I’ll be honest.  I didn’t have a set amount to spend on Caleb’s room. The goal was just to do it as cheaply as possible without so much DIY that it would get overwhelming. I was dealing with cash, so before I made a purchase I really weighed whether this was the best use for the money.  There were several times I was standing there hemming and hawing about whether I should buy something or not (desk, bird pillow), and I told myself, “It’s for your son….just do it.” I can be really cheap at times, then at other times just spend the money thinking I’ll be happy I did later.  (Which isn’t always the case.)

I haven’t added it all up before I do it live right here….I’m a little scared to see the total. What’s a good room makeover budget anyway?  The little things add up quickly for sure. I could have easily spent an extra $1,000 if we had done the hardwood floors and removed the ceiling texture….so I’m calling this a win for now :).

There was some additional expense for printing the pages at home.  Ink and paper are not free, but I’ve never figured out what it costs to print a page.  (Some things I’d rather not know so I can happily print in ignorant bliss.)  We do have a printer with the cheap refillable Costco cartridges.

I also plan to go back to Ikea and grab him a Trysil nightstand for $39.99.

And a Svarta trundle bed for $79.99.  We often have extra guests and the kids have been dragging our extra mattress from bedroom to bedroom.  It will be nice to have one just for this space.

After I finished building his desk, I turned the page and found the instructions for building it the other way, you know, so the cord hole would be right by the outlet, forehead smack! I think I’ll move the lamp to the nightstand anyway, so it won’t be a big deal. It still would have been handy for his laptop though.

This bird pillow made me giggle. Caleb smiled when he saw it. I like it when he smiles, dimples everywhere.

Here are all the textures of pillows together.  I almost didn’t buy the bumpled gray one, but then I remembered “texture” being one of the things to add interest to the room. I’m glad I got it.  To be honest I almost didn’t buy any of them, but I already had the pillow forms at home and Darren was making comments about putting them in the yard sale. These were Potty Barn brand feather inserts that I got for a steal. It seemed right to give them a useful purpose.

This is the beginning of his lego wall.  He spent a long time getting his collection all sorted out into the bins (which are $8 for a 4 pack and can be ordered online from Home Depot.)  The rails they hang on are bright yellow, but you can’t see them when the bins are put away.

The floating shelves are to store his finished creations until he’s ready to make something new. (He used to store these treasures on the floor, ouch!) He also has some airplane and car models for the top shelf.  The black boxes hold his lego manuals, Boy Scout guides, and his favorite drawings.

I’m going to make this work table for him to put under the bins and have all the parts with one change. My table top is a hollow core door that I’ll paint with the leftover floor paint.

These are 3 of the pictures from here. (The ones on either side of his window are from here too.  I love putting up scripture for him to look at and be inspired by.) I’m going to grab another frame and put a fourth one up to fill the space out better.  He has a poster sized map of South Dakota that he bought on vacation with my parents. I’m going to grab a matching frame for it and put it somewhere too.  It means a lot to him. The stick of bamboo in the corner was Caleb’s first addition to the room.  I’m not sure what it is about boys and sticks.

If you’re wondering where all the rest of his stuff is, it’s in his closet.  His closet is 6 x 13 with tons of shelves which is handy for keeping his room clutter free.  His dresser is in there with his toy shelf.  That room is in desperate need of tidying up, a task for another day.