Tween Boy Baseball Room Part III: New Comforter and A Big Screw Up!!

Hi there!!  I have more updates to share on my stepson's baseball room.  If you missed the prior episodes, check here and here.  In Part I we painted, added a curtain and pillows, moved the Derek Jeter fathead (successfully, whew!) and added a refurbished IKEA Malm dresser that I spray painted navy.  In Part II I showed how to make a baseball curtain rod finial and tieback.

Which leads us to Part III.  First the fun and easy update:  new comforter from Target.  Its a faux down comforter in grey and really soft.  I want one for my room.

I should mention here that the vibe I'm going for in this room is industrial locker room style.  So I thought it would be both functional and fit in with the design to add a big sheet of metal to the wall to use as a magnetic board for all of the magnets, posters, notes, baseball cards, and ticket stubs that collect in stepson's room.  Here it is all hung on the wall and I love the way it looks.  I'm getting to the bad part, give me a minute.

I was in Home Depot (HD) and found this 3' x 3' sheet of metal for around $20.  Perfect size for the wall, I just wasn't sure how to hang it.  The HD guy suggested this liquid nails-like stuff that you can use on metal but I really didn't want all of that adhesive permanently stuck to the wall if we ever changed our minds.  Plus, I wasn't sure how the metal sheet stay on the wall while the adhesive set.

So, instead I decided to try screwing the metal sheet to the wall with some bolts I had.  I was hoping the bolts would add to the industrial look of the room.  I started by locating a stud.  I wanted at least one of the bolts in a stud to make sure the metal would stay up there.

Next, I drilled 8 holes around the metal sheet, one in each corner and one in the center of each side.

Then I predrilled a small hole into the drywall and used my socket wrench (?--not entirely sure if that is the right name for the tool, and I don't have a pic :(  ) to attach each screw.  Here is a close up of one of the screws.  I love how it gives an industrial look to the magnetic board.

And here it is all finished.  I ran to get some magnets that I had purchased to stage an 'action' shot.  I was super excited and super proud of myself.

But wait, the magnets do not stick.  My metal is not magnetic!!!!  How big of a dodo brain am I?  I bought aluminum.  I should have bought steel.  I just love spending lots of time buying just the right piece, devising a clever way of hanging it, hammering a bunch of nails into the wall to find a stud and wait until I am all done to discover I totall screwed up!  Really.

But I've had a few weeks to calm down and now own a roll of galvanized metal roof flashing.  Question is will I try to adhere it to my already existing metal sheet or rip it out and try again?  Not sure yet.


In the meantime, the baseball room got some wall art.  :)  That is pretty hard to screw up.

----Adrienne

Tween Boy Baseball Room--Part 1

My stepson LOVES baseball.  Yankees in particular.  His room has only 1 window so not much natural light.  Here is where we started out.  A faux-birch wood and navy bunk bed contraption and builder beige walls.  Stepson added his own wall art in the form of posters tacked up everywhere.  There was also a lot of clutter.

BEFORE:

BEFORE:

We put up the Derek Jeter fathead about 2 years ago when we moved in and wanted to keep him intact throughout this makeover.

Step 1.  Paint!  We started out by painting one wall a deep blue/gray color (same color as we used in the library) and the rest of the walls a bright white (I just used Behr paint and primer in one with no tint added).  Wow, did it brighten up this whole room.  Amazing, its like we added 10 lights in there.

DURING:

DURING:

Step 2.  Swap out small dresser for a refurbished IKEA Malm dresser that I painted navy.  You can see it in the picture below.  I used spray paint.  I did prime first and used a clear coat after.  I didn't get the best coverage on the side you see below but not so noticable in the room.

AFTER part 1:

Step 3.  I sewed a curtain and some pillows.  I plan to swag this curtain with a tieback (that will be in the follow up post) thats why its extra long.  Not sure why the blue wall looks so light in these pictures.

AFTER part 1:

AFTER part 1:

AFTER part 1:

Derek survived the move to a new wall intact!  It actually wasn't that bad to move him although we were a lot nervous about the move.  We rearranged the furniture and I'm working on painting the rest of the faux-birch.  The bunk bed will be back after I paint it. 

So far this room looks 100% better and so much brighter.

AFTER part 1:

What is left to do for this room:

--new comforter (already here, you'll see in the follow up post)

--paint bunkbed

--add tieback for curtain

--add magnetic board

--hang mirror

--add shelves above dresser

Thanks for stopping by!!!

---Adrienne 

Linked to:  http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/2012/06/wow-us-wednesdays-71.html

BEFORE: