Today, I’m giving a final look at how our “tween’s” bedroom turned out in our VA home. Instead of a completely fresh makeover, this room was more of a “maturation” from his previous bedrooms, with everything getting a little less “cute” and a smidge more edgy. Thanks to some great wallpapers and a simple black, white, and green scheme, we were able to achieve a space that was both fun and functional, stylish and funky. Let me give you a tour!

Wooden twin bed with black bedding and black bookshelves

Before

This bedroom is the largest of the three non-Master bedrooms in the upstairs of our home. It features a big double window, a large closet, and lots of floor space, measuring almost 12′ x 14′

When we moved in, the room was painted the same beige as the whole house and featured the same neutral carpet as the rest of the upstairs.

Empty room with beige walls and carpet

Empty room with beige walls and carpet

Almost as soon as we were handed the keys, we gave the room a two-tone paint treatment with white on the top 2/3s, and bright green on the bottom.

My son really wanted his room green. But we learned the hard way (years ago) that green walls can cast a sickly “glow” onto everything in the room. This two-tone treatment was a great compromise to give him the color he wanted, while keeping the room fresh and bright.

Empty room with green half wall and beige carpet

Empty room with green half wall and beige carpet

After

Here is how each angle of the room looks after all our slow-but-steady updates over the last three years!

A large window with white curtain and IKEA Kallax in front

Wooden twin bed with black bedding and black bookshelves

Wooden dressers against green wall with Star Wars prints hung above

Black and white striped wallpaper inside a closet with a desk

The Bed Wall

Our son has had this twin bed-between-two bookshelves as his bedroom setup for years (3 homes now!). In place of nightstands, the old pine painted bookcases provide him with the storage and table surfaces he needs for books, water, etc. And with a simple wooden plank stretched between them, it gives the illusion of a fancy built in but with all individual, mis-matched pieces. See More: Faux Bedroom Built-Ins

Wooden twin bed with black bedding and black bookshelves

To enhance the feel of a built-in, I wallpapered just this slice of wall with this awesome Star Wars Blueprint Wallpaper. Not only did this provide some really awesome visual interest to this side of the room, but doing a small feature like this is a great way to keep a wallpaper installation on the budget-friendly side! See More: 5 Ways to Cut the Cost of Removable Wallpaper Affordable

Star Wars wallpaper behind a wooden twin bed

For years, we had a white bedspread with fun sheets on this bed (my go-to formula). But after us both getting tired of them being constantly strewn about, I invested in a Beddys bedding system…and gosh, we both love it!

Beddys bedding is essentially like a matress-sized sleeping bag attached to a fitted sheet. Not only does it practically eliminate sheets and covers getting tossed about during the night, but it also makes making the bed a snap…you literally just zip it up! Even if the rest of the room is a disaster (which, let’s be honest, it usually is), our kiddo always has his bed made!

Wooden twin bed with black bedding and black bookshelves

The chevron pillows are ones I made years ago from body pillow covers; and the Star Wars bolster was made with a scrap I found on clearance. It’s the perfect understated accessory to tie in the theme, as well as the green and orange around the room.

Star Wars wallpaper hung behind a wooden twin bed

Our son is a voracious reader, so the combination of plenty of book storage with a wall-mounted light above the bed proved to be a super functional, winning setup for him. See More: Stylish Plug-In Light Fixtures

Wooden twin bed with black bedding and black bookshelves

The Window Wall

Even with the two big bookcases, our son was lacking storage for bigger items that didn’t fit on the shallower shelves…things like craft supplies, LEGO kits, and even some toys. I didn’t want to add yet another clunky piece of furniture to this room, so I turned to my trusty storage staple: the IKEA Kallax.

