been a teacher of career explorations in my teaching past. We would talk about options upon graduation from high school. So, over a few years time I collected and displayed college pennants. I would be delighted to send a few to you to assist with the boys windows. Just let me know what colors…….
Leasa