A Stylish Take on a Sports-Themed Teen Bedroom

This Notre Dame–themed bedroom is curated, cool and totally not over the top. See how it was done, then use these decorating tips to take any theme and translate it into a well-designed room.

By: Brian Patrick Flynn

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: Rustic White Photography

Notre Dame–Themed Bedroom

A tween's love of the University of Notre Dame inspires a super-sized bedroom with tons of space to hang out surrounded by his favorite college and football team.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

In the Zones

Outfitted in shades of gold and navy, the Notre Dame-inspired room is broken into zones: one for sleeping, and another for homework and studying. Rather than relying heavily on mascots and literal nods to the college and its football team, color is the main thematic element.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Color Palette

One of the most efficient and effective ways to translate an idea into a design is to focus on color. Navy is a neutral, so it worked best for the walls. The intensity of the yellow-golds is better suited for accents to give the room more flexibility over the years.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Extra Seating

To avoid an overly gimmicky design, it's wise to introduce a few elements that throw the theme off — this keeps a room from looking matchy-matchy. For additional seating, a darkly stained bench was placed at the edge of the bed. The dark brown helps break up the otherwise blue and yellow tones of the room.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Classic Work Space Furniture

When outfitting children, tween and teen rooms with furniture, it's often better to choose long-term pieces that can grow with the kids. For this workstation, a midcentury modern desk with industrial lines was paired with a classic 1960s desk chair. This retro look appeals to kids. Should they grow tired of the design later on, the pieces can be used in other spaces as well.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Layered Rugs

If the room you are updating has wall-to-wall carpet, and you don't have the budget or time to replace it, try layering an oversized area rug on top of what's already there. The textural rug here helps carry the Notre Dame color palette from the walls down onto the floor.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Layering Colors

A designer trick for taking an inspiration palette and putting a fresh twist on it that avoids gimmicks is to layer several shades of those colors together. While the main blue for the room is dark navy, there are also medium blues and blue-grays used throughout the room with textiles, art and glass lamps.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Mix of Old and New

In this room, some stadium seating similar to the kind at the University of Notre Dame was added as a nod to the tween's favorite college and team. Anytime you're putting together a space and want it to feel more lived-in and personal, try using a mix of new and old furniture.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Statement Pieces

When executing a space inspired by a theme or idea, always be sure to include elements that are not in the same style. For example, the tween's favorite sports gear — while not intentionally meant for decorating — helps keep the bedroom personalized to his own taste which avoids the possibility of the room feeling flat.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Versatile Bed

As you put together the design for a theme-inspired room, keep the thematic elements changeable — removable wallpaper, for example — and invest in more basic staple pieces. Here, the canopy bed adds a touch of gold to the otherwise navy space, but it's not necessarily tied only to working with a Notre Dame look.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Window Covering

Window coverings can completely add to or neutralize the intended theme of any space. Since this space boldly boasts the Notre Dame palette, neutral grey window shades keep the room feeling more collected.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

A Stylish Take on a Sports-Themed Teen Bedroom

Related To:

Shop This Look

Notre Dame–Themed Bedroom

In the Zones

Color Palette

Extra Seating

Classic Work Space Furniture

Layered Rugs

Layering Colors

Mix of Old and New

Statement Pieces

Versatile Bed

Window Covering

Hip Teen Bedroom Decorating Ideas 62 Photos

65 Chic Bedroom Decorating Ideas for Teen Girls 65 Photos

15 Stylish Tween Bedrooms 15 Photos

30 Teen Bedroom Color Ideas 31 Photos

The Best Places to Buy Teen Decor Online

50 Bedroom Design Ideas for Teenagers 51 Photos

Related Pages