While Southey's "snips and snails and puppy-dog tails" might not seem wholly accurate, it's no secret that little boys tend to enjoy mischievous and rambunctious play. That play often involves some type of adventure. Delight your little boy by decorating his room around one of his favorite fantasy adventures---and make it interactive so he feels like he's right in the middle of the action.
Indoor Tree House
Build an indoor tree house in your little boy's bedroom and he'll pretend he's everywhere from the deepest jungle to your own back yard. Start by painting the upper portion of an enormous tree on the wall near a corner, as if you're already 2/3 of the way up the tree where your painting meets the floor. Extend the branches onto the ceiling and the adjoining walls.
Use textured paint to create the feel of real bark, and consider adding artificial greenery to some of the painted leaves. Build a weathered, wooden platform a few inches off of the floor. Connect it to the wall so it feels like it's part of the tree. Add some simple wooden railings to the sides to serve as tree house walls, and attach woven seagrass or bamboo to mimic a thatched roof.
The Old West
If your little boy enjoys cowboy play, bring the old west to his bedroom. Paint one wall to look like the main street in an old west town. You could even include a hitching post for a hobby horse. Attach ranch-style wooden fencing to the other three walls, at the bottom where you'd typically add wainscoting. He'll imagine the space beyond the fence is open pasture.
Add other rustic touches to the room to keep the fantasy alive---perhaps an antler chandelier, twig furniture and an old saddle draped over the foot of his bed.
On the Water
Whether he wants to play pirate or imagines himself discovering new worlds, you can make your little boy's bedroom look a ship on the open sea. Install natural beadboard around the room, 1/3 to halfway up the wall. Lacquer it to a glossy shine. Paint the walls above the beadboard sky or ocean blue.
Cut triangle-shaped sails from white, king-sized sheets. Mount them above the beEdboard on one or two of the walls. Suspend the top points of the sails from the ceiling on clear fishing line---so the sails look like they're blowing in the breeze.
Place the bed on a wall without sails. Push it against the wall lengthwise so it feels like a bunk. Paint a realistic-looking trompe l'oeil porthole above the bed, with a view of a stormy sea outside.
References
- Mother Goose Society: What Folks Are Made Of
- "Children's Spaces: From Zero to Ten"; Judith Wilson; 2008
- "Room for Children: Stylish Spaces for Sleep and Play"; Susanna Salk; 2010
