Okay, mums, I have to tell you about this one, because it’s genuinely one of my favourite projects I’ve ever done. This wasn’t your typical bedroom refresh — because this room had never actually been a bedroom for my boys at all. It’s the smallest room in our house, a proper little box room, and up until this project, it had been serving a completely different purpose. During COVID it became our makeshift home gym, a couple of bits of equipment squeezed in there because, well, where else were they going to go? After that it just carried on as the room, everything we didn’t have a home for ended up in there.
I’ve got two sons, and up until this point they’d been co-sleeping — my oldest was five, my youngest was three. But as they got a bit older, it was time for them to have their own bed space, their own room to grow into. So this wasn’t a case of updating a bedroom they’d outgrown — it was giving this little box room a completely new job to do, turning it into their first ever bedroom. My eldest was ready to move in straight away, and my youngest wasn’t quite there yet, but I wanted the room set up and waiting for him too, so it made sense to plan for both of them from the start.
Over a few weekends, armed with a lot of coffee and a very patient partner, I gave the room a full makeover: two different panelling techniques (including a slat feature wall with a 3D wooden world map, and traditional panelling with a mural framed inside it), new blinds, a bunk bed, a rug, ambient lighting (including LED strips behind the bunk bed), two bean bags, and new bedding — everything needed to make it feel properly cosy.
The best part? None of it needed a professional. If I can do this in my spare weekends, so can you — and I’m going to walk you through exactly how, plus link everything I used so you can shop the same pieces.
Starting With the Walls: Two Panelling Looks in One Room
I didn’t just do one style of panelling — I actually used two, and I think that’s what makes the room feel so layered and intentional rather than “matchy.”
Traditional Panelling With a Mural Built Right In
On one side of the room, I went with traditional panelling, but instead of leaving the centre panel plain, I fitted a mural inside it — almost like a giant framed photo built straight into the wall. This is such an underrated way to do a feature wall. The panelling alone gives you that classic, architectural look, and setting the mural inside the frame means it reads as a deliberate piece of art rather than just wallpaper slapped on a wall. The best part is you don’t need anything custom-made for this — it’s a mural anyone can buy off the shelf, you’re just framing it in a way that makes it look completely bespoke.
And honestly, the install was so much easier than people expect. I didn’t drill or nail a single thing — I used No More Nails adhesive to stick the panelling straight onto the wall. No mess, no filling holes, no specialist tools. If you can use a sealant gun, you can do this.
Shop the traditional panelling I used [here], the exact mural I used [here], and the No More Nails adhesive I used here.
The Feature Wall: Slat Panelling + a 3D Wooden World Map
This is the wall that makes people stop and stare when they walk in. For the main feature wall, I used slat panelling — those vertical wooden battens that have been everywhere lately for good reason — and mounted a 3D wooden world map right on top of it.
The combination works so well because the slats add depth and texture on their own, and then the map sits proudly on top as the real hero. My boys have always been curious about the world, so this wall isn’t just decoration — it sparks actual conversations about countries, travel, and geography. It’s the kind of feature that grows with them, too; they’ll still love pointing out countries on this map as teenagers, not just now.
If you’re nervous about slat panelling, don’t be — it’s genuinely one of the more forgiving DIY wall treatments, and it hides minor wall imperfections really well.
Shop the slat panelling [here] and the exact 3D wooden world map I used here — this one sells out regularly, so if you love it, don’t wait too long.
New Blinds Made a Bigger Difference Than I Expected
I almost skipped this step, and I’m so glad I didn’t. There were never actually any blinds on this window before — when we first moved in, we’d just stuck some window film over the glass for a bit of privacy and never quite got round to sorting proper blinds. So it had been sat there for years looking, well, exactly like what it was: a temporary fix that became permanent.
As part of the bedroom makeover, I finally peeled off the film and got proper blinds fitted, and it instantly made the room look so much more finished and decent. Good blinds do double duty — they control light for better sleep, and they finish off a room’s look with clean, tidy lines, something window film could never really do. I went with white wood blinds in a really minimal design — clean and understated, so they don’t compete with the panelling and map and let those features stay the star of the show.
