After months of work, my boys’ vintage equestrian inspired bedroom is done, and I am so happy with how it turned out. I love how it honors the style and era of our home while still staying true to my boys and their personalities. My boys are very outdoorsy and are pretty much up for doing anything active in nature, whether it’s hiking a mountain, riding a horse or fishing. This room is a love letter to classic men, and to my boys who are growing into some of the finest I’ve ever known.
Design inspiration
When I was designing this space I knew I wanted to do something classic and rugged. I usually have a piece, pattern or textile that is my starting point when I’m creating a space, and for the boys’ room my initial inspiration came from this plaid rug from Chris Loves Julia’s Loloi line.
I loved the strong masculine plaid and the deep rich colors, and the second I saw this rug, the room seemed to materialize in my head. This rug is incredibly soft and would work well in any space where you want to add some depth, rich moody colors, or a great plaid.
Walls
For the boys’ bedroom, I went with a vertical shiplap paneling. It’s a classic finish and can help give the illusion of height in a space. Since the ceilings are quite low in our home, especially on the second floor, the vertical lines really help quite a bit.
Choosing the color for the walls was probably the trickiest part of the design process. I love using deep moody colors in my home, and I really wanted to bring them into the boys’ room, but since the room faces east, only has one window, and rather imposing dark ceiling beams and corner posts, we decided paint the walls a soft neutral greige (we used Natural Cream by Benjamin Moore) and let the strong rug, and saturated bedding really do the talking in the space. We brought the deep colors into the boys’ space mainly through the textiles and decor while keeping the walls lighter and neutral, and I love the balance it creates. I wanted the room to feel rustic and cozy without feeling like a cave. And we really were able to achieve that. Painting the walls “Natural Cream” was 100% the right choice.
Linens
For this space we chose deep green linen duvets from H&M (the color worked perfect with the rug), and I’ve been really impressed with how they’ve held up with two teenage boys. They wash beautifully, haven’t faded and the linen is very soft. I finished off their beds with a combination of knit throws from Boll and Branch, layered with a plaid wood throw blanket.
For their window treatment, I made them a custom plaid roman shade. I love the simplicity if this kind of window treatment and the pop of plaid really adds a lot of fun texture to the space. I will have a roman shade tutorial coming soon!
Art and decor
For the art and decor I wanted to bring in the vintage equestrian feel without being too over the top themey. I did a combination of found pieces and original art I sourced from antique shops around New England and vintage art prints I found online. I love adding texture and interest to spaces by hanging things on the wall that feel a little surprising, so I incorporated an old fishing net, antique ice fishing poles, and vintage croquet mallets into the art arrangements. I love the way it all came together. These buggy racing prints were really my second bit of inspiration for the space and I love how they look mounted over the beds.
For the vintage art prints, I opted to forgo glass so I could minimize glare and used this tutorial to make them look more like original art.
Storage and Furniture.
One of the challenges of designing a shared space is dealing with storage and layout. Making sure there’s space for each person to store their things while keeping the space uncluttered and the flow natural. This room has quite a small closet so having a dresser for each of my sons was a must have. I’ve gotten really good at sourcing unique, high quality furniture for my home from Facebook Marketplace over the last few years and I spent weeks searching for a vintage dresser set that would both fit in the space and the style of the room. My diligence paid off, because I found the perfect set. It’s honestly feels as if the pieces were made for the space. They are a set from the late 50’s and well cared for so they were in immaculate condition. I was prepared to refinish whatever set I found, but they didn’t even need it. (I’m still pinching myself about this one.)
The boys metal beds are the same ones I have in the girls room. They’ve all been sleeping on them for 4 years and I have been so impressed by the quality. They’re solid, easy to put together and have held up amazingly well. It’s a great classic bed and blends nicely into so many decor styles. Highly recommend.
For a nightstand I decided to think outside the box and used a vintage steamer trunk. It stores all their nightstand things nicely, falls at the perfect height for going under the window, and is a nice width for between the beds. And you know I love the added texture it gives the space.
Overall, the process of creating this space for my boys was so fun and exciting. It’s been awesome to see the vision in my head come to life. But what brings me the most joy is seeing how happy my boys are in the space. It’s comfortable, cozy, looks cool and functions so well for them, and ultimately, I think any space at home should be like that.
If you have any questions about my boys’ vintage equestrian inspired bedroom, feel free to ask in the comments!
