It’s been a while since I’ve put together a random mood board. Last time around, I put together a tween boy’s room (inspired by the 12-year-old version of my little brother). Since then, I’ve had a few email requests for a tween girl’s room, so I thought it would be fun to dig into my inner-tween (Oh yes, I have one. I watch the Disney Channel) and put together a fun, fresh and girly mood board…

What I love about this room is that is can easily grow up. Just take away the One Direction poster and switch out the owl side table and you’ve got yourself an airy feminine room. Okay, keep the owl side table. I love it too. Now, for the 411…

Finishes // Barely there “greige” walls, dark walnut wood furniture with simple lines and navy blue and coral accents.

1 //  Charles White Round Mirror // I’m in love with this mirror. The simple lines will tie in with the furniture but the round shape will add some needed curves to pull off the girly vibe. Look for Less: Try out a DIY version by cutting small white PVC and gluing the pieces onto round, white-framed mirror.

2 // Wyatt Bed with Storage // This simple bed brings a nice streamlined style and soft upholstery to the bedroom and even has a hidden drawer that pulls out from the foot of the bed for extra storage space – something every tween girl can use.

3 // Bulldog Pillow & Ikat Pillow // These two pillows are the perfect mix of fun and class. The bulldog shows a bit of modern personality, while the Ikat brings in a little class that moms will love, too. Look for Less: Search Etsy for affordable and stylish pillow covers.

4 // Mercury Glass Lamp // I switched out the lampshade that comes on this lamp with a plain white drum shade to tie in with the crisp white bedding. The base will add some fun metallic texture and be a nice contrast against the dark wood side table.

5 // Modern Chair // I’m such a big fan of this chair (in every color!). The gray version is soothing and plays as a great backdrop for the bright accent colors throughout the room. Oh, and I “stained” the legs darker to tie in to the side table (thanks to some Photoshop magic). It would be pretty easy for any DIYer to sand the legs down, stain them, and re-apply a thin coat of polyurethane.

6 // Owl Garden Side Table // This little garden side table adds a touch of whimsy and is perfect for a classy tween girly girl.

7 // Heirloom Rug // Adding yet another big pop of color, this yellow rug is kind of like adding fresh tomatoes to a pesto pizza – it adds the perfect amount of acidity to balance everything out. Is it lunch time?

8 // Steppe Nightstand // The solid wood construction of this night stand is made to last through the teen years. Look for Less: This nightstand is made from less durable material, but it has the same lines at a fraction of the price.

9 // Bodega Storage Box Set // These storage boxes tie in well with the color scheme and are a perfect place to stash notes from friends and important keepsakes. Look for Less: Paint a set of unfinished wooden boxes (found at Michaels) with high gloss coral paint and embellish with silver nail heads or thumb tacks.

10 // Be You Print // Fun, modern art and a great motto for a tween girl to live by. The metallic gold text will bring in some glam that every girl needs.

11 // Fetco Cork Board // What’s a tween room without a memo board? A few of these little cork boards lined up over a desk will be great for reminders, photos and notes from mom. And they’re on sale for $6!

So, what’s the verdict? If you were a Tween again, would this room be your cup of tea?

Earlier this week, I had the itch to design a random mood board just for fun (yep, that’s my kind of fun). While I was trying to drum up some inspiration, my little brother gave me a call to chat, which gave me an idea. He’s been in working in LA for the past eight months (more about that in this post) and even though I’m married and in my own place now, it’s weird not having Abram just down the street and popping over for Mario Kart marathons. Instead, we settle for FaceTime chats and WiiConnect – thank goodness for the Internet. In other words, I miss him. A lot.

