If he isn't asking for the plaid, I'd go with a solid. Partly because I like a solid better with the dragon bedding. And partly because I think you'd have better odds of keeping a solid when he is 13 and doesn't want his dragon room anymore.

Love the castle! Looks like Hogwarts. Is he into Harry Potter? Or just dragons in general? You could go with a gold or navy or even a gold/navy stripe for curtains that would use the colors in the bedding. Or wait, you said the carpet was gray. So maybe navy and gray stripe for the windows. Do you sew? You could sew some panels together if you can't find that combination.

Ann - I agree on not spending much. We will only be purchasing - the duvet cover and sheets, the drapes, and a couple of posters. Well - I also want to get some kind of board that you can put pictures on, he got a polaroid for Christmas and is taking lots of pictures, some will be in an album, but I would think he might want to put some on a board. maybe a magnet board. I wonder if magnets ruin those pictures.

crl - yes, that is a good point. I will give him an option of solid for sure. I found navy polka dots. I might show him those too. I can't wait for his bedding to arrive!

Outside playing - I do not sew. I also don't love grey, but it is in the bedding too, so I was wondering that myself! He does like dragons and we have had that castle since before he was born, he likes it too. He has not read Harry Potter yet. I bet he will love it! I did see navy and dark green stripes on the pttery barn teen site: - (I have a coupon :) )

and these:

and these!

Love the green and blue striped curtains, and I think they'd fit perfectly with the theme. There's something a bit "regal" about them, but they're still playful enough to be fun. I don't care for the plaid at all.

Darn it - I like then too Ida - and when I just went to see the lengths to measure I see they are out of that color and they are on sale which I think means they wont be getting more in. Shoot!

I like the bottom one, the navy and grey best.

I want the view!

Cute dragon bedding. I like all your picks. I'd go with a solid or small print so the bedding stands out. The plaid is too busy and will " fight" with the dragons.

What about the blue PB Teen stripe? Blue too strong?

ETA: Yeah, probably so.

I like the navy & grey, too. Actually better than the green/blue bc the green in that one was not the same tone as in the sheets & looked off to me. Don't like the red plaid w/the bedding. This is going to be such a great room!!

OK very helpful. thank you all (joanie - the fighting comment was on point! :) ) - I will look more tonight. Found these at land of nod too: (sort of go with the theme)

I like pattern if you can't tell :) but I wish it were a yellowy orange not so orange

Definitely yes to the dragon bedding. Adorable and hopefully not too expensive. I'd stick with a solid curtain that will grow with him. I love the green of the sheets that are shown with the bedding, as a color for the drapes. It would also make for a perfect "frame" to that beautiful view of evergreens. I have a 7 yr old, btw. Mine started out with the whole Pottery Barn look but all it took was one friend that got a Red Sox logo painted to his wall, and just like that, Pottery Barn was suddenly all wrong, and sports was in. That was last month. Now it's all about Star Wars. (He's suffering with what he's got from Pottery Barn for awhile longer). Point is, it's a fickle age. Don't do anything too theme related, because before you know it, he'll be on to the next.

I think/hope the dragon thing will be around for awhile. DH talks to them about some game/song and being dragonborne all the time. Of course other things do come and go for us too - Pokemon, skylanders, legos, prehistoric creatures that are not dinosaurs, and basically all animals!

I do agree to not spend too much - the solo room thing might not stick, but i would like to help it as much as possible. :)

Of the above, I think I have talked myself out of most of them besides the navy blue with the plus signs, but i will show him these all tomorrow. :)

putting the bedding here again. and some more choices....

not sure why that is so blurry! :(

Blurry one looks too feminine to me. Striped one is fantastic!!! Stripes are timeless/ageless yet the bright colors give it a more juvenile look. Love it with the bedding!

What a lucky kid he is! Love the dragon comforter cover. Stay away from polka dots. I do like the others, but like the rest here with sons, I agree that their likes, dislikes and tastes change frequently. And once something is disliked/ over, it is disliked fiercely ( LOL )!

Next time you need to redecorate his room, think about an easily washable, solid color rug, curtains and bedspread (long to the floor, easy and forgiving) , like ripcord, that he can sprawl on without worry. Lightweight and very easy to make (a very big plus for you both!). Add his newest interest in the form of throw pillow covers and posters. Been there myself!

Love that last green and navy stripe you posted! I think it will look great with the dragons. It'll be a cute room!

Another vote for the striped curtains. I think the striped curtains are versatile enough to be used as he gets older and wants something different.