A large window with white curtain and IKEA Kallax in frontIKEA Kallax with black DRONA bins in front of large window

To give this basic cubby unit a bit of style, I wrapped it in black-and-white striped wallpaper (leftover from the closet) and put it up onto some modern black feet. See More: IKEA Kallax Wallpaper Hack

IKEA Kallax unit wrapped in striped wallpaper

This mini makeover really helped the bright white shelf coordinate with the room; and the combination of both open shelving and bin storage became a lifesaver over the years since he’s a bit of a “keep all the things” kid!

Black DRONA bin inside IKEA Kallax

The Dresser Wall

Directly across from the bed is a set of “vintage” dressers set up side-by-side to look like one long unit. I use the term “vintage” playfully here – I realize they are nothing more than dated, 80s furniture.

Wooden dressers against green wall with Star Wars prints hung above

But with some updated matte black hardware and them placed alongside the modern patterns and textures throughout the room, it all just works for me!

Wooden dressers with matte black handlesWooden dresser with a hamper next to it

Curious about the little white labels on each of the drawers? It’s my simple but oh-so-effective method for preventing my son from putting away ALL his laundry into a single, overstuffed drawer. See More: Ways to Help Kids Be More Organized

White labels on wooden dresser drawers

When we first gave my son’s bedroom a Star Wars theme, I made these DIY Star Wars Art Pieces using my Cricut. As we shifted his bedroom away from “cutesy” Star Wars to “cool” Star Wars, I couldn’t help but feel they needed to be swapped for something edgier (even though I worked so hard on them and loved them so much).

When I found these FREE Star Wars Blueprints downloads, I knew I had my answer. I can’t remember exactly, but I think each one cost me less than $5 to print at our local FedEx store; and they look amazing opposite the wallpaper on the other side of the room!

Star Wars blue prints framed and hung above wooden dressers

The “Office” Closet

The final wall in this room is filled up with a really spacious closet with double-doors.

white closet doors

At the very beginning of the pandemic, we quickly determined that our son needed a dedicated school space that wasn’t anywhere near his little brothers. After weighing lots of options, we identified his large closet as the best spot for his own personal “office” setup.

Open closet doors to reveal desk area

I am never one to leave closet walls bare if I can avoid it (I just love a pop of pattern inside doors and drawers), so I used up two rolls of striped wallpaper I scored from Target on clearance. Hanging stripes horizontally isn’t easy but man it was so worth it because they add one more (much needed) visual pop in this room!

Closet with black-and-white wallpaper and a wooden desk

The coordinating desk (to the dressers and bed) fit perfectly within this closet. Although small with just a few basic drawers, it provided all the space he needed for a year+ of virtual learning (and then for homework once in-person school resumed).

Closet with black-and-white wallpaper and a wooden desk

In addition to adding more matching black handles, we also modernized the desk a bit with some graphic wrapping paper inside the drawers and some clear organizers for his school supplies.

Desk with supply drawer open

You’re probably wondering if his drawers stayed this neat? Nope…in fact, just a few months ago he couldn’t get the drawer open because something was stuffed or jammed. But a Mom can look at these pictures and dream, right?!?

Wooden desk with drawer open showing organized office supplies

Up on the top shelf above his desk are two memory boxes, as well as his schoolwork organizer. I always recommend having dedicated places for “keepables” so they are easy to put away whenever they come home from school, banquets, ceremonies, etc. See More: DIY Memory Boxes

Memory boxes on a white shelf

I’m not exaggerating when I say that this closet setup is one of my favorite spots we created in this entire house. Not only am I such a serious sucker for stripes, but it really turned out to be such a fun and usable spot for our son during a really crazy time in our lives!

Closet with desk inside against black-and-white striped wallpaper

Products & Tutorials In This Room

I really like the way this room turned out, but I think the real victory is that my son loves it…so much that he’s asked to keep it exactly the same in our new home. Since I’m never one to repeat a room exactly (and his new room will be about half the size!), I do have some fresh ideas in my head. But I’m already watching for sales on the Star Wars Wallpaper and am eager to see how his belongings and this theme evolve even more as we head into middle school and the teenage years! (Eeek!)

See You Soon!
Megan