Childrens Bedrooms Real Homes Tour

Our Teen’s Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom

May 8, 2020

*Disclaimer: This post contains gifted custom made curtains and cushions from McAlister Textiles

Fancy having a nosey around our newly decorated teen son’s monochrome bedroom? We thankfully managed to get this room finished as best we could whilst going into lockdown. It was also completed on a smaller budget than we anticipated but with a future that has suddenly become uncertain, it’s best to tread carefully, at least for a while yet.

Our Teen’s Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom

Teen Boys Monochrome Bedroom on. a budget

Admittedly, we had kind of abandoned our son with his bedroom when we first moved into our seaside thatched cottage. Instead, concentrating on areas such as our garden room where we would spend time as a family. Needless to say, the son’s bedroom became a totally neglected space by all especially our son.

Teen Bedroom Horror Before…

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom - Before a dark and uninviting bedroom

Considering there are two other bedrooms he could have chosen for his own, we were surprised he went for this room at all. Unflattering lilac walls in a northeast-facing bedroom didn’t do the room justice. And don’t get me started on those ill-fitting heavy sateen curtains! Apart from their unsightliness, they ultimately created a gloomy and uninviting space.

It’s no surprise that our son kind of gave up keeping his room tidy. We eventually ALL reached a point where we needed to tackle this space and make it one that he would enjoy spending time in and more importantly one that was personable to him. Of course, the end goal as a parent was for him to keep it tidy too.

Just as we started decorating and planning, we found ourselves heading towards lockdown. It’s no surprise that I then went into a major panic. The thought of an unfinished bedroom and the son creating havoc with his belongings spread just about everywhere in our home was not where we all wanted to be at! There was also the homeschooling to consider too.

We’d also thrown away most of his furniture including his bed so it was a case of finding a company who could deliver on all fronts in a limited timeframe. It also had to be budget-friendly considering the uncertainty of future income. It was Argos to the rescue on the furniture front and is where we managed to have his bed, shelving and desk delivered a day before lockdown began.

Our Teen’s Budget Lockdown Bedroom – Colour Scheme…

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom

If you have been following me on Instagram or Facebook, you’ll know just how much I adore colour and pattern in our home. So when our son wanted black and white, I did struggle with the concept of no additional colour. Don’t think I didn’t try to persuade him either!

If there’s one lesson I’ve learnt with our older children, it’s you have to understand that it is their space and not yours. If you go against their likes/dislikes, you’ll inevitably end up redecorating eventually anyway. It’s just a case of fine-tuning and tweaking their projected expectations with reality. For example, our son wanted black everywhere and we compromised by adding elements of it instead.

Ceilings & Walls

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom - Painting the walls and uneven ceiling heights white to make it feel more visually larger
By using Farrow & Ball’s All White to undefine the varying ceiling heights that made the room feel smaller in places and outlining the edges using Farrow & Ball’s Railings, made the room feel a lot more spacious than before. I would say though that if the room had been smaller, I would have used the same colour for the trim, door etc as the walls and ceiling.

One of the considerations with this room in terms of colour and decorating was the varying heights in the ceiling. The result of owning a period character cottage, the ceiling itself follows the line of the thatched roof. It definitely adds character to this space. There is a downside to the varying ceiling heights though. This room isn’t particularly small but the dip in ceiling heights made the room look visually smaller in places. Mainly because at certain points the ceiling dips down to head level and therefore more noticeable.

To create a sense of space, I decided that the walls and ceiling should be one colour. By doing so, the lines between the ceiling and walls are blurred as there’s no definition of colour. And as much as our son wanted black walls, the position of this room being northeast, we agreed on using Farrow & Ball’s All White to create a brighter more inviting space.

Not All White Paint Is Equal…

You may be forgiven for thinking that white paint is well white. But you’d be wrong. For example, brilliant white (which is typically a go-to for most when attempting to make a room feel larger) has underling tones of blue in it which can make a room feel cold depending upon it’s positioning. So if you’re looking for a white that is pure white with no additional pigmentation, then, All White by Farrow & Ball may be your new best friend. It’s particularly good if your room happens to get less natural light (north facing) as it will allow a space to look brighter without feeling cold.