Growing up, one of my big sister privileges was helping my mom decorate his rooms. I got the chance to revamp his room in the LA apartment last year (check out that project here) but I still kind of miss decorating his kid rooms. I haven’t done a “kid’s room” mood board yet, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Abram is 18 now, but if he were 12 or 13, this is what I’d have in mind…

1 // MVP Stripe Quilt 2 // Los Angeles Typography Art 3 // Industrial Floor Lamp
4 // Cooper Arm Chair 5 // Classic Wool Border Rug 6 // Weathered Route 66 Sign
7 // Ampersand Marquee 8 // Wire Storage Basket 9 // Hemnes Dresser

I started with the bedding and pulled from those colors. The rug and dresser are good, solid “base pieces” that aren’t too busy, so they don’t take away from the other things in the room. I really liked the chair because it reminded me of an old car seat. Thinking along the lines of classic cars (without making the room themey) inspired the Route 66 sign, which inspired the vintage wire basket storage and floor lamp. Pulling from the orange in the bedding, the large ampersand marquee light and modern typography artwork bring in a little fun modern twist and a pop of color.

So, that’s my take on a non-themey, modern meets vintage room that a 12-13 year old boy could grow up with. Hopefully this stroll down memory lane helps a mom (or big sister) decorate their little guy’s room. Happy weekend everyone!

For this week’s mood board, I wanted to do something a little different than past mood boards and go with an overall masculine vibe. It’s not too masculine though – add some flowers and a tray of “pretty things” and you’ve got a pretty good gender-balanced room. That aim, along with all of the back-to-school ads on TV, caused me to end up going with “masculine schoolhouse chic”. So, after some fun online window-shopping and asking Greg “Is this too girly?” about a hundred times, here’s what I came up with…

1. Finishes – In this room, I see taupe/gray walls like Martha Stewart’s Cobblestone, white trim and lots of old, worn, wood accent furniture. As for metals, I see this room having a mixture of it all – brass, nickel, oil-rubbed bronze–the whole family. This, along with the reclaimed wood, will bring home the vintage collected feel. When it comes to accent colors, I think a punch of red here and there would really do the trick. Not Crayola red or burgundy (ugh, I shuddered just typing that), but an old-fashioned, vintage red.

2. Schoolhouse Pendant – Nothing says “Schoolhouse” like a vintage-inspired Schoolhouse pendant. We originally planned on doing something like these down our hallway, but ended up deciding differently. But they are still one of my all-time favorite lighting options.

3. USA Wall Map – Is this not the coolest? It looks like a giant chalkboard map. It also has a lot of weathered accents, which go really well in this room. In the product reviews on Urban Outfitter’s website, someone mentioned their friend using it as a headboard. Definitely an interesting idea!

4. Quad Clock – I love this clock for so many reasons. The square shape, exposed screws and chunky hands make it really unique. It’s 15 and 3/4 inches square, but I wish it was a little bigger. It’s just that cool.

5. Augustus Library Shelf – This is a great place to put lots of vintage books and odds and ends. I especially love the little bookplate labels on the front of each shelf. If you want to splurge a little, Restoration Hardware’s Dutch Shipyard Tower would look uhhmazing in this room. Just saying.

6. André Sofa – This sofa really works in this room because it’s clean, simple and doesn’t demand a lot of attention. It’s also really tailored-looking, which helps bring along the masculine vibe. The navy fabric would go really well with the taupe/gray walls.

7. Open Vintage Book Instillation – Did you see the first episode of Design Star Allstars on HGTV? If not you can catch a recap here. Kellie did a really cool wall art installation with opened books. She opened them all the way, attached the covers to the wall (so they looked like the book on the mood board) and staggered 4 rows (10 total, 2 rows of 3 and 2 rows of 2) of them on the wall. You can get a little glimpse of them in this photo. She ended up going home that episode and totally shouldn’t have. But I’m not bitter. Moving on…

8. Library Flat File Coffee Table – I’m totally teasing you with this ultra-amazing coffee table… it’s not available anymore. I know, I know! I think we need to get together a petition for Pottery Barn to bring it back, along with the Rare Prints sign. Click through to the link and check it out in all it’s glory. If you luck out and find a similar flat file unit at an antique/thrift store, add some casters and a wood top, and you’ve got yourself a really great DIY project.

9. Vintage Globes – A collection of vintage globes along a sideboard or even a high bookcase would look pretty awesome. It would give the room a really collected feel, and also tie in with the large map art.

So, what’s the verdict? Failing grade or too cool for school? Yeah, I went there ; )