one room challenge REVEAL: gradys bedroom

it's here! week 5 of the one room challenge, hosted by linda at calling it home. 

this room was such a pleasure for me to design for my 12 year old son. i tend to gravitate towards cleaner, more masculine lines, and so pulling this room together for him was really fun. as with all kids spaces that i design, i ask my pint size clients (or their parents) what they want. 

what they like. what they dislike. what their hobbies are. what colors they want to include.

grady's list was pretty simple:

black walls.

NO color.

a place where he could play vidoegames.

an extra seat for friends, reading and guitar playing.

a fluffy duvet.

check.

welcome to gradys grown up BOY CAVE:

all images by sara boulder photography

wall color is onyx by benjamin moore.

i saved a TON of money by purchasing the large items on sale and clearance. the bed is from jc penney (purchased on clearance about 2 years ago for $320), and the dresser is from west elm, but found last spring at downeast home for just under $240. the nightstand was also a downeast home purchase--i have had it for close to 8 years and i paid about $70 for it. these savings allowed me to spend a bit more on items like the custom pillow and the large round mirror.

duvet cover and pillow shams are from west elm.  the plaid pillow is custom made from a ralph lauren  fabric (found on eBay for a fraction of the retail cost).  the leather pillow is from wayfair (purchased over 6 years ago).


the framed print was purchased at west elm forever ago---like close to 10 years. i adore the subtle color it brings into the space, and the movement of the single figure on the horizon.


the custom bolster pillow has a flanged edge, which feels masculine and tailored but adds a bit of softness.












the lamp is from west elm. the head figure was purchased at wisteria and the petrified wood slice is from home goods.

you can see how i made these shadow boxes to display grady's collection of pressed pennies in a previous post. i decided to make this arrangement all about the pennies---the black walls and frames and mats really allow the pennies to the the star.

the curtain panels and plant pot are from ikea and the curtains rods are from target. the mirror is from wisteria.

 
this entire wall cost less than $400. (minus the tv and gaming components of course) the bookcase and desk are from ikea, the ottoman is from home goods, and the frames are from ikea and target. the art was purchased from art.com. we have had the aeron chair since 1999.

accessories were gathered from travels, or purchased at home goods, hobby lobby, west elm or ikea.

the hobby lobby faceted wood knobs were added to the ikea micke desk.

 


light fixture is from z gallerie.

ahhh! the lounge zone! 

grady often sits here to practice guitar and read, and also pulls it over the the desk when he has a friend over playing video games. the chair is from overstock, the acrylic shelf is from cb2, and the side table is from home goods. the pillow is from etsy seller spark modern.

just a reminder about where i started---here is the design plan that i created as a visual guide for the finished room:

and who doesn't love a good BEFORE!!




and AFTER:

another BEFORE view:

AFTER:

thanks for stopping by!



i know i promised that i would have the laundry and mudroom done by now, but....uh, NO. 

it is still not done. 

i do have a little peek that i will be posting in the next day or so...there are still a lot of projects to complete, but i am more than halfway done, and i am really happy with the way it is coming along:

a TINY little peek:

ORC week 4: an inexpensive shadow box project

for week 4 of the one room challenge, i thought i would share an inexpensive show box project that i finished this week for grady's room.

i love the look of art groupings. i love the repetition, the spacing, the textures that result when several similar things are placed together on a wall. i was particularly inspired by this image:

for the last several years, grady has been collecting flattened pennies...you know--the ones that emboss a "local" scene onto a penny that you drop into the machine. he has about 20 of them, and i decided that displaying them would be a fun personal touch in his room.

i considered several "looks" for this collection, and ultimately decided that something SUPER simple and dark would showcase the pennies in a very subtle way.

i started with some black frames with black mats. i bought mine at michaels, but here are the same ones at amazon:

i removed the photo insert, and replaced it with black scrapbook paper.

i attached the pennies with glue dots. they hold really well and are great for small three dimensional objects.

then, i simply placed them on the scrapbook paper:

 they are the perfect accent in between the curtains!
textural and subtle and masculine.

other progress---

*the chair from overstock arrived. it was VERY affordable and fits nicely bedside his bed.

*i installed this acrylic shelf from cb2 on the wall next to the chair. a few books and some art will be placed on it. i think i will also hang some art on the wall above the shelf. grady plays the guitar, and this chair will be his spot to practice, so the shelf will also hold his notes and music.

* i also added these fun little wooden knobs to the ikea desk! they are from hobby lobby, and they really add some personality to the all white desk.

* i dropped this yummy ralph lauren plaid fabric (scored on eBay) off to have a custom bolster pillow and smaller square pillow made. its actually a bit of a splurge to have a LONG pillow made with a custom down and feather insert, (for the bolster), but i really think that asking a 12 year old boy to put any more than one or TWO pillows tops is just asking too much! i plan on using the bolster on his bed and the square pillow on the chair.

i only have a few things left to do in his room! i am really excited to see it all come together and can't wait to share the finished pictures.