My son Don’s room has been on my list of spaces to work on. Why? Well, lots of reasons. The first one is that I wanted to get a bigger bed in there for when we rent it out as an Air BNB. A queen bed is better for a couple or two kids than one or two twin beds. So I ordered a bed, set it up and am excited to show you! Plus I’ll do an iron bed round up if you want a similar look.
before
Another reason I want to redo Don’s room is that it’s just not as light and bright as the other spaces in my house. It doesn’t flow with them. It’s not bad, but I want it to be super cute! Here’s the pictures of how it looks now-
Also, do you remember when DIY Magazine came to take pictures of my house last August? I mentally took note of the spaces they didn’t take pictures of (the guest room, my bedroom, and Don’s room) and have been planning on making those more appealing.
Sometimes, living in your own space you become blind to the rooms. But having the insight from magazine editors was so valuable! 
All that to say- it’s time for a little refresh in Don’s room. I’m probably not going to be able to do as much as I’d like (since we’re headed to Florida for the winter at the beginning of October), but I have some fun plans that I think will make a big difference.
Iron Bed round up
I wanted to show you some of the beds I considered for Don’s room. Since switching bed sizes is expensive (you need a new bed, mattress, mattress protector, sheets, quilt, duvet, and a second pillow), I wanted to keep it as budget friendly as possible when buying a bed. All of the beds in the iron bed round up are affordable options!
1 pink iron bed / 2 black iron bed / 3 white metal and iron bed / 4 gold iron bed / 5 yellow iron daybed / 6 pink Jenny Lind bed / 7 bronze iron bed / 8 blue iron bed
You can also click any of the below images to shop. I ended up going with option 3- the white metal bed. It was $160 when I bought it, but I think it’s even more affordable now!
Don’s iron bed
I ended up putting the bed in the middle of the room. Don hasn’t been falling off the bed, so I figured with a bigger mattress and now that he’s older, not being against a wall would be fine.
Speaking of mattresses, we got a Sweetnight mattress. I selected the 12″ Breeze in queen and it is incredibly soft! Which I love in a mattress. The top layer is gel infused memory foam- so it shouldn’t get too hot in the summer. I put Don to sleep last night and fell asleep with him- lol- it’s super comfy!
They gave me a code for my readers- ASHLEY which right now gives you 20% off site wide
I made Don’s bed with some leftover linens I had on hand. I need to buy bedding specifically for this bed, but for now, this works.
The room is currently a little squished, but once we get the old bed out, we should have more room to spread out. Especially with the rocker. Which, we don’t use all that often. But the quality is so good I’m reluctant to get rid of it.
Here’s a glamorous shot with both beds in the room. I need to sell the old one and haven’t gotten to it yet. Getting that beast down the stairs will be tricky! It’s heavy.
ideas for this room
Now that you’ve seen the room before and now, I thought I would share two ideas I have for this room. Also, if you have additional ideas FEEL FREE to share them in the comments! I need a little help in here.
Idea one- paint scallops above the bead board in Don’s room. I know it’s considered more of a girly look, but here’s a boy’s room with it looking fun and cute!
Idea 2- add drapes across the ceiling to make it feel more private and magical. I love this idea and think it could work nicely with the slanted ceilings nicely! Plus I think it could a fun element to his play time.
What do you think? Seriously, I’m open to ideas! Do I just need to paint over the clouds to unite the space with the rest of the house and make it lighter and brighter?
Welcome to my little boy's bedroom. This room has slanted ceilings with clouds painted on the blue part. The deco style is vintage modern and includes a lot of DIY projects from the bed to the dresser! This space is perfect for a toddler and I hope it inspires you too!Don's Room- Fairview Cottage
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Ashley, the beds are all so beautiful. I’d go with option 2 for design, mainly because it adds a bit of whimsy when you rent it out as an Airbnb. Painting over the clouds is a good idea.
I love your bed choice. I think the curtain idea gets dingy and not so pretty quickly. I have dust allergies, so maybe it’s just me. I think the room would look sophisticated if you painted the walls a vanilla/manilla color,..just barely not white. Then did small white scallops over the shiplap part. So, a subtle effect. Maybe a framed piece of art over the bed that you could switch out….dinosaurs for when Don is there and something more sedate for when you are renting it out. Anyway…just my quick thoughts. It’s a sweet room.
Maybe see what Don wants? If he loves it how it is right now, then just go for colorful bedding and play into the sky theme more. The wainscoting could be painted grass green and the accessories could be brighter rainbow shades that match the aqua and teals you already have in there. (Also, just because a magazine didn’t photograph it doesn’t mean it’s still not good space.)
Those are good tips! Thank you. And yes- you’re right on the magazine. But I’m not happy with the room. And I do see their feedback as valuable. Mostly, it doesn’t feel right to me- I spent so much time on the clouds, but they feel heavy. It’s not as fun and light and bright as I’d like. Don really doesn’t care. I’ll do something we both love. ❤️