Nate, a growing eight-year-old boy, was getting a surprise room makeover while he was away at camp over the summer.

“I was really excited about getting my room done,” said Nate. “I was in camp and couldn’t see it, but Mom kept sending me pictures. When I got home, it was even more sport-themed than I expected. And I had all this space to walk around with a place to hang pictures of my friends, and that made me really happy.”

How did his mom do it? I helped guide her with these simple tips. Now you can successfully redecorate your nephew’s room, too!

The Requirements

Nate wanted several things in his new room. I quickly gathered all the information and made a checklist:

-The colors had to go: “They were Mets colors, and I am a Yankees fan!”
-He needed storage space.
-He needed a desk and a chair for school work.
-There was want of a place to hang sports memorabilia and photos of friends and family.
-He also wanted a twin- over a full-sized bunk bed.

The biggest challenge with Nate’s room was its size. We needed to fit all of the above into a challenging space. Not easy to do, Aunties, but we did it with a few tricks to deceive the eye.

The Furniture

The bunk bed was a huge piece, which took up the most amount of real estate. We had to deal with this first. The trick was not to overwhelm the room with this giant piece of furniture. Solution: Vertical-striped wallpaper. Vertical stripes will make a room seem taller, while horizontal stripes make it seem wider. By bringing the eye to the wall we drew attention to the height of the room instead of the size of the beds. Placing the bed in the near corner also drew the eye towards the back of the room.

The Colors

The carpeting was already blue – that made things easier, so we brought in the Yankees’ red, white, and blue colors in the paint, furniture, and artwork. The walls were painted an appropriate blue – not too overwhelming. We found the perfect team bedding and then found that gorgeous red dresser that just pops in the space.

A tip about paint colors: As I have mentioned in previous posts, I always recommend getting a good quality paint that is washable and that will last many years. It is best to be informed about paint when you hire a painter. To skimp on costs, some painters will take your color sample to the paint store and purchase a lower quality alternative. Aunties, you will be disappointed when that color is not the same as what you and your nephew picked out together. Consider purchasing the paint yourself or hire a licensed professional.

The Finishing Touches

Accessorizing the space was easy, as Nate already had trophies, memorabilia, and artwork to display. We purchased some wall decals, and Nate’s Aunt Chani helped him hang the bulletin board and the memorabilia.

Nate told me, “I like my room so much now that I try hard to keep it clean.” Wow! What an unexpected bonus from an eight-year-old!

Photo: Courtesy of Wendy Garfield
Published: July 23, 2012