I love it when a client comes at you with a design challenge that TOTALLY freaks you out in the best way possible!
Jax… a freshman in high school… with a VERY clear idea about what he wanted in his “teen room transformation”… was exactly this type of client…
His specific requests?
A white shag carpet, lava lamps, pop art featuring his favorite rap artists and/or athletes, color splashes throughout the rest of the room in the lighting and art, but neutral shades everywhere else (furniture and bedding)…
My first thought?
OMG… how am I going to pull this off without heading directly into Austin Powers, “YEAH BABY” territory?
Well… with a little time to think things over… and a few inspiration board revisions, we quickly arrived at what I believe to be a cool, clean, modern version of the vision Jax had imagined… and I was truly excited over a style of room that was not typically a part of my aesthetic repertoire.
Let’s get to the before shots, shall we?
This room had a few antique pieces that Jax had obviously outgrown, but especially the bed. Teenage boys need to SPRAWL… and said bed needed to go… (and we don’t really need to comment on the carpet, right?)…
BAM! I love it when you call me Big Poppa…
Jax was upgraded to a queen size platform bed (in a neutral tone), and the carpet received a “make under”, so that the new shagalicious rug could take center stage.
For space reasons (and so the door could swing ALMOST fully open), we had to find reasonably small side tables, and these PB Teen trunks did the trick!
The bedside lamps are Jonathan Adler, and were definitely a splurge, but man-oh-man did they tie in nicely with Biggy on the wall!
And speaking of that wall… I pushed hard for some wallpaper, and mama Gerryann finally gave me the go-ahead once I found this temporary version named “Jewel” from Chasing Paper (it’s my nod to any rap star’s love of bling).
Clean white bedding with some pillows in cream, gray, black and white keep the rest of the area calm…
… and the piece de resistance… a custom namesake neon sign!
On the other side of the room, we were dealing with a hodgepodge of furniture and an air-hockey table that would soon be relegated to the “man cave”.
Jax’s main request for this area was a “super cozy, comfy chair to do homework and reading in”.
I took a little gamble on this lounge chair, because I had never seen it, or sat in it personally… but it worked beautifully, and added the extra dose of texture I was looking for.
The side table (with storage) is from Target, and we found the dresser at One King’s Lane.
Accessories are a mix of gray and gold, except for those LAVA LAMPS… which I think I have a new-found appreciation for??!! I mean… how fun!!!
Searching for a “catch all” for the bureau… I came across the gold crown from West Elm… and again, it was if all of the hip-hop stars had aligned for me (and Biggy).
Finally… we did a mini re-style of the desk area.
We mounted the T.V., added a few new accessories, and switched out the chair.
Jax wanted to keep his “height chart” on the wall, which I thought was SUPER sweet… and shows us that YES… teenage boys can be quite sentimental and adorable (I can attest to the fact that he is)…
So “high five” to Jax for pushing my boundaries on this project…
… and another big thank you to Bethany Nauert for the beautiful photos!
If you have a budding rap/athlete teenager who’s into lava lamps, pop art and “sprawling” furniture… you are in LUCK… because I’ve rounded up “the look” for you below!
That old room? It was all a dream…
1. RH Teen Beck Upholstered Platform Bed | 2. West Elm Crown Catchall | 3. Land Of Nod Square Throw Pillow | 4. Lava Lamps | 5. Land Of Nod Neutral Shapes Throw Pillow | 6. Felix Bowl By Matthew Ward | 7. Dot & Bo Piper Armchair and Ottoman | 8. Brass High Five | 9. West Elm Faux Shagreen Box | 10. Target Storage Drum Accent Table | 11. Land Of Nod Wanderer Throw Pillow | 12. West Elm Metal Sphere | 13. B.I.G. Canvas Print | 14. Dalton Dresser | 15. Custom Neon Sign | 16. Jonathan Adler Large Capri Torchiere |17. Shag Rug |18. PB Teen Collector’s Metal Trunk