The "Big Boy" Room

The time has come to transition Jackson from his crib (aka New Baby's room) into his "Big Boy" room. I've spent the past few months painting, sewing, refinishing and organizing my former sewing/junk room in order to create the perfect room for the soon-to-be big brother. We've tried to buy as little as possible, partly because we are trying to save money since I'm not working, and partly because I love being resourceful & savvy and feel extra accomplished when I find a great deal on something. So with that being said, Jackson's Big Boy room is a little hodge-podge of lots of old (but updated) and a little bit of new...

The Transportation Quilt (Handmade by Granny Prosser, 1986)
Originally, I had envisioned getting a bright, fun madras plaid quilt from PB Kids and then accessorizing the room with navy & red. However, Ben suggested we revive the Transportation Quilt that his Granny made for him when he was a tyke and that he loved to pieces. Pulling it out of the attic, I discovered it truly was a treasure, having unique, scrappy blocks depicting all sorts of trucks, cars & planes. It was hand-quilted and definitely one of a kind. The border, however, was a ditzy floral that kinda made the whole quilt look a little less cute. I searched high & low and ran across a pre-sewn blue madras plaid fabric that I bought by the yard and covered the existing quilt borders, giving the 25-year-old quilt an updated look. I also made a simple valance with the same fabric, as well as a cushioned seat for the toy box.



The Bunk Beds & Toy Box (~1990)
Growing up, Ben had an ultra sturdy set of bunk beds, with coordinating toy box & dressers, complete with chunky, nautical-inspired rope handles. This furniture is super heavy and SOLID, and when Oma & Opa moved, we stowed it away in my parent's basement, knowing we'd definitely want to use it in the kid's room one day. However, years stripped away at the furniture's finish and it was left looking scratched & dull. We had initially thought we'd paint it navy and then do a distressed finished (think Pottery Barn), but we tested that method on the back of a drawer and were less than pleased. So Ben decided to sand the pieces & just coat them with polyurethane. The results were amazing. The furniture that I kinda dreaded using turned out to be PERFECT for a little boy's room and while we aren't currently using the top bunk, its in the attic, just waiting to be used.






Bookshelf (from Granddaddy Hilton)
Needing a pretty narrow bookshelf, Mom found this one in her basement that had been given to her when Granddaddy died. It was a pretty awful non-descript wood-grain finish but with 3 fresh coats of red paint, it was perfect for J's room.



Reading Nook & Gutter Book Ledges
After 3 days of J pulling every single book of his book shelf in search of the one he was looking for, I decided I needed a better system to house our favorites. I'd mentioned to Ben that I wanted him to build a wooden slate wall-mounted, tiered bookshelf a la The Land of Nod, but that is frankly at the bottom of his long to-do list. So inspired by a friend's idea, I found a great blog that explained how to make book ledges from gutters. So easy, and less than $15 for both of them. And I LOVE the final result!




The cushions were salvaged from our beloved sleeper sofa that we reluctantly got rid up when converting the junk room into an actual livable space. They were just too cool to let go of, so we used them as floor cushions. I have covered 1 of them in red gingham and plan to cover a few more. (Before finding a home for these in the corner, we used them as our indoor bounce house & belly flop arena.)




Fabric Banner
Of course I was dying to come up with a sewing project and I love the monogram/letter trend that is everywhere in home decor. So using scrap fabric and fusible adhesive, I created the Jackson banner, which helps pull together the muted primaries throughout his room.




Toy Organizer & Chest of Drawers

I have been in major organizational mode lately (nesting, perhaps?) and was on the hunt for some storage baskets for Jackson's toys in his bedroom.  My friend Kristin is always scouring second hand stores for treasures and ran across this bin system for less than half of what I would pay at Target.  Its perfect for sorting blocks, puzzles & random trinkets that he never plays with.  The chest of drawers was moved over from the guest room in order to make room for my sewing machine and though it doesn't match J's furniture, we decided not to refinish it since it does have a matching headboard & nightstand still in the guest room.  And as much as I detest the cheesy stuffed animal hammocks that scream 1989, practicality ruled and I must say, it fits nicely over the dresser that I ended up angling in the corner. I had been spying on some airplane hangers in the Land of Nod catalog, but couldn't let myself purchase them at the at $12.95 each.  But no fret, I found a set of 2, new in package for $5 at a consignment sale.  The sailboat framed prints were also at the sale and I snagged those for $10 for the set. 

Special thanks to the decorating advice from my Martha Stewart friend Sally, my mother-in-law who I am so glad is a bit of a pack-rat and has saved so many treasures from Ben's childhood, and my friend Kristin who always has her eye out for a great bargain.  My goal was to buy as little as possible & create a fun & colorful new room for the soon-to-be big brother and I must say, I am pleased with how the room turned out!

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