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Painting by the Penny

DIY & Interior Design

Design Tips · March 25, 2023

Teen Boys Bedroom Makeover

Updated on October 16, 2023

Where did the time go!? Here I am redoing a teen boys bedroom for MY TEENAGE son and I can not believe it!

As he got older, so came changes in his bedroom to better function for him. When we first moved into this home five years ago, he transitioned from a twin to a big boy full size bed.

We tried squeezing in a full size bed, nightstand, dresser, storage for his Legos and a desk in his long and narrow bedroom.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read disclaimer for more information.

Before

He needed a desk in his bedroom for homework before we decided to remodel a part of our basement. Which came in handy because during the pandemic he was able to have a bigger space to distance learn and for us to hang out.

Over the Summer we had a few projects completed including his bedroom. We got the ceilings smoothed, walls painted, and floors refinished.

My son wanted a black ceiling which I was on board with. We painted the walls and trim Sherwin Williams Pure White and the ceiling Black Magic (one of my favorite black paint colors).

Once everything was complete, we installed a new ceiling fan and put most of the furniture back. Just switched out the layout and pretty much forgot about it..until now.

It was finally time for new furniture and decor to better function for my teen boys bedroom (still feels weird saying that!).

Design Plan

Most of my projects start with a mood board. This helps me envision the space and organize my thoughts. I also needed my “client’s” approval before moving forward.

My kid is brutally honest and he’ll be sure to tell you if he doesn’t like something. So to avoid all of that, we discussed some ideas and I presented him with a mood board and got the ok!

Lego Display

The only request he had was to have somewhere to display his Legos. He has a ton of Legos and he wanted to display his big (and very expensive) sets. After doing some research, I found that most of his big Legos fit nicely in the Ikea Billy Bookcase.

I love that the bookcases don’t take up a lot of room and the doors prevent the Legos from getting dusty.

Because our floors aren’t completely leveled (old house problems) these did fall forward when both doors were open so make sure to anchor them to the wall.

And what kid doesn’t want LED lights in their bedroom these days?! We added it to the bookcase! It’s his favorite feature in the room!

Furniture

The first piece of furniture I wanted to swap out was his bed. I loved the bed he had but it felt too heavy in the space and I wanted the bed to remain in front of the window. We decided to swap out the old bed for a new upholstered bed with a lower headboard and lighter feel.

I’m always searching on Facebook Marketplace for furniture. Ideally, I wanted a 6 drawer solid wood dresser that I could possibly refinish. I love refinishing furniture and that it was started my business Painting by the Penny!

Unfortunately, most of the older solid wood dressers were too big. We settled for a dresser from Wayfair and it turned out to be perfect for the space and a great color.

For added storage, I wanted a three drawer nightstand and was super impressed with this nightstand from Target. It’s a great size and design, I did switch out the hardware for these black knobs and it looks even better!

Finishing touches

To wrap up my teen boys bedroom, we added the finishing touches with a rug, bedding from Target and Marshall’s, and my favorite velvet curtains from Amazon.

A nice round mirror in hopes that he’ll look at himself before he steps out the house with his messy hair 🙃. Lamps for added lighting and a cute air circulator for a vintage touch (which is right up my alley)!

This Vornado air circulator (use code VFAN10 for $10 off) is super powerful and cools the room down pretty quickly. This is going to come in handy on those hot Summer days! In my son’s words “It looks old” yes bud, its a vintage look and we love it 😊

Lastly, we discussed ideas for wall art and he wanted some photos of places we’ve been. I thought that was a great idea!

I printed these images that we took ourselves while on vacation.

Best part was the big smile I saw on my sons face once the room was complete. And also satisfying a rather tough client 😅.

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Comments

  1. Lynn Bray says

    March 30, 2023 at 10:48 am

    I love love love your makeovers
    Quick question how do you do affiliate marketing with links ? I am trying to do this with some accessory companies any tips ?

    Reply
    • Joanna says

      March 30, 2023 at 11:30 am

      Hi Lynn! Thank you so much! I have an Amazon Storefront (Anyone can apply and get in) I’m also a LTK-RewardStyle creator which you have to get accepted into. I applied last year and got in! You can also reach out to many companies and work with them to become an affiliate.

      Reply
  2. Chelle Poulson says

    September 1, 2023 at 6:15 pm

    I love this! Where is your bedding from?

    Reply
    • Joanna says

      September 17, 2023 at 8:10 pm

      Hi! I purchased the quilt at Home Goods and the sheets and throw pillows at Target

      Reply
  3. HEATHER says

    August 24, 2025 at 7:06 pm

    Love this bedroom. It is a 100% to my eyes!

    Reply
  4. Vanita says

    September 9, 2025 at 7:16 pm

    I love your son’s room makeover; it will be inspiration for my grandson’s bedroom. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Joanna says

      September 16, 2025 at 10:33 am

      Thank you! :)

      Reply
  5. Lisa Bonkowski says

    July 27, 2026 at 6:17 am

    Hello! Do you have a new link for this dresser? How has it held up? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Joanna says

      August 4, 2026 at 10:39 am

      Hi! The link no longer works but I got the dresser on Wayfair (Jerldean 6 drawer dresser). It’s holding up well. Some of the drawers are becoming difficult to close but thats because my kid stuffs way too many clothes in them lol.

      Reply

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