Earlier this year we decided it was time for Ethan to have a bedroom make over. Turning eight we knew that we needed to look at more mature options for our growing son. It was time to look into our ‘growing up a bedroom’ options.
He room was painted a light blue and was covered in space stickers. I wanted a room that could grow with him more. We also needed to look into new storage options. At eight Ethan still had his toddler bedroom furniture.
Sleeping arrangements were also an issue. Ethan never sleeps well. It’s all part of autism and something we live with. He doesn’t know how to self-sooth and he is attached to us. This means one of us, mostly Darren, spends most of the night in Ethan’s room. After eight years of having Darren sleep on an airbed we all agreed it was time to look into more comfortable options.
Growing Up A Bedroom – Where Did We Start?
As Ethan is used to routine we didn’t want a change to his bedroom cause him distress. We decided to stick to blue for his colour scheme. We did pick a darker blue to give him a more grown up feel.
His carpet also needed a refresh. We decided to stick to a neutral colour for this. Hoping to keep his room a nice and calming environment.
Growing Up A Bedroom – The Furniture?
Which Bed?
The first item of furniture we needed to decide on was Ethan’s bed. I initially thought about bunk beds being a good option. This would give Darren a nicer place to sleep when in with Ethan. Mentally we don’t think Ethan is ready for bunk beds. When he wakes up in the night he just gets up without thinking. We could both see the potential dangers bunk beds would bring for him.
There were hours of searching and lots of debate to find the best option. We finally settled on a bed that included a trundle-bed underneath. This gives us the option to have the bed out when it is needed. We can then easily put it out of sight in the day.
Which Storage?
The next thing we had to decide on was the storage options. We would have to make sure there was enough floor room for the trundle-bed to be used. This left us with one wall of bedroom available to use. We decided fitted wardrobes with lots of storage were our best option. I worked out the configuration I wanted and placed our order. Through the month of May I built Ethan’s new wardrobes.
Growing Up A Bedroom – Giving Ethan’s Room Character
We have to remember that Ethan is only eight. Mentally his age is a little younger. It was only right to not let him grow up too quickly. As he loves Minions we decided to make that his bedroom theme. Ethan now has a minion lampshade and minion bedding.
Growing Up A Bedroom – What’s Left To Do?
We still have to make a few final touches to Ethan’s room. His bedroom window faces some traffic light signals. At night you can see the changing colours through his curtains. We have been looking at the blackout blinds available on Direct Blinds. Knowing that these blinds will help with our traffic light issue. We just need to decide which one to order.
DISCLOSURE – This post is in collaboration with Direct Blinds.