We-Design-Day: Big Boy Room!

It's been a while since I wrote about working on a plan for my son's "Big Boy Room". For a while (ie over Christmas/holidays) I did not think about it (mostly) or worry about it (even thought my original goal was to get him transitioned to his room before/over Christmas). Now with the new year here, it's time to start thinking about it again and work towards getting the design completed and work on implementing it.

My ideas are all broad and conceptual, but I know I want the room to grow with him as he ages. The room needs to be functional (sleeping, relaxing and double as a "sometimes" guest room), inviting, mature with the ability to be youthful, energetic, edgy and "masculine" but not so much as to take away from the fact it's a child's bedroom.

Typically, when I do design work, I've got worksheets and interviews I conduct but the biggest tool I use is observation. I like to observe people and their things and learn more about them. I can give you magazine perfect, trendy design but if it isn't who the people are, they won't be happy with it and subsequently, neither will I. I know my son pretty well. I know what he likes, what he doesn't like and I kind of know his "style" (as much as a five year old can have a style).

This weekend, I dug out my paint kid and started reviewing my samples looking for greys. I had it in my head that grey tones were they way to go. Black furniture to ground the space and the use of industrial materials (diamond plate metal, various garage/shop accessories/furniture) would give me the look I wanted.

And in my head, it was fabulous, with a Capital "F".



The small swatches of colour looked great and I was in love with the three different combinations I'd put together - I had no idea how I was going to pick just one! Today I pulled out the paint chips and laid them all out.


And I quickly realized that they were in no way reflective of my son. At all.

The idea is concrete and is reflective of him and his likes, it was just my preoccupation with a neutral pallet that got in the way.

Can we agree to make red the new neutral?

Design Tip:

To thine own self be true.

HAHA! I've always wanted to use that on my blog and tada!

In all seriousness, it's very easy to fall in love with something trendy or something you see on TV or in a magazine but if it's not really indicative of your style, you're likely better off to admire the pages of the magazine and focus on figuring out what your style is.