Mean green themed bedroom

Kids' Corner from Your Home and Garden magazine

Creating a mean, green, themed bedroom can be remarkably simple with the help of a tonal Resene palette and some cheap and cheerful DIY projects.

Many kids will want a themed bedroom at some stage – it could be anything from Batman or Lego to animals or fairies. For some parents, this is their worst nightmare design-wise, but it is possible to embrace the theme your child loves without forking out on branded (and often garish) merchandise with a limited lifespan. All you need is a clever way with paint and a few DIY accessories.

In this dinosaur bedroom, the duvet cover (which ties all the colours in the room together) and the ‘Roar!’ cushion are the only overtly themed furnishings. Everything else is neutral or easily homemade, but unified through the colour scheme. To create accessories for your child’s chosen look, simply use existing toys or get creative and turn inexpensive toys or ornaments into decor, as we have with our dino mirror and 3D dinosaur art.

Wall feature:

To create some interest on the walls, we chose three shades of green. Starting with the darkest colour at the bottom, we worked our way up the wall, getting lighter as we went. Our stripes are all the same width (80cm in this case) – just divide the height of your wall by three. Use painter’s masking tape to mask the stripes for a crisp finish.

Stripes painted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Family Tree (darkest), Resene Mother Nature and Resene Peace. Floor painted in Resene Walk-on in Resene Peace. 3D dino art and light painted in Resene Peace. Dino mirror and bedside table painted in Resene Permanent Green. Ceramic dinosaur on table painted in Resene Family Tree. Accessories: Junior Depot reversible dinosaur double duvet set (grid pattern on other side), Roar cushion, from Bed Bath & Beyond. Chain-knit throw in green, wool blend rug, T-rex toy (on rug), dinosaur activity book, from Kmart. Home Republic jersey fitted sheet, jersey euro pillowcase, from Adairs. All other items stylist’s own.

Dino mirror & 3D wall art

For this fun idea get a cheap mirror (ours was from Briscoes) and give the frame two coats of Resene paint (we chose Resene Permanent Green), letting it dry between coats. (If frame is not wood, start with a coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and let this dry before painting). Give some plastic dinosaurs (ours were a bag from Look Sharp) two coats of the same Resene paint. Once all is dry, use liquid nails to glue dinosaurs to the frame, then leave overnight before hanging. To go with the mirror, try creating a piece of 3D art by painting a small box picture frame and a plastic dinosaur in the colour of your choice (we used Resene Peace). Remove glass and fit a piece of sturdy black cardboard inside. Glue dinosaur to card with liquid nails.

Resene Permanent Green

Resene Family Tree

Resene Mother Nature

Resene Peace

Created and styled by Vanessa Nouwens. Photography by Wendy Fenwick.

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April 2019

Kid's Bedroom Decorating Ideas
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