{decorating with style} Mood Board: Beach Bum Big Boy Room

I have so many ideas for Beckett's big boy room that I really don't know how we're going to decide which direction to go with it.  The main goal is to put together a room that Beckett will enjoy now and for at least five years to come.  Since we want this room to take him through early elementary school, if not longer, I am working hard to stay away from anything with too much of a toddler feel that he'll outgrow in just a couple of years {so while his current obsession is Elmo and all things Sesame Street, we're going to stay clear of that theme}.  At the same time, however, I want his room to be a fun and engaging space where he'll want to spend time playing and learning.

If only Beckett were just a little bit older and could express more opinions.  But alas, we need to get his new room ready before the end of the year so that Cooper can move into the nursery, which means Beckett will just be turning two when we transition him to his big boy room. I do have a good idea, though, of the things that Beckett really likes, including animals and fish of all kinds, cars and trucks, airplanes, and book, books, books!

To help us decide what Beckett's big boy room will look like, I'm putting together a few mood boards so that we can better visualize the design concepts that have been rolling around in my head.  And I'm excited to share those mood boards with all of you!

Today is mood board #1, which I call the Beach Bum room: 


Sources // Whale Wallpaper // Rope Pendant Light // Striped Lamp // Striped Storage Bin // Gray-Brown Hemnes Dresser // Rope Dresser Pulls // Wooden Whale Bank // Wall Mounted Fish Bowls // Sea Themed Art // Fishy Rug // Porthole Mirrors // Whale Bookends // Papier-Mache Shark // Weathered Wood Toy Bin // Herringbone Whale Pillow // Corduroy Whale Pillow // Light Blue Whale Pillow // Shark Surfboard Plaque // Beige Kid-Sized Armchair // Surf Pillows // Striped Bedding

I really love how this mood board came together!  We live in land locked Colorado (though some of the photos of recent flooding might make you think otherwise), and Beckett has not yet had the joy of visiting the beach.  Nonetheless, he loves reading books about fish and sea creatures (and his dad loves sharks), so a beach-y room would be playful and appeals to our love of blues and greens!

Let's take a closer look at some of the potential elements of the Beach Bum room...

In yesterday's post I shared some inspirational kids room photos from Houzz Kids, including one with a wall of robot wallpaper.  I think the whale wallpaper, shown in the top left corner of the mood board above, would look just as fabulous as a feature wall in Beckett's room.

Whale wallpaper from Pottok; Inspirational photo with robot wallpaper from Houzz Kids
I like the weathered look of the gray-brown Hemnes dress from Ikea, and the price can't be beat.  To dress-up the dresser, I would love to add some rope drawer pulls similar to those from Anthropologie - but I think this would be an easy DIY project.  In fact, I found this tutorial from DIY rope drawer pulls from knockoffdecor.com.


I just love this porthole mirror, and I think it would be especially fun with several lined up in a row:


We spend more than our fair share of time at the pediatrician's office lately, and Beckett really enjoys watching the fish in the big aquarium.  So I know he would love to have his very own fish in his room - and I think these wall hanging fish bowls are just so cool.  However, for the  sake of the fish, this is probably a detail I would wait to add to the room when he is a bit older.


And here are a few other possible additions to the room that I left off of the mood board:  the nautical ceiling fan; the whale tissue box holder; the retro surf van art; and the whale sheets.


Finally, there is no way I would be able to spend the money on this bed, and I think Beckett would outgrow it before the rest of the beach bum decor, but I just have to show you this awesome surf van bed from Pottery Barn Kids.  How fun is that?!


So, what do you think of the Beach Bum themed room idea?!  Come back throughout the week to see more mood boards with other room ideas that we are mulling over!

After mulling over the various design plans, we ended up creating a Vintage Preppy Little Gentleman's Lounge for Beckett. You'll find links to the final room reveal and all of the related projects below:



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