Behind the Design of the Boys Bunk Room

There’s something about boyhood that I wish I could pause and hold onto for just a little longer.

When Tyson and I started dreaming about the Boys Bunk Room, I kept coming back to that feeling. I wanted to create a space where our three boys could be fully immersed in this season of their lives. A place for imagination, adventure, quiet moments and all the wonderful things that come with growing up.

As a mom, I’ve always believed that the spaces we create for our children become part of their story. They're the backdrop to bedtime conversations, favorite books, inside jokes and little traditions that eventually become lifelong memories.

For Dax, River & Crew, I wanted that backdrop to feel especially meaningful. A little nostalgic, a little adventurous, full of personality and designed to celebrate boyhood exactly as it is today.

Here's how we brought it all together.

Design for the Childhood They're Living

One of my favorite things about designing children's spaces is the opportunity to celebrate the age they're in right now. I think sometimes we're so focused on creating rooms our kids can grow into that we forget to make them special for the season they're actually living.

For the Boys Bunk Room, I leaned into a little Peter Pan inspiration. I wanted that feeling of opening the door and stepping into another world, with nautical details, playful touches and a sense of adventure woven throughout.

The little sailboat, vintage artwork, collected treasures and Long Live Boyhood sentiment all contribute to that feeling.

It's whimsical without feeling overly themed, and there's a certain timelessness to the room that I really love.

Design Tip: Don't be afraid to embrace the season your children are in. A room can feel sophisticated and thoughtfully designed while still leaving plenty of room for imagination and play.

Make Room for Growing Up Together

One of the most intentional decisions Tyson and I made was having our three boys share a bedroom. They're so close in age, and I love the idea of them experiencing these years together. I'm a twin myself, and even during seasons when my sister and I had separate rooms, we always seemed to find our way back to each other.

I wanted that same sense of togetherness for our boys.

Of course, designing one room for three growing boys meant thinking carefully about how the space would function.

I designed the custom built-in bunks alongside our House Sprucing carpentry team, making sure each boy had his own designated sleeping space, storage drawers and little shelving areas for the things that matter most to him.

We also incorporated stairs for accessing the upper bunks and built everything directly into the room for a sturdy, integrated design.

I wanted the room to feel beautiful, but I also wanted the boys to actually live in it. They're going to climb, play, laugh and make memories here, and the design needed to support that.

Design Tip: When designing a shared children's room, think beyond where everyone will sleep. Give each child a few places that feel distinctly theirs, and consider how custom built-ins can solve storage and layout challenges that standard furniture might not.

Find Your Color Story in Something You Love

The color palette for this room didn't begin with a paint swatch.

It began with pieces we already owned and loved.

There's a beautiful vintage rug Tyson and I found while living in Verona, Italy. We used to spend our weekends visiting antique shops, and this rug came from a little shop across from where Tyson worked.

I also had a collected painting of a motorboat in a burlwood frame that I discovered at a design sale after we moved to Texas. It's traveled through different nurseries and rooms over the years, and I knew I wanted to incorporate it again.

Together, those two pieces helped establish the colors that would carry through the entire space.

We chose a beautiful green for the walls and built-in bunks, creating this calming, almost canopy-like feeling throughout the room. It feels grounded and peaceful, which I especially love for a space where the boys begin and end their days.

Then we introduced a lighter plaid wallpaper from York Wallcoverings, carrying it across the walls and onto the ceiling.

The plaid brings in a more traditional, almost gentlemanly feeling that balances the playful elements. It also gives the deeper green some breathing room while adding another layer of pattern and texture.

Design Tip: Before choosing your paint colors, look at the art, rugs or textiles you already love. Let those pieces guide your palette. And don't forget the fifth wall! Bringing wallpaper onto the ceiling can make a room feel completely immersive.

Let the Details Tell Your Family's Story

This might be my favorite part of the entire room.

I believe some of the most meaningful design layers are the things that have a history behind them.

There's a little sailboat displayed in the Boys Bunk Room that Tyson and I purchased in Hawaii when we were newlyweds. We bought it for the children we hoped we'd have someday.

At the time, we had no idea how long our journey to becoming parents would be. After years of infertility and IVF, having that little boat in our boys' room today means more to me than I can really put into words.

Every time I see it, I'm reminded of how grateful we are that they're here.

We've also incorporated pieces from Tyson's childhood, including his Boy Scout uniform and old trophies. I love the idea of the boys seeing little reminders of who their dad was at their age.

Their own baseball keepsakes, championship rings and favorite collectibles are mixed in, too.

