Tips for Decorating a Shared Kids’ Room With Vintage Flair

Vintage style is timeless, budget-friendly — and totally on trend. Put this classic look to work in a kid’s room by using thrift store and flea market finds in playful ways that will grow with them.

By: Marian Parsons

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: Marian Parsons

Old School

Start with a loose theme that can be conveyed with vintage and second-hand pieces. It’s helpful to see what you already have to work with and which of those items your child/children are drawn to. In this case, the theme is collegiate sports, which speaks to both family history and the boys’ current interests.

From: Marian Parsons

Maximizing Storage

Kids' rooms are always in need of a little more storage for tucking away toys and treasures. Instead of purchasing a table-style nightstand without any storage, use a small cabinet or chest of drawers. These pieces can typically be picked up at yard sales and flea markets for $50 or less.

From: Marian Parsons

Let the Kids Help

Decorating a kid’s room can be a delicate give-and-take between the parent’s will and the child’s. Kids won’t love their latest character infatuation for very long, and parents wants to steer their kid toward choices with more longevity. Stuffed animals and decorative toys are a great place to let the kids get involved to showcase their current loves with items that are easily swapped out as their interests shift.

From: Marian Parsons

Recycled Decor

Old baseballs, retired from use, can be put in a basket or glass jar and used as decor instead of being thrown away. What else can be recycled as decor? Favorite T-shirts that have been outgrown, wooden toys that are no longer played with, dance shoes that are too small, etc.

From: Marian Parsons

Mix + Match

Giving a room the look that it’s been collected over time is one of the hallmarks of vintage style. Mix old patchwork quilts with ticking-striped bedding, mismatched pillows and used furniture pieces in different styles and finishes. Vintage style is very forgiving.

From: Marian Parsons

Tee Up With This Valance

A vintage wooden golf club, purchased at a flea market for a few dollars, becomes the rod for a window valance when hung from orphaned curtain rod brackets. Tie felt pennant banners onto the golf club to create a unique (and fuss-free) window treatment.

From: Marian Parsons

Unconventional Art

There's a whole wide world of fun stuff that can be hung on a wall and used as art. In this boys' room, vintage wooden tennis rackets that were found in a relative’s attic are used as three-dimensional, unconventional art. They are secured to the wall with a few carefully placed large nails.

From: Marian Parsons

Nooks + Crannies

Kids love little secret places, like tents, forts, nooks and alcoves. Awkward spaces in a room, like dormers and niches, can become a favorite spot simply with the addition of a small desk or a comfy chair. A curtain can easily be installed for added privacy.

From: Marian Parsons

Color Cues

Build your color palette around a specific fabric, textile or featured item to keep the room's look cohesive. In this shared boys' room, the blue and orange palette was based on a pair of vintage patchwork quilts and a felt collegiate banner. Using one or two key pieces as a starting point will make future decorating selections, like paint color and accessories, more focused.

From: Marian Parsons

Twinning

If the room’s size allows, twin beds are an ideal choice for kid’s bedrooms, even if it’s occupied by just one kid. The bonus bed can be used for sleepovers and offer flexibility to convert the kid’s room to a guest room, if necessary.

From: Marian Parsons

Tips for Decorating a Shared Kids’ Room With Vintage Flair

Related To:

Shop This Look

Old School

Maximizing Storage

Let the Kids Help

Recycled Decor

Mix + Match

Tee Up With This Valance

Unconventional Art

Nooks + Crannies

Color Cues

Twinning

35 Shared Kids' Room Design Ideas 35 Photos

Decorating Kids' Rooms 15 Videos

Create a Cozy Guest Room With Farmhouse Flair 10 Photos

Boy and Girl's Shared Bedroom 4 Videos

Vintage-Inspired Baby Boy's Room

Colorful Pattern-Filled Shared Boys' Bedroom 5 Photos

Related Pages