When I learned I was pregnant with bebe #2, we realized that we would have to give up our office. Instead of creating a nursery for our new baby, we decided to leave bebe #1's nursery as it was and move him to a new, Big Boy room.
A Big Boy Pirate Room!
Testing some colors on the original pale blue wall:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiGGrnhNn1hu5bM0-vFJapjTSdh45ungBhZgPSGs3gzlBcAZFCrrXBAN6zrOA8jsyWdlU9n4Wph9ZYRFZ4mVl7EYZRMFaslFccPwVf4xGIxEj-zlnhb4xCYo370jATqTDMs26Iq9AaR9E/s320/blog0.jpg)
My husband made the original sketch, then his friend - who is an awesome artist - expanded it and measure the room to transfer the sketch onto the walls.
Everything was penciled in
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAVA4hYRGYQXwPIRhyucyESfs8uzwAX7CcBt1cFkPrzzeZyEqKyoyE-H1W5lA9IuxZUPFBYMYSR2kDgXzG1xurhTrEUqvluKWQAdMyghLpfVVnKH7dK2GTDtttz_xPbbLO3LXRTr4AcKq/s320/blog1sketch1.jpg)
and then the background color was added.
My husband decided to make a "real" ship side
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZT4lf5Bc1Iy_ink09Fi_1F6ASOqncXKwHJdjBjlUGxORZ5VGmE0yQi34uFFLgRwq_lcHMxsFWRjAHwP3a9TvoLXi4wGeaxjqG4PVo3ew712RzYqLc-jtw1tSDHYq4Kj0YXPwPCG0FpZ4/s320/blog1sketchship.jpg)
and sketched the ship details onto a piece of plywood.
On the beach side, the different tones of beige and tan were applied for a sandy effect
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc20j9kAU0JuNfs-JYLyTWZ_wlcacVqd1YnCok3Fb1EInBRNPFcRzrM_2mVFZ6rjsJ3xo9pdpd2jxP_cLQ2IehvdsREu6P_I77LqK-vMy3ZMDXtrWoP4LHS2UzniOPXT5jGCcL-K0nMYCE/s320/blog2shading.jpg)
Over the light switch, a friendly shape was penciled in
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibRc-9y9_IZglHBHFO-SFpv7cFvrDgEGaEeWQpAwVIYq8yInAXOPW29ApwhgB5QJfoPHBAwYwLb9Q4WF4tTcObXW02uU1hbZN4qo1XiuQ4hRZgK2XGZbbnVmkge3OG9i1S4d1TDRE1OLNC/s320/blog3dolphindetails.jpg)
along with detailed ocean waves.
The first layer of coloring onto the ship side
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3OH4zgqbtw9BeSLQAznrgzasY2xMTfnAv8Y2S26-VC9OsdP2ncp8NiMyIvk-6DIKLUegF7E7XDn6ZCguJAlWOyKgQODqFpTiyKHFs7ID4smwuidD1p1zm8dkJyCVES9OdzWFmPGqOKcbL/s320/blog3paintingship.jpg)
on the bottom you can see the realistic railing made of unfinished wood candlesticks from Michaels. The railing on the other side was painted on the wall.
Can't have a pirate beach without a treasure chest
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiruuUvao0F64x8-BLVDB2ZjUmZudiJF4rp8XFqm_AtmjLwd93wZs9KMo2QZSAbFZWWaRtszmsb32SA4CKWhkJi7HPBEe_CAgOfuFdMZPrQyOxC5hS9-iHTMQY9jhBz8-NvoCa9m3PTnXpf/s320/blog3paintingtreasurechest.jpg)
Here, the first layer of color.
A rope ladder was rigged
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbk-fEdnuU6ieAvor2Lhd3w-MZfeHU_2xgvI7P3rILHvaVgIO49dypZt5wBOs8wnSD4P9mr8KtzrxA_pHXiAoohwRuVYszcoRWKFr5NSuwZ_xWwcmszeHP4MDv36b0JcF3NS2bi6x9fr1v/s320/blog4shiprope.jpg)
for our young scalawag's toys to climb to the crow's nest.
A composite view of the corner where the crib would later go:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6NhPI5zDjGBzanW5OMN_DJBPLBE0CdzViR3ze7l5Z3TjTKGk9peyAVt_6iKQxLABMcCPMyAUU6zHUYeRiRCluDHOGYIbK6KraOWHRjEEH7tPzXqQzsPvgGVf7eguZXakZJ39Y499O2Kp/s320/blog5.jpg)
Lanterns and chains in each corner complete the look.
Details that peek through the crib railings.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhDcKy4lO-Jk5LHuxE3JVvHWT2tJkWERdOHEEm06K18BC2hFBCXJAfTaPT8QkdiBpqTjlAjdOxRk3b7_U5R8wzK4KYln2G1v1LVCxMvPBSo5YARl3TU4QNogsQyqME0jlOUWMVGlVqE3Rd/s320/blog5cribcorner.jpg)
Our big boy loved to trace around the figures with his little fingers.
A smiling dolphin leaps out of the ocean to greet him good morning:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbZC991-TgSoT-qUPwTdfy-6IJTuQBocKbTC0KoHlF8QDFl7U5k-6gHPH0-l_eGb0z-sr47b4n-sbvVuh88fVJCErgejRxJolKhdEj_iiA43IwBecGlTGyRmeVToe_3mANR7vom-wO0bp/s320/blog5dolphindone.jpg)
or good night - he loved it.
The finished ship with a muslin sail (sewn by my mom) and crow's nest.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUHaCks4M1j3gxUjk5E5m_wvU6PTcCfj61niLka8gqXT_PgETJj-WuGxU2hlpC1RTuA_vKlMaBDOqKZRqown4mU9_HcTZ-_l4IXq7_aP13ta_itSRGArF-45lHvzicjK7GDeq5fBLgVlL/s320/blog5pirateship.jpg)
We later filled in the ladder with a bunch of small stuffed animals.
In the distance, a pirate ship approaches . . .
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfo44RWlNn8f9MaVmj6jQiAOoAbwlTceJ-LV6BVngkNQEfZ4JSYToxXL8YqLzRr-11I266JnT_apmtB9juHkZZ3HRfi90QmrMliXeMAmVXAJvQyzxk98IywTHmBR9XhP8qR6IqW0ashLZ2/s320/blog5shipsmall.jpg)
The sails were painted with glow-in-the-dark paint.
The treasure chest, with gold coins and gems
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglv-l0FzZGfQFyOJpc35c5ibXxPvhxJw-AZl5qFFobO1q3TcbUkoNNOgpkyER67XyDAs_EgFwXTfyxs6TD19kG-EpzteAf6SmpOSKQJvi8VsBX4Px84iXnAUyzjPXyUQg1IxFZhnQqB7kU/s320/blog5treasurechest.jpg)
with lots of metallic paint for that golden sparkle.
Our sweet boy in his crib
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVeFl5VmghjxcIOL29qkF-jerww9ZcRt_R-pC0WFF7vdcQdJT-vjHYEBY3TJDMwET5d3oUI6ZAVZciSseLIqyX921fbty2IBlbZ5ccDj1AVtezj_QxKPI2-b7lq-zBdbLcsYm-lC5QW1_/s320/blogpirateroomwithaidan.jpg)
He LOVED his room and had no problem trading in his nursery for his new pirate's lair.
My husband, his artist friend, and our friend J did a great job in transforming our office into a fabulous room for our son, don't you think?