We have been in our new home for 6 months and I a still trying to get my rooms and décor in order. I finally finished the boys bunk and playroom and I am so excited to share their boys club space and our reasoning for bunking the boys together while they are young.
As you know, we have a blended family. Greg has a son Ransom, who is 6 years old and loves Harry Potter, Star Wars, coloring posters, and Legos. I have Jack, who is 7 years old and also loves Legos and coloring posters, but is in to super heroes, building things out of wood, and drawing. James, my 4 year old, is our little Tasmanian devil and really loves anything that Ransom and Jack like to do, as long as he gets to be rowdy and play with the older boys. All of this came in to play when I began putting their room together. I wanted to decorate with things that they would both enjoy while also keeping it inspirational. So here is a mash up of what we call, The Boy’s Club.
This room was originally the game room of the house but when we got married, we felt that it was important for our kiddos to bond, and personally I did not think that a 4, 6, and 7 year old should all have separate rooms in which I would be responsible for cleaning. Yes, I make my boys clean their room but they are young and you know how that goes. It is never done properly. We decided to make, the very oversized bonus room, their boys club bedroom! It has totally worked out as it is split, by a wall, into a bedroom section and a playroom area. This set up encourages team work. The boys are all responsible for cleaning together, they play together, and at night we all listen to Mr. Greg tell a bedtime story together.
The picture above is the TV side of the playroom. This is where the boys watch movies and children’s “how to” You Tube videos together. Occasionally I will allow popcorn or TV snacks on the weekend and even chill up there with them to watch the latest Disney Pixar release. Yes, I am a sucker for kids movies.
I didn’t get images of the two toy filled walk in closets or the area directly behind the couch which has a Lego table, Paw Patrol world, and a few super hero posters on the wall. Instead, I wanted to share part of Ransom’s Star Wars collection. Jack and James had not really gotten into Star Wars until they met their newest brother, but now they all play Star Wars together. Whether it is with action figures or using their life sized lightsabers to reenact, Star Wars has become a big piece of play time. The box on top of the dresser is our next project. Mr. Greg got Jack the Lego Storm Trooper last Christmas and we have yet to put it together, but I am sure we will take on that endeavor as a team.
On the other side of the playroom wall is the boy’s bunk room. We have two sets of bunk beds on either side of this room.
While we wanted the boys to bond through sharing toys and a room, I also wanted them to embrace their individuality and know that it is OK to have their own things. Next to their bunk bed, they have a cubby nightstand in which each boy has their own bin. I have told them that their own personal bin is off limits to their siblings and that they can use this bin to keep their very own treasures. Every now and then I will take a peek in the bins and I always get quite the laugh. Ransom and Jack both have empty candy wrappers in theirs. They are not allowed to have candy upstairs unless it is a special occasion and in those instances they are to throw their wrappers away. I suspect that the reason there are wrappers in their bins is because they snuck candy and then tried to hide the evidence. Honestly, I do not have the energy to address it now so I will save that conversation with them for later.
Ransom has put several pictures of him and his dad in his bin, along with the Harry Potter wand we brought back from Universal Studios. Jack has several drawings in his, as well as a Lego car he has been working on. James has wipes in his. He asked me why there were no pull ups in his the other day. I was taken back by that question. He has been potty trained for a year now. Then I realized, his bin is the old basket bin that I used for his diapers and pull ups when he was a baby. It seems that he doesn’t quite get the concept, but I am sure he will eventually.
In the bunk room, I decided to be a little more intentional and inspirational with my décor. There is a huge world map hanging behind the rocking chair in which we use during some topics of conversation. The boys like to learn about other countries, especially those in which Greg and I have traveled. The rocking chair that Mr. Greg uses to tell stories is actually my great grandfather’s. The boys think it is so cool that their great, great grandfather’s rocking chair is in the boys bunk. I also found some cozy blankets for each of their beds that I had their names monogrammed on.
I was very strategic in choosing a rug. The original rug that I had in the boys room was destroyed in a year. Tops were left off of markers, suckers were laid on the floor, and muddy shoe prints after a good rain destroyed the rug. When shopping for a replacement, I knew it was important to find a rug that could be easily washed. I found this beauty at The Rug Collective. This range of wipe-clean, machine washable rugs are perfect for the kiddos room, or any other high traffic area in your home!
Of course, our kids will out grow the boy’s club in the next 3 years and will upgrade to each having their own room in the house but for now, they seem to be living it up and having fun together without a care in the world. After all, that’s what being a kid is all about, right?
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