Industrial Toddler Bedroom Design, Chicago

We live in a loft, and two of the three bedrooms – including my son’s toddler bedroom – don’t have exterior windows. My goal for this space was to make it as bright and happy as possible given the lack of natural light. I was on a very tight budget, so there are a few DIYs and a lot of big box furniture.

Toddler Bedroom Reveal

Industrial Loft Toddler Bedroom Reveal
Wall Shelves & Bedside Table – Ikea
Fisherman Lamp – Pottery Barn Kids
Bedding – DIY // Crochet Daschund – Anne Claire Petit

Toddler-Friendly Art & Accessories

Looking towards the bedroom door, I framed and hung a sheet of alphabet gift wrap at toddler eye-level. I painted the cardboard mat so it pops. It’s helped my two year old learn all his letters, so it’s become a key feature in the room.

To visually offset the fact that the print is hung unusually low, I painted subtle stripes on the wall above.

Growth chart and alphabet print
Alphabet Wrapping Paper – Papersource
Growth Chart – Kim’s Sister on Etsy // Vehicle Decals – Amazon
Monogram Button Art – DIY // Bike Hooks – Urban Outfitters

The growth chart is a perfect solution for renters, because you can roll it up and take it with you if/when you move. The button monogram was an easy DIY.

Concrete in toddler bedroom
White Frames & Bookcase – Ikea // Lamps – Target
Metal Locker Bin, Plastic Bins & Basket – Land of Nod
Rug – Rosenberry Rooms
Industrial loft bright toddler bedroom
Art print of colourful houses in Kingsand, Cornwall

I like to add personal touches to any space I work on, like this name train we found on our last trip to England.

Wooden letter train

Colorful paper lanterns brighten up the concrete ceiling. They’re battery powered, so they work as soft night lights.

Paper lanterns in toddler bedroom in industrial loft with concrete ceilings
Battery Powered Paper Lanterns – Pier 1 Imports

A cabinet frame opens up so you can switch out the artwork, and it stores up to 50 sheets of paper. Ours is from The Color Wheel Studio, but you can also find them here.

Changable art work display for child's artwork

DIY Upholstered Bed

DIY upholstered bed with customised bedding and truck pillow

I upholstered a budget-friendly wooden bed frame. This room doubles as both a toddler bedroom and a guest bedroom, hence why there’s such a big bed for such a small person.

The duvet cover and pillowcases were another simple DIY project. I took a plain white set that we already had, and added grosgrain ribbon using iron-on hemming tape. That kept it in place, then I went over the edges with my sewing machine.

Reading Nook

A budget-friendly Ikea chair and floor lamp create a reading nook. Ultimately I would like to upgrade both the furniture and lighting but it’s comfy and functional in the meantime.

Reading nook in toddler boy bedroom
Toy and book storage in toddler boy bedroom
Shelves – Ikea
Mini suitcases – Land of Nod // Metal Letter – Urban Outfitters
Bucket – Target // Frames – Z Gallerie
Bright toddler bedroom in industrial loft
Zany Zoo Activity Cube – Target

Toddler Bedroom Toy Storage

I used an Ikea Expedit as the main toy storage. It serves as a garage for trucks, and also houses clothes (in the drawers), a metal bin for books and plastic storage for smaller toys. The rest of the toys and clothes are in the closet.

Ikea Expedit as toy storage in toddler bedroom

I wanted transparent toy bins to encourage playing. Chalkboard contact paper labels, with pictures, encourage tidying up afterwards.

Plastic toy storage bins with chalkboard labels

Toy Bins – Land of Nod

All the Trucks & Trains!

My son loves trucks and trains, so I added decals running along a ridge on one wall. He can see them from the bed, and he knows exactly what each vehicle is and loves to recite their names and count them.

Truck and vehicle decals with monogram
Alphabet print and growth chart
Book ends
Bookends – Amazon
Bright toddler bedroom reveal

Toddler Bedroom Mood Board

Here is the mood board I started from. I did tone down some of the fabric choices, but it’s not far off.

Bright Toddler Bedroom Mood Board

Before

This was the room just after we moved in. The dark greige paint wasn’t doing anything for the space.

Industrial loft toddler bedroom before

After

We ended up with a bright, happy industrial toddler bedroom, much more suited to our little man.

Industrial loft toddler bedroom after

Toddler Bedroom Budget Breakdown

Here’s the breakdown:

  • Furniture – $658
  • Art and accessories – $356
  • Lighting – $122
  • Soft furnishings – $265
  • Storage – $171
  • Paint – $70
  • Total | $1642

Given the budget and light restrictions, I love how the room turned out, and so did S.

You can see how we translated the space to his new toddler bedroom here, with windows second time round!

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11 Comments

  1. June 26, 2012 / 10:09 pm

    So cute. Where did you get the dump truck pillow?

    • December 28, 2020 / 3:46 pm

      Thank you! The pillow is from Target. 🙂

  2. June 26, 2012 / 11:08 pm

    Looove the room!! Perfect toddler room! We've got a Expedit bookshelf in our room as well. Where did you get those white drawers? it works so well and practical,too!

    • December 28, 2020 / 3:49 pm

      Thanks! The white drawers are also from Ikea 🙂

  3. June 29, 2012 / 11:55 am

    Such a beautiful room! I love the colors and pops of white to keep it clean and fresh looking.

  4. July 3, 2012 / 4:01 pm

    PS I shared it on the Hometalk "DIY that Inspires Pinterest Page."

    Have a great Fourth!

    blessings,
    karianne

  5. July 4, 2012 / 11:32 am

    That is a stunning room, hope your little boy loves it because you have done such an amazing job. Those paper lanterns really bring so much colour to the room . Thankyou for the share. Hayley x

  6. July 5, 2012 / 3:07 pm

    So cute! I'm in the middle of making a big boy room for my 2 year old! Where did you get the cute little doxie pillow on the chair?!

    • December 28, 2020 / 3:51 pm

      I’m not sure – it was a gift. Sorry can’t be more helpful!

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