Boys Bedroom Ideas: 19 Spaces That Can Grow With Them | Architectural Digest

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When designing for a son, creating a space that’s functional, fun, and can grow with them may seem like a challenge. But these 19 boys bedroom ideas prove how possible it is. Ranging from modern to traditional, from bold paint colors to neutral color schemes, these spaces seamlessly merge style and function. They celebrate kids’ creativity and highlight their individual interests while incorporating practical elements, such as a built-in desk and hidden storage to give a home to all those games, stuffed animals, and toys. If you’re looking for boys bedroom ideas that are elevated and enduring, browse through this curated collection of AD-approved rooms and get designer tips for creating a space that supports sleep, play, and everything in between.

Paint is one of the easiest yet most impactful ways to give a kids’ room an instant makeover. In her boys’ room, interior designer Marie Flanigan of Marie Flanigan Interiors used two contrasting paint colors to create a feeling of balance and intention. “The deep navy walls in Sherwin-Williams’ Sea Mariner add a sense of grounding and sophistication, while the ceiling in Sherwin-Williams’ Greek Villa keeps the room feeling bright and open,” the designer says. The room has very high ceilings and Flanigan notes that the color contrast draws the eye up, giving the space both structure and softness, which she says is ideal for a room that’s meant to grow with the kids.

Designing a shared kids’ bedroom can pose a challenge, but Dafna Kikuchi of Daf & Co shares her foolproof method for creating a space that’s visually cohesive yet highlights each child’s personality. “When designing a room for two boys, I gravitate toward symmetry in the beds and core bedding—it brings balance and cohesion,” the Dallas-based designer says. From there, Kikuchi layers in personal touches through wall decor, throw pillows, and blankets to give each child a sense of identity within the shared space. “I also encourage clients to move away from overly juvenile color palettes. Instead, we opt for timeless tones that the children and parents won’t tire of quickly,” Kikuchi says.

“We love to create personal environments for our littlest clients and this custom bed was inspired by this boy’s love of Lego,” says Susana Simonpietri, creative director of Brooklyn-based Chango. The neon bed creates a statement moment in this boy’s bedroom design, breaking up the black-and-white color scheme while echoing the room’s linear features. Although it adds bright contrast, Simonpietri says it’s simultaneously a modern complement to the geometric wallpaper, area rug, and artwork. Instead of bookshelves, a wall-mounted Lego display holds the boy’s collection and doubles as wall art.

This boy’s bedroom may be small, but it sure packs a big design punch. Designed by Washington, DC–based Lisa & Leroy, the room is a masterclass in maximizing style and storage in a small bedroom. When it comes to the style portion, Lisa Shaffer, the firm’s creative director, says layering patterns that differ in scale is a great approach. To visually extend ceiling height, Shaffer says, “We added a draped detail to bring the eye upwards to create the illusion of a taller and larger space.” As for storage, the designer opted for a storage bed which provides concealed drawers for stuffed animals and other toys, allowing the small space to stay clean and functional.

Instead of defaulting to standard white ceiling paint, turn the fifth wall in a boy’s bedroom into a surprising design moment with a playful wallpaper print. “It provides a fun and unexpected focal point and adds serious design mileage that won’t get ruined during average daily life—that is unless they really are bouncing off the walls and ceilings,” says designer Ann Lowengart of Ann Lowengart Interiors. In this kids’ room, the statement ceiling draws the eyes up to visually expand the space, while its green and white botanical print is a nod to the bedroom’s color scheme with its two twin beds upholstered in a mid-tone green fabric.

If there’s one pattern that works just as well in a little boy’s room as it does in a teen boy’s bedroom, it’s the classic stripe. Interior designer Jessica Nelson of Jessica Nelson Design used a charming striped wallpaper on the walls and ceiling to make this five-year-old boy’s bedroom feel whimsical yet timeless. “We love the classic nature of a stripe in a boy’s room,” Nelson says, adding that the pattern’s enduring quality makes this a space the boy can grow with. “I love how the rich green wainscoting anchors the space and the striped wallpaper draws your eye up, which makes the ceilings feel taller,” Nelson says.

