My son 6yo wants wants wants the BOMBAY KIDS loft bed but I can't imagine spending nearly 1K on anything that can't carry him into college and beyond. He has the LOUVERED bed (also by Bombay) which I bought on clearance for 150$ (and still regretted every pennies!). Some furniture develops 'patina' with use, these things just look bad when it's scratched. Especially on the chestnut finish, every scratches and ding make the bed look really shabby!! Recently I went to the showroom and just by checking the quality of the floor's model, I know these furnitures won't stand the test of time. The desk and dresser on the floor are already falling apart!!! I'm planning to replace his bombay's bed with a better quality solid wood one. Any suggestion??

I started on the map room! Since the I took the pics I am posting, we hung more art work, clock etc. I don't know what to do with the windows. What about dark blue curtains? We still need to get a desk and chest of drawers to match the bed he picked out. He blew me away with his selection. I thought he wanted a cute bunk bed but when he saw the black daybed - it was love a 1st sight - go figure. I really do not want to put too much black in there - any suggestions on that would be appreciated. We ran out of time to do the ceiling compass stencil but it is planned for my next visit. He totaly loves the mural and hanging airplane. We have another airplane in yellow coming for the other corner and inflatable globes for the other side of the room. We found this US map at a toy store and took it to Ben Franklin where they mounted it on a magnetic sheet and framed it. He and his friends really got into putting magnets on places he has been and places he wants to go. He loves that the map is laminated and he can draw on it with a grease pen. His Thomas the Train table fit nicely in the decor. We still have a lot to do but it is a start. Any suggestions?

Kids' tastes, likes and dislikes change so much as they grow. What I did when mine were young was go with their favorite colors in solids that washed and wore easily and well. For example, with my son, I went with royal blue for his washable comforter and then added touches of red, green and yellow with his valance (over blackout shades), bedskirt and throw pillows. I then bought poster frames and 5x7" easel back frames that allowed me to quickly, easily and inexpensively change out his art as he grew. The 5x7" frames were perfect for turning "cool" greeting cards into works of art that he could place around his room wherever. We went from zoo animals to dinosaurs to whatever he had a big interest in next. I brought in a long 3-section bookcase and primary colored bins to corral most of his toys and let him display his books and whatever toys he chose on the rest of the shelves. As time went on, I let him pick out printed fabric in "cool guy designs" and made throw pillow covers for his bed. I guess what I'm saying is that I liked to keep things basic so that he could inexpensively and easily choose new art and accent pieces. It was his room, not his decorator mommy's room, he used to like telling his friends and he was always very proud of it. Lynn

Oh for goodness' sake. It's a can of paint, I'm not letting him run in the street, eat cupcakes for dinner, stay up all night long, get tattoos, or ride his bike without a helmet! I posted because I was unsure how to make it work, and you all helped me to see that maybe it could, especially if I just do one wall in Downpipe. If his choice was completely untenable, I'd tell him no. But if there is a way to accommodate him, even if it isn't my first choice, why not? It's a can of paint. Besides, it's so fun watching his big brown eyes open so wide with delight when you tell him something he's happy about. He keeps asking to see pictures of the "Avengers' bed" daily. He is so psyched. Yes, he's a lucky boy to have a say in his room. There will be times in his life when he can't paint the wall the color he likes best, and much much worse. But I refuse to prepare him for that famine by starving him now. This kid wakes up every morning, often before 5:30 (!), so excited to start his life that day that he can't fall back asleep. I can only wish that feeling lasts as long as it can.