Decorating for a pre-teen boy can sometimes mean resorting to lots of neutrals. For Tracie of Cleverly Inspired, though, using a neutral gray as a base color allowed her to play with color to create a special space for her son who is, to her shock, entering 7th grade.

Tracie took her son's room from a very neutral brown to this bright space in which her son can, as he tells her, "chill." She made the bed with some plywood and steel pipe for a modern industrial look. We especially love the area rug which features a mosaic of denim pockets. Tracie also painted a blue rectangle on the wall which provides a frame for several cork boards for pictures, schedules, and the like.

The focal point of the room is the orange futon, which is the centerpiece of the "chill" space; it serves as a reading area (with custom shelves above) and can be pulled out for overnight guests. Orange pillows on the bed and an orange lamp on the dresser tie the color scheme together.

In addition to the bed, Tracie made the hanging lamps and featured her tutorial here. The lamps hang over the bed and add to the modern industrial vibe that suits her son perfectly.

Thanks for sharing, Tracie! To see more of the room and some before photos, visit Tracie's site at Cleverly Inspired.

MORE ORANGE AND GRAY ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Color Combo: Orange and Gray
• A Perfect Balance: Gray and Orange
• Infusing a Pop of Orange into a Gray Space

(Images: Tracie Stoll at Cleverly Inspired)