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom

Going with the son’s monochrome request, we painted the trim, door and radiator using Farrow & Ball’s Railings in eggshell. This helped provide some definition to the room.

Shop Your Home In Lockdown

When you find yourself restricted to a life of lockdown and social distancing measures, there is one thing that you can do to update your homes and that is getting creative with what you already possess.

I assessed what little left we had from our son’s previous bedroom (which admittedly apart from all his personal paraphernalia) wasn’t that much. We had kept his red bedside locker and decided to spray it black to fit in with his choice colour scheme.

I also gave these prints I’d found in a charity shop a few years ago a quick makeover with leftover chalk paint I had used to upcycle our garden room furniture. Our son is a budding architect and he wanted these in his bedroom.

Lighting…

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom - Adding a touch of colour with a traffic light lamp and art
Traffic Light Lamp from Homesense and Art painted by our eldest son when he used to travel to London for his medical treatment for his JIA

Not letting myself be defeated on the colour front, I did manage to add a splash of colour with an unexpected find of a traffic light lamp from Homesense. Of course, the sons’ first words were can we spray it black, but he finally decided that he liked the yellow in his bedroom. To be honest it was a relief for the hubs who had been tackling spray painting his bedside locker.

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom

Storage Is Key…

With any child, you’ll find that storage is key to helping them stay organised and at least try and attempt to keep their bedroom tidy.

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom - low bookcases from Argos much needed storage solution.
Low Bookcases from Argos a bargain at Ā£25 each!

Replacing his original tall bookcase with lower shelving opened up this room and felt less imposing. In fact, he has the same amount of storage but staggered over three lower bookcases rather than one tall bookcase. They even doubled up to be able to put his tv and ps4 game console on too.

Avoiding The Drop Zone!…

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom - art injects personality and character of our teen son

Teenagers, predominately have a drop zone which mainly involves shedding of clothes more than a river of toys. We actually experimented with our son and his drop zone. Instead of using up valuable space in his bedroom with a wardrobe, we set up his clothing apparel in one of our spare bedrooms so that he had a separate dressing room. Obviously, not everyone has a spare bedroom to do this but it has worked surprisingly well. It has left his bedroom space free from abandoned clothes strewn across his room. And no we haven’t as yet had a drop zone in his dressing room.

To be honest, I didn’t think it would work and allowed a few weeks to go by before aceptting that we were on to a gamechanger. During that time, I had left a space for a double wardrobe just in case! Fortunately for him, it allowed us to incorporate a piano keyboard for his lockdown birthday instead of the wardrobe. A win for him as he gets to enjoy his own room even more.

Hidden Storage…

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom - Ottoman storage bed hides away their coveted childhood belongings
Argos Home Heathdon Side Open Ottoman Small Double Bed – Grey

Tweens/teenagers tend to have a hoard of stuff that they are basically not ready to get rid off. They’re at that age where they think they’re too old for things they may have enjoyed when they were younger but have an attachment to. Of course, it’s not cool to have said stuff on show when (hopefully at some point) their friends come over to hang out.

Hidden storage may just be yours and your teen’s saviour in this instance, a storage bed could very well be your answer!

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom - Otttoman storage bed from Argos
Argos Home Heathdon Side Open Ottoman Small Double Bed – Grey

We opted for a small double side lifting storage bed from Argos. We did invest in a decent mattress because let’s face it teenagers are grumpy enough and need all the sleep they can get to fend off those hormonal changes they are going through.

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom - Ottoman storage bed side lifting from Argos
Argos Home Heathdon Side Open Ottoman Small Double Bed – Grey

The great thing with this bed is that everything stays in place if you or they need to get to their secret stash of crap coveted childhood items.

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom - Ottoman storage bed from Argos provides hidden storage solution
Argos Home Heathdon Side Open Ottoman Small Double Bed – Grey

I opted for side lift ottoman rather than an end lift due to the limited space at the end of the bed as this is where we allocated low shelving for the ok cool enough to be on show stuff is stored.

