Hi Laurie,

Years ago I watched Divine Design, and Candice Olsen made up a teen boys room with an end table made of a chrome drum stand! I think it had a glass top. It was too cool. And then she used leather for the curtains - sounds awful for a kid but it was really neat. I tried looking for the episode but I can't find it online. Sorry. Cute teen - I have one just like him at home. The hair, the hat and the short sox in winter! LOL

The other Laurie

Love the room and so perfect for a teen boy, I wish I had thought about that for my DS's room. Anywho, I did buy leather like tab panels for his room when he was about 16 and he loves them. When we moved into the new house, I hung them again. They still look pretty cool.

How funny, you even spell your name the same! That's exactly the kind of unique idea I'm looking for, except for the glass top. He plays the guitar and trumpet, so he loves anything having to do with music. As you can tell from the banners on the wall, he also love skateboarding. I did a search for a skateboard table and the only thing I came up with also had a glass top.

Laurie

deborahnj - Do you have a picture of his panels? I wasn't even sure if I was going to do a window treatment, but that sounds like a good idea.

Laurie

I have an idea for your futon. We had one in our spare room years ago and I wasted a lot of money buying premade covers to match the rest of the room everytime we moved until I started using fitted sheets. They are easily washable, come in just about any color imaginable, and when co-ordinated with a quilt or coverlet draped down the middle, had a decorator look that was easily changeable and stylish.

"I don't like this table for his room, but I thought if I could find something similar that doesn't have any wood on it, it might work."

You could make one of those out of real books and add a glass top. Get BIG books like old out of date dictionaries. Glass tops can be found anywhere.

I don't think a futon in a bedroom really needs end tables though and you could go without. Or get something dual purpose that has storage drawers in it.

The black cover definately looks better. If you are getting a dresser and worried about "matching" I would just go with something completely different like a black dresser. It would still look good in the room since the room has black in it. Teens seem to like a lot of black in their decor anyway. Ask your DS what he would like.

The posters are fabulous and really add some punch to the room.

Before getting WT I would try a different furniture arrangment for the room. The chair seems to block the futon and may look better facing it on an angle. The futon should be pulled away from the window a bit if it can or try it on another wall to see if it works better.

The room looks great so far. Keep us posted with the updates.

"I don't like this table for his room, but I thought if I could find something similar that doesn't have any wood on it, it might work."

You could make one of those out of real books and add a glass top. Get BIG books like old out of date dictionaries. Glass tops can be found anywhere.

I don't think a futon in a bedroom really needs end tables though and you could go without. Or get something dual purpose that has storage drawers in it.

The black cover definately looks better. If you are getting a dresser and worried about "matching" I would just go with something completely different like a black dresser. It would still look good in the room since the room has black in it. Teens seem to like a lot of black in their decor anyway. Ask your DS what he would like.

The posters are fabulous and really add some punch to the room.

Before getting WT I would try a different furniture arrangment for the room. The chair seems to block the futon and may look better facing it on an angle. The futon should be pulled away from the window a bit if it can or try it on another wall to see if it works better.

The room looks great so far. Keep us posted with the updates.

My son's skateboard was run over by a car (don't ask) and split in half. Before I could stop hyperventilating he had already screwed it to his wall above his bed. It does look "pretty sweet" as he says. I will snap a photo and post it later - very busy cleaning today but wanted to check on GW! We also found a nice decal of a skateboarder on eBay for his wall. I'll show you that too. I'll be on later.

Msrose, I don't have a picture of my DS's room to show you(way too messy) but I did do a google search to see if I could find similar panels and found these at O stock. What I did in his room was to add JC Penney sheers in cream on one rod and then the tab panels were added to the double rod. I have black bedding purchased from BB&B. If you really want to see them hung up, let me figure out a way to at least take a picture of the windows without exposing his room. LOL!

Here is a link that might be useful: Faux Leather Panels

I love the look of the futon cover you made. If you don't use it now, you can use it when he gets tired of the black. It's nice to have that option. There are lots of things you could use for an end table. How about metal table or a trunk or chest of some sort. The garden centers also have interesting pieces that could be used. You could also use a round table which would soften it a bit.

I second the old trunk suggestion. We have a futon in our upstairs TV room, and I took an old flat topped antique trunk I had and placed it along one end as a side table. It was just the right width and height and also features plenty of storage inside for whatever - linens, extra blankets, pillows, etc.

dilly dally - The room is really small, so this is pretty much the best arrangement. I was standing in the doorway when I took the pictures. There's a wall directly across from the futon that's not as wide because of the doorway. That's where the dresser will go. The chair that's in there was not supposed to stay, but he's such a pack rat and wants to keep it. I'm hoping he'll get tired of it once he sees it's in the way. I had to put the futon near the window to make room for a table on the other side. He needs a place to put his alarm clock, cell phone and ipod.

deborah - You don't need to take a picture. I totally understand how messy it probably is. The room you see above is the one we're moving to. I hate to even open the door of my son's current room. Thanks for the link!

yayagal - That's kind of what I was thinking. We could put the new cover up until this one starts to wear out or he's just tired of it.

I really like the idea of an old trunk, but I'm not sure where I would find one. Any ideas?

I saw this leather ottoman/table at Target today and wondered about it:

{{!gwi}}

They also had a table similar to this in black, but then I would be using three different woods.

{{!gwi}}

Laurie

Msrose, thanks! I purchased this ottoman for my DS's dorm room and he loved it. It allowed for storage as well as extra seating. Think something like this might work?

Here is a link that might be useful: Ottoman

I agree with the idea of a black dresser. Maybe add some really cool knobs or handles in chrome - perhaps you could even do skateboard wheels?

As for an end table, what about something like this? Cool look, adds a touch of color, and is on wheels for flexibility as the room is used for different purposes:

locker end table

Gotta ask what may be a silly question. I assume the futon is his bed - does he put sheets, etc on every night? Or does he just sleep on the futon cover?

Older DS is getting a small, typical poor college student apt. while he attends grad school, and while I am not sure that a futon would work for him as a full-time bed, I think it would be a nice choice as seating that could be used for another bed. Part of the decision about a full-time use futon is the issue of bedding.

There's one thing I'm not sure about with the black dresser. I'm afraid it would show dust more easily. I would consider it though if I could find one made like the one at Penneys. It's in between a dresser and a chest. It's taller and more narrow than a dresser, but shorter and wider than a chest.

Les - I honestly can't say how the futon is going to work out. He's still in his old room right now. I know my son, and I doubt very seriously he's going to put sheets on it every night and take the off the next morning. It will probably either stay as a bed or stay as a sofa most of the time. I always like to splurge on sheets and get some really soft ones, but I may have to start out with some cheapies until I know if he's going to use them.

I forgot about the locker table. We actually considered that for his current room.

Laurie

I vote for the locker end table - that is so cute! Happy Easter - I still don't have a minute to snap a photo.