Along with the skiing decal, why not add some slopes - just an outline with white paint, along the chair rail. Should be easy enough and will look great with that beautiful gray wall color.

You need a taller bedside table lamp. For a headboard, can you make a fabric board ans use navy blue fabric to match the bedding? Or, paint a headboard to look like a chalet scene.

How about buying a bunch of silver-trimmed cork bulletin boards -- hanging those so he can put up cool posters of the latest boards?

Can you find old snowboards and mount them to the wall as art?

How about some maps of the best mountains?

How about using silver metal shelving (the type used in kitchens) as a tall column on each side of his bed? Then get some clamp-on silver lamps (check Ikea) as lighting!

Here is a link that might be useful: Snowboard posters from art.com

Love the color! Is that a grey or a blue on the walls? I can't tell on my monitor. It seems to sort of be inbetween.

I think the lamp needs to be taller with a larger shade to start off....a headboard would be great too!

The wall color is beautiful. What about a couple of shelves on each side of the window for collectibles? I know that's boring. I'm worse at decorating for kids than I am for adults.

It's a very nice color. One thing that might help is to use a darker gray color on the bottom of the wall below the chair rail. Does he have enough light in the room? That's a very small looking lamp. The bed definitely needs a headboard.

The thing that really seems missing to me, though, is your son's personality. With the exception of the trophy, the room looks more like a guest room than a teenage boy's room. Bookshelves would help, but where is his stuff (books, trophies, photos of friends, posters, music, video game equipment, computer, snowboard -- teenage stuff)? What does he want in his room? He's old enough to be making some of these decisions.

Yes, a headboard is definately needed. What color is all the other furniture? You could get a black headboard and paint the nightstand black but what color are the book shelves and desk? If they are all wood then a fabric headboard will add the wow factor. I some how do not think a high school guy wants his mom decorating his room down to the nth degree. If he said he wanted the decals go for it, but otherwise just give the room some good "bones" with a headboard and bookshelves and lighting, and let him fill it in with his 'stuff'.

Would it be possible to get some old snowboards and mount a few above the bed on the wall, to act as a headboard? Or, cut out some plywood to look like snowboards and paint them?

Or, make a plywood headboard and cover with padding and then the fleece fabric in a colorful winter pattern.

I would also get a few of the very cool winter hats (the ones with the stripes and funky tassels, etc) and make them into pillows for the bed by stuffing them and stitching them shut.

Look for a more interesting light for the nightstand, something taller to break the line of the chair rail, with a funky shade, or at least get a colorful shade for the existing lamp.

I think what you are missing is some warm tones in the room - everything is blue and grey and white, and in the cool family.

How about a shot of red or orange somewhere? A snowboard on the wall or a bright gym locker? A corner shelf up high with plexi-glass so his trophies don't get dusty? (There's a guy on eBay who will make it to spec. - he makes them for Wade collections too and told me he could make some for trophies or pinewood derby cars). I like the silver-trimmed cork bulletin board idea so he can change out posters as he likes. I also think a little skier flying down the arch of that window would be fun.

Whoops! after reading all the other comments, I realize that this room is for a 14 year old teen, not a 4 year old little boy, as I thought. I guess the chalet type theme would be too juvenile. LOL

I imagine that the teen side of the room is out of shot from what we see. The OP has only shown us one little corner of the room.

We saw a very cool bar at the beach this summer. The owner had collected old water skis and mounted them on the wall. As suggested, you could do something similar, but you don't have to tack them to the wall. Use your crown molding and string fishing wire from it - to a snowboard and then your wall isn't damaged.

I guess you could still add the slopes over the chair rail.

The lamp is tiny, and the room rather cold looking needs something to warm it up make it inviting, restful? maybe a large painting over the bed something inviting maybe a beach scene? and plants always warm up a space.

I love the color, but I'd let him decide. He's 14. If he wants posters or snowboards or decals, he'll do it.

Bulletin boards or cork boards are a good idea. Not freaking out when he puts stuff all over the walls is also a good idea. He'll be in the room for what, 4 more years? He'll decorate, with you or without you.

