We moved our two eldest boys into a shared bedroom a year and a half ago when their baby brother was born. At the time, I was completely preoccupied with the nursery, so their bedroom didn’t really get any attention. As with all the rooms in our home though, I get to a point where I can’t stand it anymore and then swiftly change it, on a small budget and with minimum effort. But I usually need a catalyst for this to happen. So, when My Wall Tattoos offered to send me some wall decals to play with, my room makeover plan was kicked into action.
One morning last week, while they were in school, I set out to create a superhero-inspired bedroom for my two very different boys. The black and blue Triple Triangle stickers were perfect for the graphic wall that I had in mind, and they were surprisingly easy to use.
How To Apply Your Wall Tattoos:
- Cut out the vinyl stickers
- Position on the wall using sticky tape (and tape measure/spirit level if necessary)
- Peel off the back
- Stick in place
- Rub the vinyl to secure and then peel away the transfer tape
Repeat several times. That’s it!
Because of the random pattern that I wanted to create, I spent about an hour getting all of the stickers into position first. From there, it was just peel and stick!
And here’s the result!
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Budget: R2,350 (this includes only the new things that I bought and not the items I repurposed from elsewhere around the house.)
The boys, 5 and 7, have very different personalities so creating identical spaces didn’t make sense.
I am dead set against character bedlinen and tend to go for white in all of our bedrooms. To bring in the theme, however, I used the pages from a calendar with vintage superhero posters. The slim black frames create a subtle border around the prints, making them pop against the busy background.
For Jean’s bed, I chose black & white, indigo and green cushions in graphic patterns. In his words: “Now, I have a grown-up boy bed!”
The bright blue herringbone throw is from The Cotton Company. These incredibly versatile Turkish pestamals can be used as a towel, throw, picnic blanket or anything else you can think of really! It’s made from high-quality Aegean cotton and is finished with hand-knotted tassels – the perfect accessory!
Gian is more wild and rough, so I chose scatters with a playful element to them. The colours are bright and unapologetically bold, just like him!
Another cotton throw from The Cotton Company is great to sleep under when the nights are too warm for a duvet.
Above both beds, I used the remaining pages of the calendar and stuck them down with washi tape. This is a playful and inexpensive way to hang art on the wall. And it’s effortless to replace should they get tired of them!
The Full Picture
The only splurge in the room is the new cubby shelf. It’s actually an upright shelving unit that I turned on its side to function as a bedside table between the two beds. It’s the perfect height for nightlights and to store the endless paraphernalia that they tend to accumulate.
The ombré curtains are colour-dipped sheets. It’s one of the most cost-effective and easiest things I have ever made – have a look at the article here!
The boys love their room, and finally, theirs is not the most neglected room in the house anymore.
Next up on my last-minute-DIY’s-for-2017 is the scullery. A water leak necessitated an overhaul which I will share as soon as its done. As I said, all I need is a catalyst!
Happy decorating!
*Vinyl stickers for the walls were sponsored by My Wall Tattoos, and the Turkish pestamal throws were provided by The Cotton Company.
