Do you have kids? if so, you know they have a lot of stuff and it can get out of hand fast. Organizing a kid’s bedroom can seem daunting whether it’s a boy or a girl.
I don’t believe one sex is more organized than the other. Their STUFF depends on their interests, not their sex. Furthermore, I find their tendency to be organized or not come from their personality. So, any tips I have in this post for organizing a boy’s room can obviously be used for a girl as well.
Isn’t it amazing how two kids, raised by the same parents, can be so different? Do you find this to be true in your family?
The Problem
My boys are eight years apart, so I guess it’s not all that unbelievable that they are so different from each other. One loves to organize and clean, and the other channels Pig Pen from Peanuts.
Whenever I implemented an organizing system into our oldest boy’s room, he always went along with it. He loved having his stuff neatly in place. However, I always have to get creative with our younger son. I have to make sure he has the basics (only the stuff he currently uses) or it gets unbearably messy.
Now that the older one is away at college, I thought it was time to give the younger one a room makeover that included better storage.
His previous room theme was a mishmash of dinosaurs and Lego. He is out of the dinosaur and toy stage now, so it’s been a little easier to wrangle the messes. Yet, clothes, school papers, video game boxes, and sports equipment are still a constant battle. I wanted to install some storage solutions, and he wanted a more mature-looking room.
Decor Choices
We decided to go with bright and fun accent colors. Mature doesn’t have to mean boring!
Purging and Editing
The first step to organizing a kid’s bedroom is to start with a blank slate. The first thing I did was pull everything out and deep clean. Then I made three piles: keep, throw away, and donate.
This part takes a bit of time and patience but when it’s done you feel so accomplished!
We painted the walls with a fresh coat of paint and added crown molding. I had my husband add trim to the window, and then I added a fabric roman shade.
Shelving
Next, I designed an Elfa shelving system/desk to go next to and above his bed. The Container Store has free design services, or you can try to design it yourself on their website.
I suggest the free design. They really know how to design your space in the most efficient way. Additionally, you aren’t committing to buying anything by using their expertise.
You get to see what it will look like without buying anything. They will keep your design on file in case you decide, in the future, that you would like to purchase.
This room has good examples of high/low expenditures. It’s beneficial to invest in items that will last many years. The shelving system is an investment piece that my son will use until he’s off to college. After that, we can continue to use it in this room or move it to another space (or house) altogether.
The shelves hold some of his books and display his current favorite things. It was important to him to have an area to display his most treasured Lego sets. The desk is quite large and gives him plenty of room to spread out his homework.
Storage for Toys
The last step in organizing a kid’s bedroom is to provide storage for the items that usually cause the mess. I placed a few storage pieces on the shelves to hide all those trinket items kids like to keep. These items are usually small and it’s hard to find a place for them (like fidget spinners and slap bracelets).
I didn’t give him much storage for these items because they can quickly get out of hand. If you have a large toy box, it WILL become a bottomless pit of birthday party favors and happy meal toys.
I like storage books like these. They are decorative and you can hide a lot of small stuff in there.
I also installed utility boards to the shelving above his desk (it snaps right in). I didn’t want the shelves to come down too low above the desk, so the utility boards help decorate and fill in the area.
The utility boards also help corral some of those items that end up all over the house.
Now, there is a place for his phone, Nintendo Switch, and pens and pencils. Now, when it is clean-up time, he can remove those items from the living room or kitchen island and put them in their home.
No More Excuses
Another issue this room had was bed-making. Do your kids make their beds? My son’s bed was never made, and I didn’t make a fuss about it because his bed is against a wall. I had trouble making the bed, so I didn’t really expect him to do it.
To solve this problem, I ordered a comforter from a company called Beddy’s. I will admit, I didn’t want to spend this much on bedding. It was pricey. But, it was solving a problem that bugged me immensely, so I went for it.
It’s like having your whole mattress encased in a sleeping bag. Unzip a little to get in bed and then unzip a little to get back out. Zip it up all the way to make the bed in the morning.
It’s so simple a toddler could do it. This product solved the bed-making quandary and the fabrics are really good quality. My son never has to deal with the side that’s against the wall because it stays zipped until wash day.
Thrift Shopping for Decor and Organizing Products
As stated earlier, this room is a good mix of high and low expenditures. The shelving was on the high end. As for low-cost expenditures, I prefer to shop at inexpensive home stores and thrift shops for décor. I like to get creative, and I’m not afraid of a good DIY project.
These two gray commercial literature holders (my best guess on what their use was) were found at Salvation Army. I painted them Navy, and we use them to hold more of Brady’s books. They also serve as wall décor on one side of the room.
I found these years ago before my son was even born. They were painted white and put in his nursery to hold cute baby books. I have re-painted them, and they still provide him with a cool way to display and store his books.
Another fun find was the headboard I used for his bed. It is actually a piece of wood wall art I bought on clearance at Kirkland’s. I loved the colors and hung the art on the wall in the spot where a headboard should be.
Instead of a footboard, I wanted something functional and decorative. I bought an orange trunk to hold my son’s keepsakes. It also serves as a step for our son (and our dog) to jump up into the bed.
One of the best thrift store finds I ever scored was this locker cabinet. They were asking $10 for it because they didn’t have the key to open it. My son doesn’t need to lock anything so I pulled the locks out and super glued new knobs over the holes.
The purpose of this cabinet is to hold my son’s TV. I spray-painted it orange to match the other accent pieces in the room. It is a great storage piece and houses all my son’s video games and equipment.
I hope this post inspires you to get creative when solving decorating and organizing issues. Keep in mind, organizing a kid’s bedroom doesn’t have to break the bank. Invest in the pieces that solve big problems, and don’t be afraid to use high-end pieces with inexpensive and/or used products.
I’d love to hear about items you’ve scored at thrift shops and whether you use the high/low method when decorating.
Thanks for reading!
