Boy's Room Paint Ideas - Have a Little Fun With It

Most children like their bedroom to reflect their own personality and interests. With a bit of imagination and a few pots of paint a plain boy's room can be turned into a place of their very own. By all means surprise him - but it won't harm to get some ideas and feedback from the intended resident.

Themed Boys' Rooms

A popular way of making over a boy's room is to theme it according to their interests and passions. Whatever the boy's favorite subject or activity there is likely to be a theme that can complement it. At the risk of gender stereotyping, popular choices involve cars, trains, cowboys, marine themes, outdoors, outer space and sport. Especially if you're on a budget, the important thing with choosing a theme is to make sure that the key features of the theme can be achieved in paint.

Expressing a room theme using paint can involve little more than choosing a suitable color scheme (perhaps a sports team's colors) and recreating motifs associated with the theme. At the other end of the spectrum is the creation of a full-on illusion. If your son is adamant he wants to live in a tree house, you can use paint on all four walls plus ceiling to create that fantasy, using accessories to provide the finishing touches. With faux brickwork (easy with stencils) you can fake a room in a castle or, with trompe l'oeil portholes, the appearance of a ship's cabin.

Imaginative ways to use paint in themed rooms are legion. A young car fanatic might be amused by road markings painted on the floor or faux tire tracks stenciled on the walls. You don't have to stick to murals or borders depicting cars. If the theme is the Wild West or a castle, you can use faux painting techniques to simulate a distressed or antique look. Metallic paints can be used to simulate chrome, bronze and metal features appropriate to a particular theme.

Bear in mind when choosing a theme for a boy's room that children's passions can be short-lived and you don't want to have to redecorate when the fad passes.

Color Schemes and Paints

Themed rooms often invite particular color schemes and treatments. If you're not going for a theme, consider a color scheme that doesn't show the dirt that many small boys seem to attract. Washable, scuff-resistant paints are recommended for active boy's rooms.

Special Paints

Special purpose paints can add humour and fun to a boy's room. A young astronomer might appreciate the constellations in luminous paint on the ceiling, for example. Chalkboard paint is a great idea for children's rooms and serves a practical purpose. It only comes in black and green though you can make your own in other colors. Painted on walls or doors, chalkboard paint allows kids to draw on the walls without doing permanent damage! Magnetic paint is another fun invention that will allow a boy to pin up his favorite pics using magnets.

Getting your boy's room ready? Visit ThatPainterLady.com for tons of decorating ideas and find popular nursery theme ideas for boys too.