Cowpoke Heaven
Give your boy’s
room western flair
Every boy dreams of riding and
roping and playing cowboy.
Make the dream come true with
a western-themed bedroom
that any cowpoke would love
to bed down in for the night.
With some fun touches, use of
inexpensive lumber and paint,
you can have a room with
cowboy flair in a weekend.
Color packs punch
Every room makeover needs to
start with color – and lots of it.
In this bedroom, the color is a large part of what makes this room have cowboy chic. Selecting a good base color is important. This bedroom relies on the use of varying shades of beige and cream. This creates a background palette that the accessory colors can play against.
Focus on the bones
The bones of the room are all the structural elements. In this bedroom, the bones include a custom-colored dresser, wall wainscoting and trim treatment, and crown moulding. Every room looks better with crown moulding, so don’t overlook this important step. In fact, make it your first step when decorating a bedroom. Although you notice the bed first, it’s the crown moulding that makes the room look finished. Next, focus on the wall treatment.
This bedroom has a paneling topped by two one by two lumber strips. A board and batten treatment is added to the paneling with chair railing, but you can use one by two strips for a less-expensive alternative. Paint all the trim first in a darker color than the wall before applying it to the wall. Above the wall is simple beige and cream striped wallpaper that echoes the stripes on the bedding. The wall treatment makes the room feel rustic and full of country and western style.
Bed takes center stage
In this room, it’s the bed that takes center stage. It’s obviously the star in this western feature. Although it looks terrific, a bed like this isn’t hard to make. Begin with a simple wooden frame for the mattress and box spring and embellish the sides with bark or paint. Add a plywood head and footboard to the ends, cut with a triangle-shaped top. Embellish with aspen tree or other type of decorative bark and split tree stems. Or, use cowhide for a unique touch. Add cedar or other long branches to the four corners to create the four-poster and secure. Add painted and embellished plywood strips to create the four sides of the canopy. Attach tab-top curtains or create them by adding tabs in a coordinating color to simple curtain panels. Bandanas make a nice stand-in for curtain tiebacks. Lastly, add bedding linens in coordinating fabrics and don’t forget the toss pillows.
Western flair
To finish the bedroom you’ll need all the right accessories. While you can purchase replica gas pumps like the one featured in this bedroom, another option would be to make a tall saguaro cactus cutout. Using a jig saw and plywood, cut out a tall saguaro-shaped cactus and secure it to a wooden base. Paint and consider adding wooden pegs for hanging clothes. Something like this would add the height that’s needed in the corner and do it for hundreds less than a replica gas tank.
Next, add some pictures in black frames. Pictures of iron horses or other western-themed subjects are perfect here. Sepia-toned pictures would make another nice choice for artwork. A shadow box like the one pictured above the bed here could hold a BB gun for an interesting three-dimensional art item. Some cow-hide pillows dress up a willow chair, and a plain dresser is made custom by the addition of red paint on the drawer fronts. The tall lamp is made from a house post that’s been drilled and fitted with lamp parts and painted black, repeating the black in the picture frames. A red shade with gold-painted stripes completes the lamp and echoes the stripes.
With just a little work, your boy can ride off into the sunset in his own cowboy-inspired bedroom. Add your own touches for the little cowpoke in your life and you’ll create a bedroom that will grow as he gets taller in the saddle.
Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Everydayclean.com Cleaning Calender, that calender that puts you in control of your home by ending the power struggle. For more information log on to http://tinyurl.com/d9rh5.
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© 2007 Kathryn Weber, all rights reserved
room or dining room. Imagine the beautiful romantic effect of two tall candle stands flanking a front door that will greet guests for your next dinner party. Log on to tinyurl.co62j fll c©2001-2007 Kathryn Weber
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