It is hard to believe I have a toddler and even harder to believe he is big enough to have his own room. Truthfully, he has been in this space for a while and thankfully, the transition was fairly smooth. We had a few rough nights of trying to get him to stay in his big boy bed but after a couple of sleepless nights, my guy figured it out and LOVES his own space. So, before I talk design, if you are in a space where you are about to transition your toddler, I say trust the process. It was tough at first but they will get there. Thankfully, now his space is his. He goes there for rest, to play or when he needs time to himself. So yes, it can be tough, but you can do it!
Ok so now on to the design process! Fun fact, the inspiration for this room came from Miles’ first birthday party. When he turned one, we celebrated with ‘The Big One’ and used a surf theme. Inspired by our many trips to Malibu, California, I drew inspiration from The Surfrider Hotel with the Pray For Surf artwork. From there, the party grew and after the party, I was so in love with the décor that I wanted to keep it. Transparently, Jon Luke did not want to store this décor if I had no plan for it…so I made a plan: his big boy room.
I had the Pray For Surf tapestry that I ordered from Etsy (linked here) framed for the party so I found a safe space for that knowing it would be a focal point for this room. Additionally, I ordered this surf board for the party so I planned on working that into the room as well. Because the surf board set the tone for the blue and green tones, I kept that going through the room. He requested a blue room so we settled for a blue accent wall which turned out perfectly.
For his furniture, it was important to me that we order items that will grow with him. The bed, side tables and chair that I used, will all be items that I could leave in his room as he gets older, or could even use in his sister’s room as she gets bigger. And if for some reason we pivot completely, the bed is something that could be used in a guest room one day. Again, long term planning goals.
Once we identified the accent wall and painted it blue, I decided that would be the wall his bed went on and I fell in love with the idea of an olive green bed. Now this was a challenge for me because I had a very specific green in mind. For pre-made beds, they were not cutting it so admittedly, I had this bed made. BUT, price wise it was comparable to other options and at the end of the day, it was the perfect color. I ordered it through Etsy and I absolutely LOVE how it turned out! Now, I was not prepared to invest in custom bedding because I figured my guy would be rough with it (which he is), so I committed to this neutral set from Target and love it. Keeps things simple and on brand in the space and is also very comfy!
With the wall/bed in place, the last big focal point was the artwork. As I mentioned previously, I wanted to use the Pray For Surf art from his birthday party, but also had a few other pieces that were great for the space. The water art from McGee and Co. tied in beautifully with the blue wall and this Locals Only banner was a fun touch. On our last trip to California, I purchased this Malibu pennant and it completed the gallery wall for me. I love how it brings in the beach/surfer vibe but is also timeless for his room!
All in all, this room came together perfectly in my opinion. I love how it is the perfect touch of little boy, but will also be something that he can grow in to. It has been so fun to watch him make this space his own, pinning his photos and little things to his pin board, and finding comfort in such a sweet space. I hope that he continues to love it just as much as I do and I look forward to spending more time here!
