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Child Kid
The Only Child Myth
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Decorate a vintage nautical themed boy's room in just one weekend!

A vintage nautical theme can be as practical in nursery decor as it would be for the growing boy's bedroom, and lasting themes are important when it comes to decorating at the pace of a child's growth and maturity. Interior decorators are often attracted to vintage themes, styles going as far back as the 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s, because everything from advertisements to architecture conveyed a distinct artsy appeal that will remain timeless in home decor. This article will tell you how you can redecorate a boy's bedroom in a vintage nautical theme in just one weekend.

Start with a colour theme that your and your children will enjoy for many years. For this theme, bold primary colours (royal blue, apple red, sunny yellow) will complement the nautical themed bedding and wall decor, and fit in to the classic kid look. A royal blue on the walls will work perfectly; it reminds us of sailboats and ocean water. Instead of painting the entire wall solid blue, for extra visual interest, tape off a 24" portion along the middle of the wall, keep it white, but maybe paint 2" lines of varying red, blue, and yellow horizontal stripes to help incorporate other primary colours (and resembles striped sails). Painting a room will take only a couple of hours to a day, and the other decor accessories will fall into place quickly.

A bunk bed painted in one of your primary colours (red or even white would look great) will help add space and style. Curtains, floor cushions, pillows, and other bedding for boys in this nautical theme are easy to find, and will really add definition to the room theme. Blues, reds, and yellows can be incorporated from pillowcases, accessory pillows, quilts, duvets, and throws. A window seat makes a perfect reading nook, and by adding a bench cushion in the same primary colours like red, blue, yellow, or classic sailboat white and stripes is an easy way to add to the theme.

A very inexpensive wall decor idea is to frame vintage prints of boat advertisements or pencil drawn sailing pictures from vintage sources. Many thrift stores will have National Geographic magazines dating back to the 30s and 40s, and for less than a dollar, you can have a whole collection of sailing advertisements and art that are frame worthy; people will marvel over your unique decor.

Antique toys in this theme should be pretty easy and affordable to find as well, and look beautiful when displayed on bookshelves. Even adults will incorporate antique toys in their decor, so this element will definitely grow with your child. If you have kept some sailing toys from your childhood or if you find these treasures on your next trip to the antique store, now is the time to add them to your room decoration!

Some people have been lucky to find large vintage sailing posters at their local antique store, but with the Internet, you are definitely going to find hundreds of options either as a replica or the real deal that are going to top off the suave style in your boy's bedroom.

Pulling together real antiques and replicas can quickly become an addicting decorating hobby. Vintage themes are a wonderful expression of our history and culture, and can transform any room when blended with contemporary design; a decorating technique growing increasingly popular in the last few years.

This is a feature article from Katrina Foulkes-Taylor, owner of The House Queen: your go-to resource in home decor. For more helpful decorating information, visit The House Queen website at http://thehousequeen.com.au/ or the House Queen Blog at http://blog.thehousequeen.com.au/.

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