We’re in the process of getting ready to buy a house. The bank accounts have been scrutinised, we’ve weighed up the different mortgage offers and gotten the calculators on overdrive. The deposit has been added to regularly and we’re ready to get looking actively for a house to live in of our own. Along with this, inevitably, comes the dreams of what the different rooms will look like. My Pinterest is filled with gorgeous (probably unrealistic) images, but hey, a girl can dream. As Eliott is now no longer a baby, but a proper big-boy toddler who is losing his baby ways faster than I can handle, he needs a room that fits with that. So, what’s on the dream big boy bedroom list? Here’s just a few ideas I’ve had lately.
The Bed
Of course, the most important part of a bedroom is the bed. For the last two years, he’s slept in a kingsize bed because it’s what came in our apartment. Yes, we realize we’re setting him up for a life of disappointment with smaller beds. This I hope to manage to remedy with some of these cool ideas, while also not breaking the bank. While a not-too-high bed is essential, I think the real long term sustainable thing will be the bed clothes options which will give the room a bit more of an easily changeable feel as he grows up. The boy who is crazy about Paw Patrol these days won’t be forever, so I’m ever conscious of making it a room that will grow with him and won’t be needing a complete revamp every few months. Something like this IKEA extendable bed might be best for a growing boy, although the Pinterest board is filled with far less practical but far more cute alternatives!
Curtains
My son is of the impression that when the sun is awake, he should be too. This can make summers absolutely hellish for getting him to bed – and getting him to sleep past 5am. In our current apartment we don’t have blackout curtains, but this would definitely be something I’d be insisting on in our new house. I’ve always loved the idea of having roof windows in a bedroom – there’s something about the way the light comes in that’s always charmed me. So combining my love of those windows, and my absolute insistence on blackout blinds, I’ve found the perfect solution in VELUX blackout blinds which are decorated in gorgeous child-friendly themes. They’ve launched a new range with Disney which I am absolutely loving, and think that he would be thrilled with too. I absolutely love these Planes themed ones which my little guy would love, and that would have longevity in his interests too! The darker the room, the more sleep for us – that’s definitely something I can get behind!
Play Time
Our current set up isn’t very organized, I look at the posts on other blogs with beautiful organized playrooms and bedrooms and am in awe. The child has too many toys, that much is certain. There’s a few big ticket items (the carpark, the toy kitchen, the tool bench, the road mat) and then lots and lots of smaller items. Storage will be key here, definitely. I’ve seen lots of others using systems like the IKEA Trofast to great effect for this, including in his Granny’s house. I think making everything organized but easily accessible will be key to managing the big boy bedroom, and this looks like the perfect solution.
Library
Reading is something I feel very passionately about being a big part of my little boy’s life. He loves his bedtime stories, but I must admit that when he hauls out the same book for the millionth time that week, I feel like hiding it. I’ve seen lots of storage ideas online for books that are lovely, ones that make it easy to see every book without looking cluttered. The hard bit is picking which ones will work with the rest of his big boy bedroom, so I’m sure I’ll be updating the Pinterest board more and more over the coming months.
Those are just some of the ideas I’ve got for a big boy bedroom – I’m looking forward to being able to put it into place! Fingers crossed this time next year we’ll be settled into our own little home, the three of us! What do you think, have you any suggestions for me? Let me know in the comments below or over on Facebook or Twitter!
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This post was written in collaboration with VELUX.