Disclosure: DuoBed, Canvas Champ, and PermaLeaf® provided products to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed within are my own and have not been influenced in any way.
For years our basement was the perfect place for the boys to play – room to run, room for the huge toys that come with toddlerhood, room for the mess that is childhood. However, in the eight years we have been in the house, the needs of the kids have changed. They have mostly outgrown the big toys and they now are straddling kid life (LEGOs, Playmobil, Nerf) with their “tween-like” interests of sports, gaming, and socializing.
Storage Solutions for a Tween Room
Storage is one of our biggest issues in our basement. We have one small closet and an awkward bar area. Unfortunately, neither of these help much in storing all of the toys, games, and collectable the kids have amassed.
Luckily, I have found the solution.
Recently, I was introduced to DuoBed, a woman-owned, “made in the USA” furniture company. Their modular storage is exactly the solution I was looking for in this tween room.
Covered in polyester fabric, it can be spot cleaned and is colorfast. There is even a commercial fabric option that is water resistant and can withstand laundry detergent and diluted bleach.It is durable enough to withstand my boys and can serve as a sofa OR bed!
However, the flexibility in seating is nowhere near the best part. The seats open up into two huge storage areas.
When I say huge, I am not exaggerating. In one of the seats, I was able to store the entirety of my sons’ massive Hot Wheels collection.
In the other seat, I stored my middle son’s precious Playmobil collection. The storage capabilities elevated most of the mess in the basement.
Now toys that used to end up spread throughout the room are contained, accessible, and hidden!
I would buy the DuoBed again and again for guest rooms, playrooms, nurseries, or offices. I love that it can serve as a twin bed (with a fitted sheet) or a sofa. It is plush, durable, and my favorite piece of furniture in my house.
Wall Decor for a Tween Room
Over the DuoBed, I wanted to hang a typography print that was masculine, meaningful, and graphic. One of my favorite quotes is from Zac Brown Band’s “Homegrown” where he sings, “Here in a small town where it feels like home, I have everything I need, and nothing that I don’t.” So, when I found a gorgeous printable of the Zac Brown Band quote from FiveCentStudio, I custom ordered the print in the 30″ x 40″ size and had it printed by CanvasChamp.
The print is of high quality and the prices are incredibly affordable for such a huge print! If you are looking for large scale canvas prints in prices you can afford, I suggest CanvasChamp. I was impressed with the customer service and the speed at which my order arrived! They are offering custom sizes from 5″x7″ to 54″x54″. They are absolutely beautiful! They are wrapped around the canvas and look great. Turn your photos into beautiful canvas art — create your canvas now!
Adding Life to a Tween Room
Our basement sits completely below ground and is somewhat dark. I need some major help trying to light this room, as some areas are bright, while others are definitely not. I am tempted to add more lamps, but with rough and tumble boys, that screams broken-glass-disaster.
One thing I do know about decor is that a little greenery can go a long way. With no natural light, my options for live plants are limited. I love the looks of fiddle leaf figs, but I have a black thumb when it comes to indoor plants. PermaLeaf® provided a 5 foot, realistic fig tree to bring some life into the boys’ tween hangout.
The stem is so life-like that my mom thought the plant was real!
This beautiful artificial outdoor plant is something that even I will get to keep alive!
We recommissioned our old Melissa and Doug train table into a LEGO building area/coffee table for the boys. I am thinking of adding a thin piece of wood on top to make the table convert to a flat space for Pokémon card trading. A small lamp gives some light and an old IKEA storage block serves as a end table for books and more.
How have you transitioned your kids from a playroom to something more “cool”? How do you make the space functional and fun?
Leave a Reply