“When designing a boy’s room that can grow with him, I always start with timeless foundational pieces like a great bed and classic lighting,” says California-based interior designer Laura Brophy of Laura Brophy Interiors. For a space that kids won’t outgrow anytime soon, she recommends focusing on clean lines, rich textures, and playful yet grounded elements. Layer this foundation with home decor such as art, textiles, and accessories to add personality. “The key is to keep it playful yet elevated, so it feels just as cool at 11 as it does at 16,” Brophy says.

Practically speaking, bunk beds in a boy’s room maximize space. Visually, they present a fantastic opportunity to have fun with color. “Kids typically don’t have a lot of inhibition when it comes to their style or how they express themselves, so using bright color feels like a fun way to say that creativity and bold self-expression are welcome and encouraged,” says Palmer Weiss of San Francisco–based Palmer Weiss Interior Design, who designed this room. In this kids’ room, the red bunk beds are balanced with a light wall color and neutral Roman shade.

Turn an empty corner of a boy’s bedroom or playroom into a cozy nook such as this one designed by Cathie Hong of Cathie Hong Interiors. “The key to a cozy corner is layered textiles, plush pillows or stuffies, and a little bit of whimsy in the form of artwork, pattern, and color,” Hong says. For bedroom decor that looks layered and feels comfortable, she suggests turning to fabrics like linen, wool, and cotton. “Here, we sourced a few extra-plush floor cushions from Etsy, created a colorful carpet pattern with Flor carpet tiles, and hung some playful art prints that we sourced from the Brooklyn Flea,” the designer shares.

Color-drench a boy’s bedroom in a deep tone to create an immersive experience and make the space feel like a world of their own. When it comes to choosing a paint color to cover walls, trim, and ceilings, look to your kids’ interests for inspiration. “The star motif on the ceiling of this deep blue color-drenched bedroom in Benjamin Moore’s Twilight Blue is a nod to the client’s love of the solar system,” says Simonpietri of Chango. The stars on the ceiling were hand-painted in glow-in-the-dark paint, which the designer says gives the room a totally different mood at nighttime.

Picasso said every child is an artist. Keeping that in mind, what better way to encourage kids’ creativity and artistic expression than using their masterpieces in an ever-changing gallery wall. New York–based interior designer Lucy Harris shares her tips for transforming kids’ artwork into wall decor in a playful yet elevated way. “For kid’s art, I would keep it very low key. Frame drawings or paintings in one frame finish, or do the majority in one style and mix a few in another finish,” Harris says. To make switching out displayed art in a boy’s room easy, the designer suggests a DIY approach to framing: Use shadow-box-style frames or purchase frames with precut mats in the paper sizes your kids typically do their art on.

As this kid’s bedroom proves, there’s no reason why vintage furniture and area rugs should be reserved for formal spaces such as the living room. “When designing and planning spaces for kids, we want to leave room for personal expression and play rather than impose a strong stylistic point of view—mixing older and newer pieces further allows and reinforces this,” says interior designer Catherine Fowlkes of Fowlkes Studio. In addition to creating a more unique aesthetic, Fowlkes points out a practical benefit of vintage room decor and furniture , saying, “Vintage pieces are often constructed better than newer and more disposable pieces, so they can take a beating or hide the magic marker and nicks better.”

Layers of thoughtfully mixed patterns make this stylish kids’ room with custom bunk beds more than just a place to sleep. “Built-in bunks and layered textures make it both functional and fun, creating a relaxed space that invites lounging just as much as it does sleep,” says Lauren Evans, founder and principal designer at Lauren Evans Interiors. When it comes to layering contrasting patterns, the designer says, “Our approach is all about contrast and cohesion: pairing small prints with larger ones and mixing geometric lines with softer, organic motifs.” Once Evans selected a bold, large-scale wallpaper for this kids’ bedroom, she layered in a mix of patterns of varying scales and shapes to create visual interest and balance.

