Boys' Room on a Budget

I'm not on a Crate & Barrel kind of budget.  In fact Target is probably as luxury as I'll go.  But I have to say, my boys' bedroom was such a fun project and I'm really proud of how it turned out.  I think they enjoy it as well.  Made with lots of love and intention behind it, here is how I designed and decorated my boys room on a budget.

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So my boys are 2 and 4 years old and we LOVE superheroes.  And because superheroes will always be cool in my book, that's the theme I decided to go with when I began planning this room's decor.  I'm a little obsessed with grey and my guys are obsessed with blue (on most days) so blue and grey is our main color scheme.  I attended a Montessori preschool as a girl and my oldest son now goes to a Montessori Hawaiian Language school, so encouraging self-help and independence was also a goal when putting this room together.  

Walls - I went with a light grey on 3 of their walls and the wall facing our backyard with a large window in it was painted a deep blue.  Their ceiling is white with a chrome ceiling fan.   
I found these awesome superhero watercolor prints on Amazon and the frames at our local ROSS store.  The black superhero mask decals were way affordable from etsy and these are supposed to peel right off once we a ready to change up the room.  There are so many adorable wall decals on etsy, I think it's a great way to spice up a room in a non-permanent way.  Lots of designs, colors, the sky is really the limit with decorating!

Beds / Bedding - OK, so this is where mama really got thrifty.  The grey bed you see was actually a toddler bed I saw out for bulk trash in a neighbor's yard.  I scooped it up, washed it down, and gave it a fresh coat of paint.  And the blue bed was a $10 find off of Facebook Marketplace, also washed down, and brought back to life with blue paint to make it good as new.  Both mattresses were former crib mattresses (one bought, one given by a friend).  So this was a super low budget project.  But with the Spiderman and Batman bedding, both boys' are happy to jump in for bedtime.  

Storage & Organization - the boys have a toy box that I bought at a thrift store for $30 and painted grey, blue, and white.  I also found an old dresser from when I was a child and painted it with the same colors.  The wooden toy box is used for big toys and miscellaneous.  And the boys 4-drawer dresser is organized as such :
2 year old's tops and bottoms in drawers 1 and 2,
4 year old's tops and bottoms in drawers 3 and 4
so they are at his level and he can grab his own clothes and dress himself.  
​Next to their dresser (which is inside their open closet) is a cube organizer that holds bins for their underwear and pjs.  Now I can expect my 2 year old to be able to find his own undies and pjs at least :) On top of the shelf is their piggy and monkey banks as well as my 4 year old's school uniform shirts.  

More on storage and organization... I was given an elephant basket for a baby shower gift and that now serves as a laundry basket.  A soft storage box from ROSS is home to all soft stuffed animals and things.  And this wooden shelf was a freebie that carries all our musical instruments.  We also have bins and shelves in our living room area for superheroes, ninja turtles, books, and more.  Finally, this large basket is where the boys can store and find their super gear: shields, swords, masks, capes, and more! 

Personal Touches - My parents made hand-crafted wooden blocks with each of my boys' names when they were both born.  Honor Koamalu is my 4 year old, and Justus La'akea is my 2 year old.  My dad cut and sanded these blocks and my mom decorated them.  They are incredibly special to me and will forever be a treasure for my boys. 
We have keepsakes from grandparents like this whale carving from an Alaska trip and a owl from their Papa Bento.  We even have a pair of small blue dutch clogs from Tutu Bento, since my boys are both a quarter dutch.  Koamalu painted his first canvas painting at age 1 and that hangs on the wall.  It's just a special fun space that's personalized to what my boys love and those who love them. 

Other items in their room are a chevron rug and curtains from Amazon, a wall clock from ROSS, and several wall socket nightlights that help keep the scaries away.  The newest addition is a basketball hoop that sits on their door, which was a birthday gift - so fun! And their dinosaur bathroom is a whole other story.  Comment below if you'd like me to do a short post on that too! (or if you'd like specifics on paint colors)
Anyway... I have more I'd like to do in this room but for now, it's good enough for a hero.  It helps my boys feel confident in caring for their needs, safe, and I hope I've honored their personalities here.  They love showing off their bedroom to any new guest who enters our home, and mama didn't have to break the bank to pull it off.  I have so much fun decorating and bringing flavor to our home, I hope this inspired or helped you too!