12 Year Old Boy Bedroom Reveal

by | Aug 1, 2021

Affiliate notice: This post may contain affiliate links where we earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

This is one post I am so excited to share! Check out our 12 year old boy bedroom reveal that we redid for his birthday. We had a few challenges: the room is in the basement, we had to install the flooring and trim, and we were designing on the budget.

The kid needed more storage space including places for clothes and LEGO, a desk for homework or building, and a stand for his TV. To maximize space we went with a loft bed which freed up enough room on the floor for some extra storage.

One thing I’ve always hated about home renovation posts are how impractical they are. Hopefully you enjoy this one that features our real-life set up, complete with my son’s actual treasures displayed around the space.

How We Decorated My 12 Year Old Son’s Bedroom

This renovation has been a long time coming. We built the basement bedrooms over a year ago but hadn’t gotten around to completing them. In fact, the room still isn’t quite done: we still have to put the ceiling up and add in his baseboard heater. But we weren’t going to wait until that was done to give the kid an amazing room now.

Check out all our pictures!

Setting Up a Desk Area Under the Loft

Desk and bookshelf under loft bed in a teen boy bedroom

Under the loft is my absolute favourite part of the room. The dark blue mountain was there from before and it worked so well with the new bedroom layout. We used an inexpensive desk with mismatched legs to continue the black and white theme of the rest of the furniture. On the top, another shelf holds collectibles and small LEGO sets.

Desk area with display shelf

The bookshelf is mounted to the wall so there isn’t too much on the floor which makes the room feel larger and more open. Like a typical 12 year old boy, my son doesn’t have a lot of books in his bedroom. It’s not that he doesn’t read, but we mostly use the library whenever we can. This shelf is also a great place to keep his board games.

Storage Solutions for Teen and Tween Boys

Storage solution for tween boys includes two ikea kallax shelves side by side

I find my kid needs things to be simple so we decided to skip the dresser entirely. Instead, I used a Kallax from Ikea with bins for all his clothes. Let’s be honest – they’re always unfolded anyway, but least now they’ll fit even when not put away neatly.

A lower, matching shelf holds the TV and Xbox. We also had some hooks already on the wall that are great for hoodies and hats.

Use Toys and Collections When Decorating a Bedroom for a 12 Year Old

Nerf gun display on wall

The shelf in this picture was chosen for displaying LEGO, although there isn’t much on there right now. Most of his sets got broken apart due to poor storage – now when he builds them they have a place to go. The bottom 4 cubes have baskets that are storing all the loose pieces and instructions.

On the wall, a peg board holds his Nerf gun collection.

Fun Accessories For a 12 a Year Old Boy Bedroom

Desk with accessories on it like a shelf and lamp

Some other little additions that really added to the space are:

  • Extra lighting on his desk and one on the wall next to his bed
  • Headphone and smart phone holder for the desk
  • Plenty of hidden storage to hide clutter
  • Open storage to display collectibles
  • Adjustable height swivel chair so there’s room to grow
  • New pillows, duvet (and cover), and more “grown up” sheets

Easy to Install Flooring for a Basement Bedroom

If you’re wondering, the floor is actually the least expensive peel and stick tile we could find at Home Depot! It went down quickly and looks really nice. We stuck it right to the concrete. The total installation time was about two hours with two of us working, which included all the cutting around the edges.

We went through just over 2 boxes – but there’s no waste since it will go in the other basement rooms.

Bedroom Furniture for Teen Boys

Almost everything came from Ikea. Their prices are pretty good and it was the style we were going for. The shelves with the cubes are from the “Kallax” line and the bed is the “Vitval” loft bed (we didn’t like the desk option that came with it since it was so small).

Best of all, the entire thing was budget friendly!

He’s really happy with his new room, which is what’s really important. As soon as we surprised him he immediately went to work setting up more LEGO on the shelves.

I think it’s important that kids have spaces that appeal to them in both design and function, not just the parents. We kept his personality and needs in mind when choosing pieces for the room, making sure that everything would work well with the type of kid he is and the way he plays.

Tween boy bedroom with desk and shelf under a loft bed

You might also like…

0 Comments

Everett Franchuk

Everett Franchuk

Everett loves to plan parties and events, decorate, and make crafts/DIY projects. As a parent of 5 in his early 30s, he decided to start The Best Nest to offer practical tips and ideas.

Recent Posts