So, you’re on the hunt for room decor ideas for a teen boy. Transitioning the little boy in your life to a neutral, adolescent pad is bitter sweet, but fun at the same time. Ideas on this post are a combination of DIY projects and budget-friendly products.
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A quick story about how this bedroom came to be. My son graduated high school and shortly after headed to serve a two-year church mission in Guatemala.
Having him gone for such a long time was hard, but I am incredibly proud of him for choosing to serve the Lord.
As the time approached for him to come home I decided I would transition his room from high schooler to young adult. It was fun to be able to work on it without him around. I got to make all the decisions!. I would often email him pictures to show him how his room was coming along. I am happy to report that he loves it.
Room Decor Ideas for Teen Boys
This bedroom is in the basement, so the first thing I did was paint all of the walls white to brighten it up. It made a huge difference from the beige walls it had previously.
Window Covering
The window is off center which made that side of the room a little bit awkward and off balance. To even things out, I built a barn door style window shutter.
The rustic design of the door is very manly. When it is all the way open he gets all the light in that room, which really helps in a dark basement. When the door is shut, the room is pitch dark. Perfect for sleeping.
Bedside Table and Lamps
Even though he already had a night stand, I picked up a bedside table for the other side on clearance for $19.99 at Ross. The table lamp has a vintage look and is very manly.
The hanging light gives the room a modern touch. I bought it a World Market, but sadly, it isn’t available online. Check your local store though! There are a LOT of expensive variations out there. Don’t fall for them. I only paid $29.99.
Wall Decor
I always struggle decorating the space above the bed. I opted to keep things simple. I bought a map of Guatemala and framed it, which was super inexpensive to do. The sign to the right is from Home Goods and it reads “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. Here is a similar one I really like from ETSY.
I thought the phrase was fitting considering that as soon as my son came home he would begin college and start to take steps to define the rest of his life.
Floating Shelves & Basket
The shelves were meant to solve the issue of where to put all the stuff this kid had accumulated over the years! I didn’t want to get rid of all of his treasures, so building these shelves helped display them while also filling a fairly big, blank wall. I also built a set of these floating shelves in my kitchen. What can I say? I’m addicted to floating shelves.
The basket to store pillows was another budget find from World Market.
Bedding
The bedding and the rug are from IKEA. You can find the navy duvet set here!
I love the combination of navy with wood accents.
I don’t really like bedskirts, so I bought a cheap navy blue fitted sheet at Walmart and used it to cover the box spring. It looks a bit more manly that way!
The Desk
It’s so hard to find desks for small spaces, isn’t it? That is why DIY is so handy! This desk is perfect for my son to do homework. It’s the perfect size for the space.
If you like it and want to build it, you can find FREE plans in my resource library.
And how about those pipe legs??. I got you my friend. You can find the kit perfect for this build, already cut and ready to ship here!
And what do you think about the hidden drawer?
Currently, I am on the hunt for the perfect chair for this desk. My son is currently using a black folding chair. I am convinced something else would look better. Any suggestions?
The drawer is pretty spacious and simple to build. This was my first time building a drawer box, so of course I wrote a tutorial for it.
Because every way I researched seemed too complicated or I didn’t have the right tools, I came up with my own way of building a drawer box, So. be sure to check out the tutorial if you want to learn how to build a simple drawer box that is perfect for this project.
Are you a fan of budget room makeovers?
- Basement Bathroom Makeover on a $100 budget
- Cheap Decor for the Master Bedroom
- $100 powder room makeover
We have that same IKEA rug… love it! It’s the perfect size for our bedroom and it matches everything in it. Pulls all the browns and grays together.
Yes! That’s exactly why I bought it. I love how it has greys and browns. Thanks for stopping by, Ann!
Wow, great job and your son is lucky to have a mom who’s so handy. That window barn door is fantastic!!!
Thanks Toni!!
These are some awesome ideas Janice. I love love love that lamp!! Im so sad its not online 🙁 I was heading to buy one haha
I love it too, Medina! I need to keep looking for an affordable option! Thanks for stopping by!
The room looks great, I love the hanging light and floating shelves.
Thanks Claire!
Thanks for sharing the great ideas with us. All are amazing 🙂
You might have said this but I can’t find it… where did you buy the bed from? I am looking for the same style of bed and want to know if it’s sturdy? I don’t want to buy something that ends up squeaking after a month!! How do you feel it’s held up?
Hi Christy!
We bought that bed frame and headboard at Walmart several years ago and it’s held up great!