I wanted to do something special for Patrick before Baby #2 arrives — which could be almost be any day now that I’m 37 weeks pregnant! — so I recently set about creating a big boy room for him. Patrick gave me a brief of creating a dinosaur themed room with lots of blue (his favourite colour) and I happily obliged.
He saw his new room for the first time just a few days ago and it was absolutely magical to see his face light up in here… let’s just say he thinks I nailed it #mumwin
Keep scrolling for loads of pics and details of all the products used in his dinosaur theme boy room.
Related article: Top 7 beds for boys under $300: Finding a big boy bed for Patrick
Related article: Room reveal: Stylish girl/boy shared children’s bedroom
Creating the space
You may recall seeing my round up of the best boy beds under $300, well I picked the bed that got the most votes and used this as a starting point in the space.
I loved that dark blue colour and decided it would be the dominant colour in the space, which I broke up with tealy-petrol tones and neutrals of grey, white and tan.
Overall, I wanted the space to be fun but not overstimulating as I made that mistake with his first nursery and then wondered why he wasn’t sleeping, ha ha.
So showing restraint, I set about finding decor and accessories that met his dinosaur and blue brief. Some of my favourite pieces in here are that personalised neon sign that we got from My Event Decor, the tall dino toy on his bookshelf (which he sleeps with at night), and the timber tool set which is possibly his favourite thing in here.
Tips when styling a boys room
Remember you’re creating a space for the child and not for you — so put their wants and needs above your own. As much as the stylist in me would love to hang items from the ceiling or go bold with feature walls, I know my already full-on little man wouldn’t be able to relax and sleep in the space so I had to hold back.
Keep key items neutral and have fun with accessories — I wanted to create a space that would grow with him for years to come. So as much as he loves dinosaurs today, I know next month or next year it could be something else entirely. By keeping the key items neutral and picking affordable decor and wall prints in the dinosaur theme, I could create a space he loved while also keeping things flexible enough to change in the future.
Shop Patrick’s dinosaur theme boy room
Shop Patrick’s dinosaur theme boy room
Embrace a large floor rug — although some people disagree with rugs on carpet, I’m all for them. A large area rug (like this one I got from Rugs of Beauty) anchors the space, adds interest and texture to the floor, while also protecting the carpet – win, win, win.
Have fun with wall art — not all art has to be in a frame. In here, I’ve also used a stuffed animal head and the neon sign but the options are endless. Consider wall hangings, flags or simply different ways to display art to bring the walls to life.
Don’t forget to be practical — this tip almost seems like a downer but it isn’t intended to be… I of all people know how fun it is to create a kids room and how easy it is to get carried away when doing so… you can almost convince yourself that anything is a good idea!
I hope you enjoyed this look around Patrick’s dinosaur theme boy room. If you’d like to know where any other products are from, please pop a question in the comments below and I’ll get back to you asap x
More kid’s bedroom inspo here
Photography by Thorson Photography
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Hi Gina room looks amazing! I was wondering where you got the dino toy basket from?
Thanks so much Kate! The basket is from Adairs but I just looked online and could only see the plain dot basket left… perhaps you could try and call your local store? Good luck tracking one down x
Oh whoops, sorry Kate, I just checked the pics again and the dinosaur basket in here (we have two) is actually from TK Maxx. The other one is a light blue colour like the dot one from Adairs x
Beautiful room! As a mum of a dinosaur loving son is the quilt yet to be realeased I couldn’t find it on the Adair’s website?
Hi Alisha, the quilt was released a while ago so it may have sold out online. Perhaps if you call your local store they might still have it in stock? I bought it about 2 months ago x
Patrick’s room looks fantastic Gina! May I ask where the white euro pillow is from?
Thanks Jacqui, that cushion is also from Pillow Talk – love it so much and got two more for my bedroom makeover which I’ll share soon x
It all looks fab, Gina! Patrick sounds like the perfect client – he knows what he wants! I seriously love all the details, especially the personalised neon light. What a great idea for creating soft lighting when settling in for last bedtime cuddles!
He he, Patrick certainly was a dream client and so easy to please 🙂 Thanks for your lovely comment, Rose xx
I totally agree about a rug on the carpet – especially with little kids! It saves your floors!
Absolutely! This rug is hiding more than a few stains, haha!
What an amazing space you’ve created! So much fun in this room ?
Thanks so much Hailey, he certainly has been wanting to spend more time playing in here this week 🙂
Wow Gina! Patrick’s new room looks incredible.
If only I had a room like this while I was growing up, you can just change a few decoration pieces later and transform it into a teenager’s room in no time.
I’m just in the process of designing my nephew’s big boy room and was just recently convincing my sister to put a rug on a carpet for him to play on it – it’s a super cute printed one from H&Mhome and she’s refusing to do that. She just cannot imagine how it would look in the room. She never saw someone doing that. I think I’ll send her a link to this post to convince her it’s a great idea. 🙂
Also, can’t wait to see a new nursery 🙂 good luck with everything!
That’s so lovely of you Petra, thank you! And yes, I’m all for rugs on carpet – I hope you can convince your sister 😉