Moody Masculine Teen Boy's Bedroom Makeover- Project Sheridan -

I know this is a long time coming. I apologize for my absence on here. To be honest, I have been busy but not so busy that I should not be on here. The reality is that sometimes I just need to take a creative break. Does anyone else go through this? There are days when I need to take a breather and step back because I’m feeling uninspired. This is a very good thing for me though. I absolutely DO NOT want to put anything out there that I am not 100% proud of. I am a perfectionist, especially with my creative side. It is extremely important to me that all of my content is well thought out and put together precisely. I need to be proud of every word, every photo, every post that I share with you all. So, with that being said, I’m back! I spent the week reupholstering a chair for the nursery and am loving it. The creative lull is over and I’m ready to get back out there. Now for a bedroom makeover!

Here is my second project for Project Sheridan, a moody masculine teen boy’s room. If you didn’t see the first room I did, you can find it here. This was a quick turnaround room. My friend is a teacher and she wanted to have her son’s room done by the time she went back to school and understandably so. In fact, we weren’t even planning on doing his room until he saw his sister’s room. Then he decided he wanted his space revamped as well. He is seriously one of the greatest teenagers around and is so sweet to our kids. And what a compliment for him to see my work and then want me to do his room as well. I was super flattered and thankful. Since this was a quick room, we didn’t get a chance to get before photos but let me paint the picture for you: unmade bed, clothes on the floor, sparse furniture and not a lot of style. (Pretty much the epitome of most teenagers’ rooms.) Thankfully, my friend has a lot of vintage treasures already in her house and we were able to get most items locally which allowed for the quick turnaround.

The room was already painted a dark gray and we chose to keep that color and just touch it up to save time. It is a good gray! I’m sorry I don’t have the exact color for you but it is similar to Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal. It has a little bit of warmth to it without feeling too brown. I love using dark, moody colors in bedrooms. It makes for such a cozy space. Even though this was a small room, we were able to get a really chic and cool hangout spot. Their family was calling it a “chic boutique hotel room!” Here was the plan:

Here is one thing I’ve learned to love about design: things change, things don’t always work, and that’s ok. For instance, we originally were thinking of putting a desk in his room and then realized he generally does his homework out on the kitchen table. With such a small space, it didn’t make sense to have bigger furniture than was necessary. So we went with just a nightstand instead. Also, as wonderful as that butterfly chair is (and SO comfortable I might add), it was just way too big for the space. With small spaces, you have to be careful about proportions. Some things feel way too big in a small space while other large pieces fill a room without it feeling cluttered with a bunch of small things. So, be careful to use correctly proportioned items and be mindful about how many pieces you really need. The other thing that changed was the dresser. Originally, we were planning to use a different dresser (the one we used in her daughter’s room) but his existing lighter wood dresser felt better against the dark walls. It also had more minimal lines and felt more masculine. So, although things may not go as planned, beautiful things happen. Here is how the room turned out. Now, be mindful that these photos were taken at night but I love how cozy it makes the room to see it in the evening.

First off, this rug is really soft and comfy and super affordable. I recommend it for any bedroom or living space. One of my goals with this space was to create something a teenager would enjoy but could potentially grow with as he becomes a young adult. I wanted to stay away from primary colors but still make the neutrality of the pieces shine.

Comforter | Gun Print | Lacrosse Print

What an amazing dresser, right? A great thing she already had on hand. Her son plays lacrosse and wanted someway to display his lacrosse stick. A few hooks from Target did the trick perfectly. I love when art is functional too.

Wall Hooks | Curtains | Tripod Lamp

An extra chair in the corner provides a good spot to put on shoes in the morning or to have friends over.

A fun hanging light and letter board with a Scottish saying (a nod to their heritage) was perfect for this small corner. Now he has a light on both sides of the bed without taking up more floor space.

Curtains | Gun Print | Lacrosse Print | Shams

I am really impressed with these curtains. They come in several color ways and are light blocking and thick for a good price. Another thing I highly recommend.

Adding some green to the bed brought some life to the space that was feeling too neutral and stuffy for a teenager. The leather pillow adds a nice touch of texture and the color plays nicely with the warm cognac color of the dresser.

Gun Print | Lacrosse Print | Poster Frames

When you’re on a budget, artwork can be really intimidating. These printable blueprints from Etsy are beautiful, inexpensive and a good way to incorporate someone’s interest into a room without being so literal. The vintage feel adds warmth and interest to the space and the black frames add juxtaposition with some modern simplicity.

Nightstand | Phonograph

I found this vintage green desk lamp on Facebook Marketplace and it couldn’t have been a better fit for the space. Adding old pieces with new adds some quirkiness and unique style.

This tripod lamp is another fun find; good quality for a low price. When dealing with lighting in a bedroom, I always like to think in triangles. This will help fill the space with warmth without having each lighting element hug one wall. Here, I used this tripod lamp, the vintage desk lamp, and the pull cord lightbulb.

This guy is more of a minimalist but adding a few accessories to make the space feel layered and warm are essential. I found this fun ship print in their garage and added a chic phone stand that doubles as a speaker. I like that it adds structure to the vignette while still being functional. (And I’m always for less cords!)

Geometric Sculpture | Pull Light

This is a close-up of how I attached the battery operated pull light. This geometric figure was perfect.

So what do you think? Did you like this bedroom makeover? Would you stay in a hotel room like this? I think it turned out pretty swanky and will serve him well in the coming years. And now if guests need to stay over, they have two chic bedrooms to turn to!

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