I love the dragon bedding! Your son is probably too old for these, but my 4-yo son loves the books Hush Little Dragon and There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight. We just did my sons "dinosaur room" in June and now I want to redo it with a dragon theme!

Rebeccamom - I was thinking that too on the blurry one, thanks for weighing in.

Lynn - I mn trying really hard not to go overboard. My 7 yr old is my oldest and (I know not for everyone) but we have had a family bedroom for 7 yrs. I had dreams of a nursery, bought a fabulous crib that was never used etc when I was pregnant. So this is my first room for one of my kids. I am super excited :)

Thanks Theclose

Thanks DJ - I have a 4 yr old too, so I will check out those books.

The current grey carpet will stay for now. We had it cleaned when we moved in. At some point we will probably put hardwood floors in the upstairs bedrooms. Since the walls are white, it seems not worth changing at this point.

We moved in to this house the week before thanksgiving and it has been a busy 2 months so basically nothing has been done. Here is a before ( I have been using it as a guest room during the holidays - without all the kids stuff and clothes :) )

So we have to remove the TV and the mirror, swap the bed, hang the curtains, hang the castle, put up the ikea shelf, etc. whoo hoo! :) But I think we are getting there with the elements we need in the room.

I have to say I am a bit torn on the curtains now. I did show them to DS. He liked both the stripes Ida showed (the light blue and dark blue) and the lime and blue. I am betting that the quality of the potterybarn ones are better and they say they are black out. I read on the comments on the lime ones that they are very light weight material. Decisions decisions! This particular son is always up at the crack of dawn. he is the only morning person in the family. I wonder if having black out drapes would be good.

I also made my last house too dark and those drapes look pretty dark compared to the lime and navy.

Going to look for a curtain rod now.

thank you all for your help so far :)

I have 2 boys who are early risers, and heartily endorse the PB blackout window treatments. I have the PBK green/blue rugby stripe cordless roman blinds in my 8yo son's bedroom and they work wonderfully. I love all your son's picks btw!

I like the navy with gray curtains, but I think the navy & lime green stripes (2nd ones) or the navy with white crosses could work too. It's going to be a really cute room.

Oh, Boop, I hope that I didn't make you feel bad! I love everything for your son's new room. That castle is incredible! As, I said, he's one very lucky little guy. I decorated my son's room at that age pretty much the same way: very colorful with the printed comforter he loved, framed art, cute themed lamp and throw pillows, rug, etc. Yeah, I went a bit overboard, but I loved my son and he deserved a nice bedroom. And he loved it . . . for about 6 months.

And then, he was very tired of it all and wanted me to redo it again, with an entirely different theme! He hated all the old stuff! My best friend, a teacher, and whose son was a year older and best friends with my son, warned me then to be prepared for more of it. And she was right. I made DS wait another month, and then I only bought a navy ripcord bedspread and made him use the old comforter as his cold weather blanket under it (he turned it upside down-LOL!). I took down the art and lamp and eventually gave them away. I painted an old lamp's base green and he used that until he went off to college. It was a great reading lamp, solid, practical, and with a 3-way bulb. I bought a couple poster frames that I could reuse, just replacing the posters themselves. And every time from then on that DS wanted new posters, I made him earn every penny for them. He quickly got more conservative about redecorating (LOL), but when he wanted to, he made good choices. It was still his room that reflected him and his (ever-changing) interests! The only thing I was adamant about was that the wall color had to stay the same creamy white (but that's just my own personal thing; repainting rooms is ok for everybody else-LOL!). He could, and did, add color with his art, pillow covers, etc. Anyhoo, just a been-there-done-that story. BTW, I don't know what you'll end up with, but I love those green and blue stripe curtains!

smalloldhouse_gw - do you have them inside mounted? do they take up much of the window? I really like that green and blue from pottery barn - I do agree the colors are slightly off, but I think it is a bit more mature and substantial than the lime green and blue from wayfair. I am still stuck on that I think.

some more views of the dragons:

Lynn - I didn't take it that way at all. :) I was just trying to explain my enthusiasm and trying to reign myself in!

thank you outside playing!

funny I have a plaid fabric somewhere that might work too -

you know I should create boards more. room boards. just putting it together helps. Now I don't like the green and blue with the dragons as much as I did in my head. I hope they come in soon so I can see them in person. (of course nini saw this much earlier in the process than i did :) )

Two more.....#14 I really like - it brings in the grey dragons and the grey carpet.