help me redecorate DS's room please

[fatsatsuma]

Poor DS (nearly 12) has had the same bedroom since he was two - same curtains, furniture, plain cream coloured walls. He is not complaining but I know we must do something soon

Limited budget so we're not talking major new furniture, but perhaps a few things to make the room more grown up. He has a reasonable IKEA desk (not babyish), bookshelves and chest of drawers.

I was thinking of painting one wall a dark colour (navy blue?) and leaving the others plain. Curtains def need changing as they have spacemen on them.

How can I make the room more grown up and suitable for a soon-to-be teenage boy, without spending loads or going OTT? He's sporty but not excessively into football, loves science, geography, geology.

Any ideas or inspiration most gratefully received - I just don't know where to start.

I would Work out what you can reasonably afford to spend then ask your ds what he would like!

Painting one wall a colour of his choice is a good idea. Some grown up bedding of his choice and matching curtains and large posters in frames for the plain Walls! (the posters can easily be changed to coincide with whatever he is into at that time)

We bought some fab atlas wallpaper for ds1's room - it's massive and takes up most of one wall. Looks really good, lots of people have commented on it.

Thanks for both these replies.

Daisy, the atlas wallpaper sounds brilliant - where did you find it?

On eBay! There are a few different ones on there of slightly different size/styles. Just do a search and they should come up. It was pretty reasonable IMO - about 40 quid iirc.

We painted one wall bright lime green and DS loved it! We put a few posters of his coice on the other white walls and some more grown up bedding. We stuck a big rug from ikea over the floor to jazz that up a bit and changed the lamp shades.

At that age they re def past the time for a bedroom 'theme' as such. If you're doing one wall navy I would do the rest a heavy cream, white would be too stark. What about going for an industrial look. Like a metal locker or the metal shelves you get for garages, think ikea do them. Have seen this look done on tv for boys you could do as much or as little as suits budget.

Or just thinking spray your exsisting drawers, shelves to silver or dark blue. I've used plasticote spray to update my sons furniture

I'd do 3 white walls then one lime and have this beeding set here, super cheap and more grown up - but not too adult at 12

Then on the lime wall I'd frame some posters in heavy black frames, games he likes, films etc.

or maybe a poster like this with a thick black frame

ikea do good cheap frames.

Then I'd just get him a lime lamp again from ikea, are cheaper there

if you want to make t lime/black contrast less strong then do lime and charcoal.

He will feel really grown up.

:)

its just about finding cheap accesories and ikea do loads of black/charcoal/ lime bits.

even in the kids bit if you want to keep it 'young'

Thanks everyone - some really good ideas. It sounds like I need to get myself to IKEA

Friends of ours have this Ikea world map in their kitchen and it looks great.

Here

Might get one for ds' room to stop all the awful football posters that go up and then fall down constantly!

I really like the look of the quilts and duvets on Aspace although it is expensive, I'm sure there would be something similar elsewhere.

That world map is great, thanks. I like the Aspace duvet sets too, but I agree, they are quite ££.

Thanks for all these ideas, am feeling much more inspired now - just need to get my act together and get it done now