Window Treatments For A Goodnights Sleep

Custom made  Colorado Geometric curtains McAlister Textiles
Custom Made Colorado Geometric Black Curtains – McAlister Textiles

When planning a room, you might not give your windows that much thought. But when it comes to bedroom spaces and especially those of you that have teenagers, you know how much they need quality sleep to help improve those Kevin moments they inevitably are going through with hormones raging.

As the sun rises, this room is ablaze with sunlight so it was important to ensure natural light was blocked out as much as possible enabling us and him a lie in or two.

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom
Custom Made Colorado Geometric Black Curtains – McAlister Textiles

I decided to go for the two-tier layered approach for our son’s bedroom. A blackout blind and custom made curtains from McAllister Textiles which they kindly gifted us for his room. They are a far cry from the inherited curtains of doom that were there before. And as this was our first experience of custom made curtains, we were over the moon with how they fitted the windows perfectly. Allowing lots of natural light to enter the room when open. And the original quarry tiled windowsill can be seen too!

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom - McAlister Textiles custom made geometric curtains
Custom Made Colorado Geometric Black Curtains – McAlister Textiles

Curtains are a great way to frame your windows in addition to blinds They finish off the room beautifully. Adding additional layer of pattern, colour and texture, they also help reinforce your decor choices in a room. Creating a more cohesive feel and look to a space.

McAlister Textiles

McAlister Textiles - Colorado Black cushion
Colorado Geometric Black Cushion – McAlister Textiles

McAlister Textiles is a fantastic UK company who makes quality made to measure window treatments from tailored curtains to roman blinds. They also have a wonderful array of matching decorative accessories for your home too. Literally, every style and season is catered for with a fantastic range of fabrics to choose from. They also provide a swatch service. With hundreds of fabrics to choose from, you’ll have peace of mind.

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom
Colorado Geometric Black Cushion – McAlister Textiles

We also opted to add a couple of cushions in the same Colorado fabric as the curtains to add a cohesive feel and another layer of texture to our sons bed.

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom
These fabulous McAlister Textiile’s custom made curtains and cushions were my way of sneakily introducing some much needed pattern into the sons room.

Having your curtains custom made really does make a difference too! Especially if you have period properties like ours where the windows aren’t typical standard sizes. We will definitely be using McAlister Textiles for our other rooms as the quality and service was exceptional considering we are in lockdown!

McAlister Textiles are kindly offering 20% off to all new customers placing orders. This offer is limited to the first 100. Use the code INTERIOR20

Art…

Teen's Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom - Portrait by Karina Mansfield
Portrait of our son by the talented Karina Mansfield

One way to inject some of your child’s personality is through art. We literally shopped our home for additional prints and frames that we already had from our previous home. Thankfully, we recently had our family portraits done by the incredibly talented Karina Mansfield. I’ve featured Karina’s amazing work here and I have to say we absolutely love this portrait of our son.

Homeschooling…

Our Son's desk is perfect for homeschooling during lockdown. Echo Number Three Clock - Newgate World | Map Pin Board - Maps International | Pug Prints - Tipperly Hill Pet Artists
Our Son’s desk is perfect for homeschooling during lockdown. Echo Number Three Clock – Newgate World | Map Pin Board – Maps International | Pug Prints – Tipperly Hill Pet Artists

Whether it’s studying, drawing or FaceTiming on their laptops, a desk area is essential with a teen. The desk was also from Argos and although not the best, it was fit for purpose in that our son could do his schoolwork at. We also received this fab Echo Number Three clock from Newgateworld a while ago. It definitely helps to keep our son on track with time especially when it comes to studying.

Our Teen’s Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom A Final Note…

So there you have our Teen’s Monochrome Budget Lockdown Bedroom. I hope you’ve enjoyed it. The only thing left for us to do is change the carpet but that will, of course, have to wait.

I hope you’e enjoyed today’s little tour.

Until next time, stay safe!

Maria xx

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2 Comments

  • Reply cara4555 May 11, 2020 at 11:29 am

    It looks fab Maria! The perfect teens bedroom! xxx

    • Reply Maria May 11, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      Thanks so much Cara! Xx

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