Chaya and Esti turned a bathroom and closet into a timeless big-on-blue bedroom for Chaya’s nine-year-old son

Chaya:

As the only boy, my nine-year-old son was really ready for a room of his own. I love a classy look and wanted to create a bedroom with timeless decor that would grow along with him. I’m creative and as a photographer, I love DIY props, painting things to match and creating lifestyle sets, so I was more than happy to get my hands dirty to make it perfect.

Esti:

There was a big, deep closet in the girls’ bedroom and an adjacent oversized old bathroom. As this was part of a slightly larger renovation; we had installed great wall closets for the girls and built a new bathroom in a more central area, so we combined both the closet and the adjacent bathroom to create a decent-sized bedroom.

Window of Opportunity

The bathroom had a small, round window. We considered keeping it because the house is brick and it required a separate mason and a lot more work to change it. In the end, we decided to get rid of it and put in a large window, and the sunlight it brings to the room makes such a tremendous difference. I’m so glad we did it.

Biggest Splurge

The geometric accent wall in this room really defines it. It adds a sophistication to the room and really makes it feel decorated in a mature way. This bedroom is on the main floor of our home and I pass by it all the time, so I really get to enjoy it.

Acute Angle

My contractor was actually a carpenter as well, so he did a great job with the geometric wall design. He used a pencil to draw the lines on the wall and tweaked it slightly to my preference. He installed the raw wood to the sheetrock and we painted it along with the rest of the room. I involved my son in picking the exact shade of blue for this accent wall, and we used it for all the other accent pieces around the room as well.

Even It Out

We built a closet along a section of the wall that wasn’t flush with the rest so it took up less space in the room.

Where I went Cheap(ish)

The closet system I put in was a premade system from Wayfair. While it works okay, I would have preferred to be able to customize the hanging height and/or adjust the shelving. The quality isn’t amazing either, so it may need to be replaced one day.

Behind the Desk

As I mentioned, I was happy to DIY some parts of the renovation to really make the room perfect. I found a desk on Facebook Marketplace and painted it the same color as the room. It came out incredible and I did the same for the shelves.

Biggest Regret

I didn’t do built-in shelving for books and seforim when the contractor was doing the work. It’s still on the to-do list to DIY, but let’s see when it will happen! In the meantime, I painted a small bookcase to match so he has at least some space for books.

I’m a Fan

I love ceiling fans in a bedroom. It’s great for warm spring and fall nights and also keeps the air from feeling stale all year, especially if the door is often shut. Thankfully I found some more modern-looking fans so I didn’t need to settle for function over form.

The Finishing Touch

The carpet we chose for the space has a similar pattern to the accent wall to carry over the geometric line effect. It really pulls the room together so well.

You’d Never Know

I didn’t realize how many little decisions would have to be made even within this small bedroom. From hinges to hanging rods to choosing from a million shades of blue, it was more than I expected.

All in All

It’s mind-boggling that this bedroom was once an old bathroom and big wasted closet. Looking at the before-and-after pictures, it’s unbelievable to see what you can do with a space! I see how much time my son spends there on his own and with friends, and three year later, I still really appreciate how nice this bedroom came out and how well it serves its purpose.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 958)