Even the artwork has a history. There's a small vintage painting we found at an estate sale when we lived in Los Angeles, along with other collected pieces we've held onto through different chapters of our lives.

None of these things were chosen simply to fill a shelf or finish a wall. They're meaningful to us, and that's what makes the room feel so personal.

Design Tip: Don't overlook the things you already own when styling a room. Family heirlooms, childhood keepsakes, travel finds and collected artwork can bring more personality to a space than anything purchased just to fill an empty spot.

Create Little Places for Discovery

One of the most fun details we incorporated into the custom bunks was a series of little shelves tucked inside each boy's sleeping space.

I wanted them to have somewhere to keep their treasures, souvenirs, collectibles and whatever else feels important to them at this age.

River actually told me that one of his favorite things about the room is being able to turn his head and see all of his special things displayed beside him.

I loved hearing that because it was exactly what I hoped those little spaces would become.

We also added personalized pennant flags above their beds, giving each boy his own name and a little collegiate-inspired detail within the larger design.

Their favorite stuffed animals and pillows make each bunk feel individual, too.

And throughout the room, I incorporated unexpected dimensional elements, like vintage tennis rackets displayed as art.

That's something I learned from my own mom, who is also an interior designer. Growing up, she would hang things like vintage skis, fishing equipment and other interesting objects on the walls. I loved how those pieces added personality and made a room feel more collected.

Design Tip: Think beyond framed artwork when decorating children's spaces. Sports equipment, collections, meaningful objects and unexpected dimensional pieces can become beautiful design elements while reflecting the things your kids actually love.

Choose Finishes That Make Everyday Life Easier

With three boys sharing one room, the practical details were just as important as the decorative ones.

We replaced the carpeting with LVP flooring from Lucida Surfaces, which gives the room a clean, finished look and adds a beautiful foundation beneath all of the layered furnishings.

For the beds, I wanted something comfortable, durable and easy for the boys to manage themselves.

We chose zippered bedding from Beddy's in a classic chambray-inspired fabric. I love how the denim-like texture works with the traditional plaid and nautical details, but I especially love how simple it makes keeping the beds tidy.

We layered in additional blankets, decorative pillows and textiles to bring softness and personality to each bunk.

The lighting was another detail I spent a lot of time considering. I wanted fixtures that felt almost like portholes, bringing in a subtle nautical reference without making the room feel too literal.

We sourced the lighting and additional furnishings through House Sprucing, including our Dax chair, which was especially fun to incorporate because we named that chair years ago.

Even the door hardware from Nostalgic Warehouse plays a role. I love that the experience of entering the room begins with something as simple as turning a beautiful doorknob.

Design Tip: Great design should make everyday life easier, not more complicated. Choose materials, furnishings and storage solutions that support how a room will actually be used, then look for opportunities to make those practical elements beautiful.

Design for How the Room Will Be Lived In

One of the things I love most about the finished Boys Bunk Room is how much our whole family enjoys being there.

It's where the boys read, play, talk and settle in at the end of the day. We have family conversations and say bedtime prayers together, and sometimes I even find myself falling asleep beside them because the room feels so peaceful.

One of our favorite traditions is having a family sleepover in the Boys Bunk Room on Christmas Eve. We bring in a television, watch a Christmas movie together and all wake up in the same room on Christmas morning.

Those are the moments I think about when I look around this space.

I'm proud that I took the time to create something so intentional for our boys. Not because every detail is perfect, but because the room celebrates who they are and gives them a place to enjoy these years together.

I hope that someday, when they're older, they'll remember the conversations across their bunks, the little treasures on their shelves and the feeling of having a world that belonged to the three of them.

Because that's what I love most about designing a home. It's not simply about creating beautiful spaces. It's about creating places where life happens.

And for this chapter of our family's story, I can't imagine a better place for that than the Boys Bunk Room.

Long live boyhood.

Let's Create Something Special for Your Family

Designing a children's room often means balancing a lot of different needs. You want something beautiful, but you also need it to be functional, durable, personal and able to grow with your family.

That's where our House Sprucing team loves to help.

From custom-designed bunk beds and built-in storage to lighting, flooring, furnishings, bedding and finishing details, we can help bring your ideas together in a way that works for your home.

Many of the furnishings and accessories featured throughout the Boys Bunk Room are available through House Sprucing, and our team can also help source similar pieces inspired by the space.

Whether you're dreaming up an entirely new room or looking to refresh the one you have, we'd love to help you create something special.

Inquire about House Sprucing design services to get started on your project. Visit the House Sprucing showroom from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday through Friday, or call or text us at 214-471-0917.