Ideas For Decorating A Boys Room

Hunting for bedroom ideas for boys can be quite the adventure – one that takes you from wildlife-filled jungles to the hot tarmac of a race track, with a few trips to space in between.

Kids' room ideas are where you and your child can let your imagination run wild, but it might take a few practical tips and a little inspiration to make the dream become a reality.

You'll need to keep in mind how your child will grow with the room (both physically, and in terms of their tastes), as well as thinking carefully about how you intend to keep the space tidy – exactly the same kind of conundrums you'll need to consider with all bedroom ideas.

Bedroom ideas for boys

From transportive murals to timeless schemes, we've brought together a selection of seriously cool bedrooms for boys – along with some expert advice – to help you design a daring den for your kids.

1. Pick a nursery scheme that will grow with them

A nursery with blue and white geometric walls and white cot illustrating timeless boys' bedroom ideas

While soft pastels are always a favorite for a nursery, think carefully about color schemes and boys' room decor that is likely to grow with the child – if you're not looking to redecorate in a few year's time, try something that can work just as well for an older child.

'For boys' nurseries, we're absolutely loving the fresh, modern approach of a two-tone nursery,' says Justin Segal, director of product and brand management at Storkcraft. 'While a monotone nursery is a timeless and classic choice, a two-tone nursery piece will add edginess, flair, character, and personality to the nursery.'

2. Ensure your furniture choices are timeless

A bedroom with built-in open shelving next to the bed, over a black side table with drawers.

Just as with girls' bedroom ideas, buying timeless furniture that won't date quickly, or be grown out of, is a must.

'Because your son's posters on the wall may change throughout boyhood, the furniture in the room should be ready to adapt to any phase your son will go through,' adds Segal.

'Investing in furniture that will surely stand the test of time – meaning versatile, timeless, "ready for any phase my son is going to go through" furniture – is a wise decision that will protect your son's bedroom furniture from looking out of place, while looking good well into the teen years.'

This includes built-in storage with adjustable shelves that can adapt as a child grows and will fit in just as well with future bedroom ideas for teenagers.

Bedroom ideas for boys with a separate bed nook with alcove shelving, a black desk and blue patterned wallpaper.

If your child's room is home to an awkward, largely unused nook, see it not as a hurdle, but a space for adventure.

In this bedroom, what appears to have formerly been a walk-in closet area has been transformed into a partially closed-off bed area, equipped with built-in shelves for books and toys and useful under-bed storage.

This is also great when planning small bedroom ideas for kids that will maximize a compact space. In this instance, the room has also been kept light through the use of pale colored wallpaper, linen and furniture.

4. Fire up their imagination with a theme

A child's bedroom with wall mural depicting a snowy landscape, illustrating imaginative boys' bedroom ideas.

A bedroom doesn't just have to be a bedroom – for a young boy, it can become a whole new world.

'Coming up with a theme is a great way to inject some fun and personality into the space,' says Judy Smith, color consultant at Crown. 'This could be a nautical look, a safari-inspired mural or simple stencilling effects with lots of colors.'

This boys' room decor transports its inhabitant to a snowy wonderland by using simple kids' room paint ideas. The soft neutral colors are echoed throughout the furnishings, while a teepee-inspired bed conjures fantasies of camping under the stars.

5. Neutral colors grow with a child

A shared boys' attic bedroom with minimalist-inspired boys' bedroom ideas, white walls and wicker basket storage.

While color is a must in a child's bedroom, it's still sensible to consider a neutral paint scheme. This can act as a backdrop to chromatic flourishes and allow you to personalize a shared bedroom.

'When designing a boy's bedroom, we like to keep things simple,' says Arlene McIntyre, founder and director of Ventura. 'Go for timeless colors – blues, grays or neutrals – which will enable you to be more playful with soft furnishings and artwork, whilst ensuring the room won't have to be repainted as the child grows.'

6. When it comes to beds, think outside the box

Unique bedroom ideas for boys, with a wooden treehouse bed and multiple different green and white wallpaper patterns.

Banish the boredom from bedtime by turning a child's sleep space into a magical hideout. This loft bed has been designed to resemble a treehouse, while a backdrop of mismatched botanical children's bedroom wallpaper designs gives a subtle sense of sleeping in forest canopies.

Loft bed designs can help maximize vertical space in small bedroom ideas for boys, creating storage and play areas beneath the bed frame. With some careful carpentry, consider turning theirs into a castle, pirate ship or fire truck.

7. Smart storage is a lifesaver

Boys room decor with white walls, desk and open shelving unit with colorful books and toys.

'Keeping your child's bedroom orderly and clutter-free can be a challenge, but simply installing the right storage can help to resolve this,' says Peter Erlandssom, co-owner and director of string furniture.

'As adults, we would naturally fit shelving at our own height, but installing it so that your child can easily reach items from it is much more effective.' This is also important to bear in mind when planning playroom ideas, where easily accessible storage is a must.

As with color choice, be sure to think about how your child will grow in the space. Modular systems like this shelving unit are one of the most versatile bedroom ideas for boys, as they can be altered as your child grows and their storage needs change.