An accent wall creates a natural focal point behind the headboard in this boy’s bedroom designed by Kate Marker Interiors. It’s a great way to experiment with a dark paint color without overwhelming the space, and in this case, it integrated the room’s structural features. “By leaning into the existing structure, the cool accent wall feels inherently right,” Marker says. To reinforce this natural integration, the designer selected bedroom furniture and window treatments with linear details.

If you’re looking for boys’ bedroom ideas that will grow with your kids, go with white walls. When Gabriela Eisenhart, founder and principal designer at Silo Studios, was designing this boy’s bedroom, the goal was to create a blank canvas where he could be creative and make the space his own. “At the time, he was really into art and guitar, and I wanted the room to support both passions. I kept the walls white to give his artwork and interests room to shine,” Eisenhart says. Further, she used natural oak to warm up the room’s black-and-white color scheme and prevent the space from falling flat. Eisenhart layered in a wool shag area rug and a woven basket pendant light—both great design ideas for introducing a texture.

“The trick to designing a boy’s room is involving them in the process,” says Audrey Scheck of Austin-based firm Audrey Scheck Design. In her son’s room, he chose a wallpaper that was a nod to his favorite team, the Detroit Lions, and together they selected the complementary ceiling and trim paint colors. “When children have a voice in the design, the space becomes a true reflection of their personality and passions,” Scheck explains, adding that the result is a room that feels uniquely his and a design process that became a meaningful collaboration between them.

A bold wallpaper print makes for a whimsical backdrop to a pale wood built-in desk and floating shelves in this kids’ room designed by Lucy Harris. “We love making the most of a kid’s interests and passions when designing their rooms,” she says. Instead of an uninspiring homework spot that only makes school assignments feel like a chore, dedicate a corner of the boys’ bedroom to creating a fun and comfortable learning environment tailored to their interests, age, and needs.

This cozy boys’ bedroom seamlessly merges style and function, utilizing every nook and cranny with built-in bunk beds that create a loft-bed effect. “Working with the unique roof lines of this room, we designed a space to incorporate multiple bunks raised on a platform over a queen-size bed,” says Becca Casey, owner and principal designer at Becca Interiors. The shiny brass railing stands out against the moody paint color and ties in the charming wall sconces above the headboard. “The brass ball-and-rail system is inspired by nautical railings and provides a functional yet beautiful finish to the space,” Casey notes.

For boys’ bedroom ideas that stand the test of time, you can’t go wrong with plaid accents. In this boy’s room, interior designer Ellie Mroz of Ellie Mroz Design used a plaid wallpaper in elegant neutrals to give visual interest to walls while creating an enduring backdrop for furniture and room decor. “Plaid creates a playful yet sophisticated space that is the perfect canvas from infancy through adolescence—and beyond,” the designer says. If your son’s bedroom is begging for a makeover, give the space a refresh with wallpaper, a duvet, or throw pillows featuring the timeless pattern. “This modern take on plaid is the quintessential merging of classic and fresh,” Mroz concludes.

For a paint color that can evolve with the kids as they grow, Kristin Farnan, founder of Ridge Residential Design, recommends picking a grounded color family such as blue, green, or gray. Not only are these hues enduring and adaptable, they lend themselves well to color drenching. To successfully implement this paint technique, Farnan recommends creating dimension through the color’s saturation and finish. “In a color drenched room, it’s not just the same color everywhere, it’s usually two to three forms of a color to create dimension,” the designer says. “When we design, the walls might be the chosen color, but the trim and ceiling might be a 25–50% lighter or darker shade,” Farnan explains. As for the finish, she suggests an eggshell finish for walls, semi-gloss for trim, and a flat finish for ceilings.