Hi all,

Thank you for your ideas. I've been writing them all down. Les I think you're totally right, warm tones is what's missing. I really like your ski hat idea and plywood headboard. Do you have any pattern suggestions that would look good with the bedding? What color shade? His desk and hutch are black if that helps any.

Newhomebuilder is correct about his room. We removed everything off the walls before getting the room painted. It's only been a few weeks and DS is waiting for his desk and hutch to come in before putting everything back. The lamp is definitely too short but it was meant to be temporary. As far as letting him decide he really could care less. He's 14 and everytime I ask him what he'd like in his room he just looks at me like I'm an alien. DH gets a good laugh everytime I say to DS "You really don't care what I put in the room?". His response "who cares, I just sleep in there" followed by a "mom, just so long as my bed stays comfortable". He does like the snowboarding decal and I think around his arched window would look cool. His BR definitely gets a ton of natural light but he prefers the cave like feel and never opens his shutters. If I painted the lower half a darker gray I think he'd stub his toe on the way to his bathroom. That's if he doesn't slip and fall on the dirty laundry laying all over his floor. Teenagers can be so disgusting.

ideefix very wise advice, I let that hang up go 10 years ago.

Teacats DD(16) is getting silver framed corkboard for her room. I hadn't thought about that for DS but that would work in his room. When you say silver kitchen shelving do you mean standing ones?

Mldao, what is the wall color? I really love it!

My daughter helped her sister paint their dining room -- deep suede blue above the chair rail and alternating shiny / matte grey below in wide stripes . . . maybe 10" wide. She put up silver Ikea shelves and has white and silver things on them. The room is stunning. You could do stripes below the rail like that, using the gloss version of the same paint that's already on the wall.

Arlene

hostagrams: The color is by Dunn Edwards and it's Gray Wolf. It's very similar to BM Sweatshirt Gray. Your daughter's room sounds beautiful. I'm not a good painter and DS really likes his walls one color.

Great color in his bedroom!

Do you have any pics of him snowboarding? If so, you could blow one up...with the snow coming off the board - maybe of him doing a jump. It could be color or black/white.

You could also get corkboard tiles & cover them with coordinating fabrics - that could also add another pop of colors.

Old snowboards leaning or placed on the wall as shelves. Mural of snow topped trees :& mountains. Or even an enlarged pic of one you might have from your skiing trips.

Smiles:)

How about a grouping of black frames, all the same size, with black & white pics of snowboarders/oceans/maps, etc. on the wall?

The room looks great and very "cool" feeling. It just needs a shot of color.

What about a piece of snowboard art that has a little red or orange in it... then accent that color with a few red/orange pillows? Here's some ideas from art.com:

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

johnatemp: When I read your post I was laughing so hard I started choking. If you were to ever see me skiing you'd wonder what was wrong with me?!? You wouldn't be able to put your finger on it but you'd swear I was one taco short of a combination plate. Poor DS was born into the wrong family. DS goes with his friends families and my DH is pretty good at skiing and takes him once or twice a year. DH and I think it came naturally to him from his many years of skateboarding. He was going down the black diamond runs by the end of his first day snowboarding. So sadly, no pictures of DS snowboarding. Can you explain the corkboard tile idea? I've never heard of corkboard tiles before.

jynxed23: The grouping of black frames with pictures would also look great. That's another way to add color to his room. I'll have to look through his snowboarding magazines to see what in there that we can frame and/or blow up.

creekylis: I'm going to show DS the pictures you posted. I never thought of picking out posters with red and orange in them to bring more color. Great idea!! I could also incorporate les's idea about using ski hats for pillows.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this forum!!!

I love Creekylis' ideas of the poster art! I agree . . . Love this forum!!

Arlene

Could this work? Now THAT would be cool!!

Here is a link that might be useful: mural

two large prints in silver/chrome/brushed nickel finishes to serve as a headboard; that's all it needs. If you like birds, that would be nice. If sports, find some with red/blue/yellow or red/blue.