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7 Comments Adventure Awaits in an Indiana Jones Bedroom
With a family of four boys, we are always looking for adventure. A few years ago I wanted to give one of my boys an Indiana Jones themed room. We already had army green walls with a Star and Stripes Mural on one wall (from a previous airplane themed room). The star and stripes would work perfect with the vintage travel and adventures of Indiana Jones.
The opposite wall was painted a medium blue and then I painted a (really easy) World Map mural. It was to remind me of the maps they show when Indie is flying from one archaeological site to another. A spare craftsman desk and vintage industrial chair help create age to the space.
The ceiling was already a sand color which matched the Berber carpet.
The bed was a great purchase 11 years ago for my first son (see it HERE in his surfing room). It has a slide, ladder and the perfect hideaway underneath for sleepovers, reading, or make believe Indiana Adventures. I added plug in rope light under the mattress for light.
Now this was a find. Believe it or not, I was in the middle of decorating this room when the 4th Indiana Jones movie came out. I went with my husband (to feed his Diet Coke addiction) to our nearest Maverick convenience store. I saw this on the front window. We happened to have a friend that worked there at the time, thanks Jennifer, and the day we asked for it was the day it was to be thrown in the trash so they gave it to us! It is like a window cling, but has the slightest amount of sticker stick on the back side.
My son thinks that it is even cooler with the Dr. Pepper ad on it. The best part is that it is completely removable when we are ready for a new look.
At the time I had a Silhouette vinyl cutting machine that another friend, thanks Erik, let me use. I had fun covering old boxes with warnings (like in the giant warehouse in the 4th movie). I also cut out over-sized ants and made them crawl behind the baseboard and door (again, from the 4th movie).
A few more details help the overall feel of the room. An Indiana Jones map from the Adventures Outpost shop at Disneyland. An old water bag we inherited from my husband’s grandfather. Snakes! A first aid medicine cabinet and trunks that hold unknown treasures (and lots of junk).
I love this vintage industrial chair (and will probably bring it downstairs soon). A vintage looking lantern (from Target) and a few lashings of rope help give the bed the look of a camp set up at an archaeological dig.
I hope you enjoyed our adventure! Now go make a fun room for your little boy, it’s easier than you think.
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Hi there,
I just found your blog a few days ago & I’ve enjoyed reading your posts. Your decor is great & I love the ideas you present here. But, I am totally confounded. You say you have four (4) boys & then you show me this neat & tidy room. I have one (1) ten year old boy & his room is a total disaster! I love to decorate my kids’ rooms & in the past I’ve done themes, too. But all the decorations & accessories end up dumpster-worthy shortly afterwards. Like those neat boxes you lettered, my son would take those and have them destroyed in a few days (even if I were to threaten him to leave them alone)! And the vintage lamp you have tied to the bed, my son would take it down and use the rope as a whip (the lamp would most likely be broken shortly after that). We bought a really cool bunk bed for our son & two years later it’s all scratched up & full of dents & dings. His walls are also dented & scuffed from him firing “missiles” in his room. Nothing stays the way it’s supposed to and the decorations end up being played with & destroyed! It makes me wonder why we bother to decorate his room?
So, how do your kids’ rooms fare over time? How do they really look on a normal day? THAT’S what I want to know! Because if they look like this everyday, I’m just going to give up & jump out the window (don’t worry, we live in a ranch style home).
Signed,
A mother who wants her kids’ rooms to look like the cool (& clean) rooms she sees in photos
Heather,
You are hilarious! No, his room does NOT always look like this. We just got into it about what a mess his room has been. Under the bed I used to have all of his stuffed animals and a toddler mattress for sleepovers. Unfortunately, this became the perfect spot for shoving everything when he was supposed to “clean” his room. So, I took them all out and placed the stuffed animals (which he rarely plays with) in his closet on a shelf. Those boxes have held up surprisingly well, but they are full of junk. So are the treasure trunks (that I found at a yard sale).
As for the other boys rooms? I try to only keep things in there that they actually play with. We do a lot of yard sales where they sell their old toys and use the money for trips (like buying more junk at Disneyland). My boys closets are VERY organized (post coming soon) so they keep most of their stuff in their closets. And…it depends on the child. Each are different. I don’t let my kids destroy anything that I bought, even in their own rooms. If they do, they pay for it, literally. Friends ask how I can have my house decorated with kids but I am just firm with rules, no shoes on the new couch, no throwing remotes, you know? OK, i’m rambling. Maybe I should do an entire post about having nice things AND four boys.
Hope that helps!
Amanda
hi i love the blue wall with the map mural……could you tell me what the color is called on the wall?
Thanks
Christina, The blue is called Navy 5 by Valspar, available at Lowe’s. It is a great cross between dark blue and bright blue.
I’ve gone ahead and bookmarked http://burlapanddenim.com/2012/02/adventure-awaits-in-an-indiana-jones-bedroom/ at Digg.com so my mates can see it. I just used Indiana Jones Adventure Themed Boys Bedroom | Burlap & Denim as the entry title in my Digg.com bookmark, as I figured you’d like happy to see it as a bookmark the same way.
This is a really great room. Your details are spot on! I recently created an ‘Indiana Jones’ inspired moodboard for a study/library room: http://decorumdiyer.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/moodboard-monday-jones-ing-for-some-indiana/
I like it Christine!