My son was interested in legos for a long time. He's an adult now. I undersand wanting to make the room for his now stage, but after raising a boy and girl, I think it helps to make the room transitional into an older teen room now. Make the space something that will be able to be made over in a few years into a young adult's room. I think the pictures above from Emily Hurley, the one on the top right and the bottom have that feel. He can have his legos on the shelves now, and books or other items later. With my kid's rooms I always had a lot of shelves.........they collect "stuff" and need a place to display it. Look at Ikea, they have tons of different shelving and storage/cubby options in black, white & different wood-look finishes.

There a number of things you could consider. If the cupboard isn't working (sounds like you would like a proper wardrobe) can you remove it? This would give you more flexibility to rework the layout and put a wardrobe in a better location. Sometimes when you have lived with a particular layout it is harder to see what the potential is. If you are going to do a full makeover, remove everything from the room, decide what pieces of furniture you are keeping and what else you need to buy. Twelve is a transition age so your son should be involved as much as possible to develop storage solutions, layout, paint etc. for his future needs. It is also an opportunity to let go of items he has outgrown or has no need of. It looks like he could do with some more shelving up high to display collectables and free up room around his bed. I am sure you will have fun working it out between you. Visit some furniture showrooms and search houzz pictures to get some ideas.

I would start by looking at colours you love. Plants and greenery is not everyones taste, but it may be yours. You can put it in a vase, basket or something that adds texture and also keep in mind the size needed for the overall picture. It is better to choose things you can easily move if and when the time comes, so heavy earth filled ones will perhaps cause you some issues if moving on your own or if you have a rental with stairs. Getting back to colours - if you want a neutral colour scheme then make that the foundation you start with (like a blank canvas). In the photo, your room appears to have a neutral colour scheme at present for your bed, cushions, carpet etc. You can make it warm and cozy with contrasting cushions, throw, or plants but this is not necessary if you want to stick to all neutrals. Neutral colours generally have warmth added with shades of darker colours that enhance or act as contrast. These can be variations of one colour, picking up a flow that is good to the eye. Brown can be the contrast if you choose or you could have another choice that adds just that bit of dark and light. You may want to choose items that bring in texture as well as colour contrast. Pick out the colour of your accessories (wall art, flowers, candles or what you like) and have them work with, instead of being totally alienated from the whole. Drapes/curtains/blinds generally come with the rental property, so if these are neutral in colour, they should work with other colours you choose. If you are looking for warmth, choose warm colours; if cool, then choose cool colours for bed linen etc. Warm colours generally go with warm colours and cool colours with cool ones. Often they do not mix. As mentioned previously the same colour can be used but perhaps different shades, to produce light and dark. Tidiness is a habit we all would like to adopt, not always easy if you lead a busy life, but when time permits, put things away that need to be and it will make the whole picture also a bit clearer for you to work out what you want to create. Going to shop displays or searching the internet for ideas is also a great help. Often one can immediately say you like something or you don't. By doing this you will learn what your taste is and work along those lines. Photos are an excellent help to yourself as well as to shop assistants who are ready to advise what may work. Let us know how you get on and would love a photo too.

We keep a bedroom permanently set aside and decorated for our three grandchildren. Good storage is essential, as we have train sets, cars, Lego, a play kitchen, dolls, dinosaurs, games, etc. We found different quilt covers a way of making the room look more personalised when the grandchildren come to stay e.g. a bright cover with animals for our youngest grandson, dinosaurs for our other grandson and bright, floral colours for our granddaughter. A very easy and inexpensive way to change the look of the room. When they tire of these, we can easily change them. Artwork is another point of difference. Both of our grandsons love planes, and I found a limited edition planes print in a Salvos shop for under $40 - already framed. I found a canvas-coated map of the world online, already mounted, for under $40, which is a favourite with all three. The IKEA pretend kitchen was a charity store find for under $20, and when the grandchildren no longer play with it (it is a favourite as they play ‘restaurants’), it will be returned to a charity shop. I bought one of those sling-type small bookcases and filled this with a range of books. This is much easier than wall shelving and it is does not take up very much space, and is great for selecting bedtime stories.