My son has a license plate collection from countries he's visited. We have a piece of molding that goes around his (built in) bed, maybe 10" or so down from the ceiling. The license plates are just propped up on that. I like the fact that we can easily switch them for something else.

What about making a valance from the license plates? I couldn't find an image, but I did find a link to some instructions.

Here is a link that might be useful: Instructions

Cute space!

I would think about building a wood box cornice to act as the valance, and attaching the license plates to that.

Don't know if you have considered this, but I wonder about putting the tall chest where the table and chairs are and moving those to the corner. Then add a low bookcase below the window and you have a place for reading, puzzles, etc.

As for a paint treatment, I would probably put up chair rail and paint the bottom third (or so) of the wall blue and leave the top white. For now, you could add some removable vinyl decals furthering the wheels and vehicles theme. As he gets older, you could keep blue as the base color, but change other aspects of the room to reflect his changing interests.

I really like the green color in the comforter. I would paint all the walls that color.

I think it would be fun to paint the walls a light blue color then paint 2 thick white horizontal racing stripes around the room.

Then get some shelves for the license plates.

Cute room!

I had the same thought as terriks...green walls, same as in comforter.

I'm confused. I thought someone other than the OP had the license plate collection in her son's room.

I would go with different color on each wall taken from the bulletin board.

I think it would be darling to paint the room either light blue or light green (Shagreen from Sherwin Williams might be nice). Then add the Transportation wall decals in the attached link, and paint a gently curving road about chair rail height. Voile, easy-breezy, FUN room!

Here is a link that might be useful: CA-UTE Little Boy's Room

Have you asked your son what colors or ideas he has for the room. I let my dd make all her color choices ( I did control the swatches she had to pick from) but she made all final decisions with regards to paint, bedding, window treatments and rug. It is not magizine perfect but it is hers and she loves it and had fun creating it too.

I would use the green color on the walls and make that valance out of the license plates.

I am posting a link to a cool look. You could use two shades of green for the wall color like the picture and then add navy stripes.

Your son has a really cute room. How fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: stripes

What you are mentioned sounds great, but you have to take into consideration what he's going to want on the walls when he gets a little bit older. How old is he and how fast do you think he will outgrow this?

I like the idea of a wood cornace covered in the
striped material with the license plates attached.
Use the blue trim on the valance same as you used on the
bulletin board.

The cornace should just cover just about 2" of the bottom
of the window. The rest of the cornace covers the wall and
this gives the room height.

If you get a 1" x 10" (a 1" x 10" is 9 1/2" deep) piece of lumber, pad
it and stretch the fabric over it ans staple it in
the back. Trim off the edges with the
blue... space the license plates about 2" apart.
I think a 3" overhang on each side of the window
would look good. You will most likely only be able
to fit 5 license plates on the cornace. Do another
display with the other three.

Another idea is a lambrekin. Have 1" x 4" boards
for each side paded and covered...It should overlap the edge of the window about 1" and fit to the top cornace.
It should end at the window sill. (the 1" coming into
the window should sit on the sill.
I love lambrekins, as they can just be recovered in different fabric and last forever. The corners of the top of the lamberkin can be mitered or cut straight across.
I have both styles and they both look good.

If you like this idea I can get you an example.

I like the light walls...I also like tan walls, like you
have in the fabric, it sets off the blue beautifully.

Did a quick search and found one that is close
to what I was trying to discribe.

The stripes should all go up and down, and the side
boards should overlap the window about an inch (to
cover the edges of the shade.)

Am with cliffandjoann on this one. I love light tan walls in a boy's room, and read an article a while back by a color psychologist who specialized in children's rooms. She wrote that tan was a good color because it was calming without being depressing - and here I thought of my 4 1/2 year old DGS, who is in constant motion and whose brain works a mile a minute, like most little guys his age. Tan also provides a wonderful backdrop for all the great primary colors that children love and it doesn't have to be changed if the child suddenly wants dinosaurs on his bedspread instead of cars!

We moved to a new home when my sons were seven and four. I told them that their walls were going be (something like Navajo) but that they could choose their closet colors. The closets had lots of cubbies and were interesting-looking. One chose orange and the other a lime-apple green. Since the closets also held toys, the doors were usually open, and it worked out very well!

I would consider a tan in that adorable bulletin board.

Joann - that's a lovely window treatment! Hope you don't mind if I put it in my window decor file!

Sable, That's not my window treatment...I pulled it off
the internet.

Lots of good ideas here. Thanks!
Joann - thanks for the picture. That is what I was envisioning, but I like having an example.

I never considered green as the main wall color, but I like the idea. I'll have to find a subtle green though. I don't want the color to be too loud.
I love the image of the stripes provided by dawnp. That is very do-able for me.

I will involve my son in the selection, after I've narrowed down the choices. He picked the bedding, but has told me that he wants rainbow walls (not gonna happen!). I think he'll like the stripes in the example from dawnp. Maybe I can find some nice tans and greens for the colors.

Les - we originally had the furniture as you suggested, but when you entered the room the edge of the chest made it feel blocked. But I do like the idea of creating a space in the corner for activities. Once we paint I'll play with the furniture arrangement again. Maybe it would be better if I placed the chest against the wall to the left of the table, rather than on an angle. What do you think? I'm on the hunt for a small book shelf.

I'll also look at removable decals that would be fun for the next few years, but can be removed as he gets older. I'll look at shagreen once I find my samples. Thanks bestyears.

This is why I love this forum! I've been looking at his room for a year now without any direction. Now I have it! Thank you everyone. I'll keep checking back in case anyone else has further ideas or opinions.

Why not rainbow walls if he wants them?

(But then, I helped my son do green and black stripes)

I think repainting a kids' room every few years isn't that bit of a deal, so if he wants rainbow, I'd try and give it to him, either with paint or with decals.

(Confession: the stripes took 3 coats, and repainting them took two coats of primer and then two coats of beige)

Joann - But you found it! I never would have.

Sable -- I just plugged in 'lambrekin' and was
surprised to find exactly what I was discribing.
The top board even looks like a 1 x 10 :)

Just FYI it's lambrequin.

Why not rainbow walls if he wants them?

Rainbow was the request this week. It changes all of the time. If he wants something like that when he gets older, then we'll go down that road. :)

My first thought was to paint the back ends of the cars around the room and use the plates on them, but you said to make it easy, so maybe you could have some made in the wall decals?
The cornice covered with plates would be cute too. Our grandson is four and half too and he's been crazy about cars since he was a baby.