8. Blue may seem obvious, but that's because it's timeless

An example of bedroom ideas for boys with a white wall, blue painted accents and a chair shaped like a baseball mit.

While we're all for chucking gender stereotypes out the window, blue's beneficial qualities make it a color still worth considering in bedroom ideas for boys. Proven to relax the senses, it can be both striking and calming when used in a bedroom.

'Blue is such a good color for a boy's room because it's a color that easily grows up with a child,' says Mara Miller, co-principal of interior design firm Carrier and Company. 'A bold blue has the ability to be both playful and handsome, graphic and still serene.'

9. Create a focal point with a one-wall mural

A nursery bedroom with wall mural depicting wild animals in a savannah and woody neutral furniture and accents.

Wondering how to weave your chosen theme throughout the room? A mural is a great place to start. 'Depending on the space, wall murals are a clever way of bringing the room to life,' says McIntyre. 'Capturing the child's imagination or celebrating his hobbies or passions, one-wall murals create a welcome focal point to the space.'

In this room by Ventura, one wall is covered with a beautiful mural depicting wild animals in a lush savannah. Intricate paintwork like this may be beyond your artistic capabilities – if so, consider hiring an artist or choosing a mural wallpaper as statement wall decor for the bedroom instead.

10. Make your decor educational

Bedroom ideas for boys featuring a blue, white and red color scheme with statement map of the world wall.

Theming a room isn't just a way to make bedroom ideas for boys feel fun – it's also a great excuse to sneak a little bit of learning into their day. Part of this child's bedroom has been wallpapered with a global map, a move that not only inspires a sense of adventure but also teaches them a little bit of geography by absorption.

Think about their interests and use the room's decor to teach them more about them – for example, paint the planets on the ceiling, or fill a mural with different dinosaurs and their species.

11. Bunk beds can be highly stylish

Blue bunkbeds with drawers and stairs in a blue and white coastal-inspired scheme illustrating bedroom ideas for boys.

Whether it's for twins, siblings or in preparation for regular sleepovers, bunk beds are always double the fun. As playful a furniture piece as they are, there's no reason why they can't be sophisticated enough to stand the test of time.

This contemporary bedroom by Delaware-based design firm Megan Gorelick Interiors features a plenty of sleep space, with storage cleverly incorporated into drawers beneath the lower bunks. Wall lights and storage niches within each bunk encourage nighttime reading and neatness (we can only hope).

12. Washable paint is a must for young ones

Children's drawings on the wall illustrating why you should choose washable wall finishes in boys bedroom ideas.

When it comes to choosing wall finishes for boys' room decor, it's not just color you need to think about. 'Whatever you choose, I'd recommend using washable paint,' says Smith. 'Sticky fingerprints and crayon marks can be easily wiped or washed off the wall, and the colour will look just as good as when you first painted it!'

13. Upgrade your finishes for teenage rooms

A teenage boy's bedroom with red and blue furnishings and artwork, with an aged leather armchair.

When designing for a teenage boy, many of these rules (an adaptable color scheme, storage, lots of personality) still apply – but they all require a slightly more sophisticated touch.

This bedroom still follows a theme – this time around vintage cars – but upgrades it with a selection of grown-up finishes and textures. Bright colours are swapped for darker shades, while higher end textiles and rustic furniture gives a mature, lived-in feel to the room.

How do you make a boy's room cozy?

Neutrals, blues and greens are popular colors in bedroom ideas for boys but are often thought of as too cool to be cozy. This is not necessarily the case, says Patrick O'Connell, brand ambassador at Farrow & Ball.

'We want colors that bring tranquillity and calm and to cocoon us whilst we sleep, and blues and greens help us do this. They are fundamentally calming colors, the colors of nature and the outdoors.'

For cozy bedroom ideas, choose warmer tones of blue and green for the walls. While textiles might not be top of a boy's list for their dream bedroom, bringing in rugs, throws and cushions add tactility to a room – and they're perfect for building dens too.

What color should a teenage boy's bedroom wall be?

Above all else, teenage boys will want their room to be a reflection of their personality. 'The decoration of children's bedrooms is often the source of considerable angst, with the age-old dilemma of whether to keep to the established color-flow of the rest of the house or to allow the child free rein,' says Joa Studholme, color curator at Farrow & Ball.

Choosing a neutral color for the walls will make it easier to connect the room to the rest of the house. If opting for white bedroom ideas for boys, allow them to demonstrate their changing tastes through art and furnishings instead. 'Even if you choose to keep the walls fairly neutral, some extra energy can be added by painting the floor or the ceiling in a playful color,' adds Studholme.

I started out at British GQ, where a month of work experience turned into 18 months of working on all sorts of projects, writing about everything from motorsport to interiors, and helping to put together the GQ Food & Drink Awards. I then spent three years at the Evening Standard on the GO London team, covering restaurants and bars, and getting to eat and drink a veritable smorgasbord of wonderful things around the city. I left the paper in 2020 and went freelance, writing about food, drink and homes for publications including Conde Nast Traveller, Luxury London and Departures. A little less than a year later, I started at Homes & Gardens as a Digital Writer, allowing me to fully indulge my love of good interior design.