These are the exact blinds I used — they’re easy to fit yourself and linked here.
The Bunk Bed That Changed the Whole Layout
This was the biggest investment of the whole project, and honestly, it was the whole point — with two boys needing their own beds and only one small room to work with, a bunk bed wasn’t really optional, it was the solution. It freed up so much valuable floor space underneath for play, which matters even more when you’re working with a box room like ours.
The trick with a small room is finding a bunk bed that’s actually built for the space. Ours is a “shorty” bunk bed — a bit shorter in length than a standard single, which is a game-changer if you’re short on floor space but still want a proper bunk bed rather than a toddler-sized one. It made all the difference in fitting a bunk bed for two into a room that size at all.
My eldest, who was five at the time, moved straight in and claimed the top bunk. My youngest was only three and not quite ready to leave co-sleeping behind, but I loved that the bottom bunk was already there waiting for him — no need to redo the room again in a year or two once he was ready. There’s something about a bunk bed that gives kids a real sense of independence and adventure, and watching my eldest claim his space made the whole project worth it.
The exact one I used has since sold out, but I’ve linked a couple of similar shorty bunk beds that would work brilliantly in a small room here.
Rug, Lighting, Bedding, and Bean Bags: The Cosy Finishing Touches
Once the big structural pieces were in, it was all about layering in comfort. A soft rug underfoot made the whole room feel warmer and more inviting straight away — it’s honestly one of the pieces I’m happiest with, it just elevates the whole space. The one I went for is more of an investment piece rather than a bargain buy, but the quality and feel of it make such a difference underfoot, especially in a room the kids are playing in barefoot. If you’re on a tighter budget, there are more affordable options out there too, but for me, this was one area worth spending a little more on. I also added some colour-changing cylinder lights for ambient lighting, and honestly, these turned out to be one of my favourite additions. They’re cylinder-shaped, so they double up as little side tables as well as lamps, which is such a clever bit of multi-tasking in a small room. Being able to change the colour means my boys can pick their own vibe at bedtime, and it’s a really easy way to add a bit of fun and personality without it being permanent. For an extra layer of ambience, I also fitted LED strip lights behind the bunk bed — it creates this lovely soft glow around the frame that looks brilliant once it’s dark, without being too bright or overstimulating right before bed. I also picked up two really cute bean bags, one for each of them, so they’d have somewhere to sit and play, watch TV, or read books — just a proper cosy spot of their own that isn’t the bed. And of course, new bedding tied everything together and made the bunk bed actually feel inviting rather than just functional.
Shop the rug here, the colour-changing cylinder lights [here], the LED strip lights here, the bean bags [here], and the bedding [here].
You Really Can Do This Yourself
Here’s what I took away from this whole project: you don’t need a big room, a huge budget, or a background in interior design to give your kids’ space a total refresh. If a cluttered little box room that used to be a home gym can become this, honestly, any room can. One thing I’d say, though — be intentional about what the room is actually for. I made a conscious decision not to put any storage in this room at all. It was designed purely as a space to sleep, play, and unwind in, nothing more. Keeping it free of clutter and “stuff” is part of what makes it feel so calm and cosy. What matters is picking pieces that are both stylish and practical — panelling that adds character, a map that sparks curiosity, blinds that actually work, a bed that maximises space, and soft finishing touches like a rug, lighting, and bedding that tie it all together.
If you’re even a little bit tempted to do something like this in your own kids’ room, take it from me: start with one wall, keep your tools simple, and don’t be afraid to mix techniques (like I did with the two panelling styles) to keep things interesting. It really is achievable in a couple of weekends, and the payoff — watching your children fall in love with a space that’s finally theirs — is more than worth it.
I’ve linked every single product I used throughout this post, so if you want to recreate any part of this look, just click through — happy decorating!