Decorating Challenges for a Hockey-Themed Boys' Room

The Floor

• One of the first challenges of creating a hockey-themed room is the floor. For football, indoor/outdoor carpeting makes a fake playing field. For basketball, a hardwood floor makes a court. For hockey, an ice effect must be replicated. While ice is not a viable option for the floor, some visual imitations are. If the floor is concrete, forgo additional flooring and paint it a glossy white. Add red lines to make the playing rink. Shiny white tile and linoleum are also options to give the appearance of ice on the floor.

Furniture

• Selecting furniture to match a hockey theme is a challenge for some. Traditional dressers, chests and chairs clash with the theme. Instead, use lockers and benches. Purchase several lockers to create a row in the room where dressers or chests typically go. Paint or purchase the lockers in the boys' favorite team colors. A wooden bench painted to match replaces regular chairs for seating. Use single-size beds without a headboard. Put a goal net around the head of the bed so they score each time they lie down to sleep.

Walls

• Many professional hockey teams have official team wallpaper and borders available for wall decoration. If you go this route, plain white walls suffice. If this does not fit into the budget, painting the walls to suit the room becomes a challenge. Dark team colors could dampen the appearance of the room. Instead, go for the team's secondary color and add accents. For example, if a team has royal blue and white, paint the walls white and trim with the royal blue around the ceiling, windows and chair rail. If possible, place a mural on one wall.

Incorporating Equipment

• Certain sports equipment is related to hockey. Pucks, sticks and ice skates are recognized pieces of the sport. Using these pieces as decoration can be a challenge. Instead of hanging them in groups on the wall, incorporate them into the room. Use hockey sticks as curtain rods. Cover a night stand or desktop with pucks by gluing them side by side to create a complete surface. Pull a hockey jersey over the back of a straight-back desk chair to make a cover, or make it into a pillow by stuffing and sewing up the neck, sleeves and bottom.