Hear me out.
I know that Max’s room from Hocus Pocus isn’t going to be making any top ten list. It’s most notable feature, the lookout tower with views of Salem Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean, isn’t even one that you can attempt to replicate. Design wise, it’s not even a completed room. It’s been freshly moved-in to, with boxes still stuffed in corners.
But when I think of movie rooms, it’s one I keep coming back to, especially now that I’m the mother of a little boy.
For one, this room had the shiplap craze beat by about two decades, with its gorgeously preserved walls. For another, it has the wallpaper and paneling trend of the 2022s also beat with its gorgeous tall ship wall paper and chair (knee?) rail and paneled walls on the area that don’t feature shiplap.
It’s a gorgeously dressed room, that would be a showstopper in any house.
Except it’s not the showstopper in this house. It’s the teenage boy’s room. So these beautiful design details are mixed with these little design nightmares, like dartboards and kitchy bikini-girl lamps and a giant tie dye tapestry.
I love the contrast between beautiful New England nautical design and lived-in, colorful (tacky) teenage boy room. I think it makes the space less pristine, but all the more charming.
Although I am going to touch up a few details while stealing this room, I’m really inspired by this space that is both beautifully designed and prioritizes its inhabitant.
So let’s begin.
Source: Hooked on Houses
WALLS
Like I said up top, the walls in Max’s room are truly amazing. The slanted walls are painted a pretty periwinkle blue, while the walls on the bottom level are wallpapered with a gorgeous tall ship pattern with chair rail and paneling starting at around knee height. The walls around the staircase leading up to the lookout are shiplap. Every detail screams “historical New England oceanside home.”
Paint: Farrow & Ball: Lulworth Blue
Molding: Rail Trim
Ship Wallpaper: Hudson Bay Nautical
FURNITURE
Max has pretty basic oak and pine furniture with clean lines. The most interesting detail in his furniture are the dark green drawers that repeat across a few items, like his dresser and nightstand. Using his furniture as inspiration, I tried to keep similar somewhat utilitarian silhouettes, in a mixture of warm wood tones and olive green colors. His room features what looks like classic Ikea Ivar shelving, which we’ll elevate slightly. Same with his 4-leg desk chair, which we’ll keep the style of, but elevate to a swivel chair.
Bed: Alexia Pine
Dresser: Hampshire Olive
Nightstand: Hampshire Olive
Desk: Minnie Desk
Shelving: Thelan Stackable Bookcase
DECOR
Max’s decor, while being very textbook teenager-y (the drum set, the dartboard, the tie dye tapestry, the little basketball hoop on the door) still actually draws a lot from the nautical theme of the house. The floor lamp is a tripod style that I find really reminiscent of a telescope that you’d expect to find in a sea-side lookout tower. There are fish on the wall and on the bed (and in a tank!). Even the figural lamps on Max’s bedside reads nautical: a bikini clad woman with a sailor—reminding you both that Max is a teenage boy and that Salem is nearly as famous for whaling as it is for witches.
We won’t steal this decor so much as draw inspiration from it, as decor obviously dates much quicker than wall coverings and furniture pieces and can be a little harder to replicate overall. I’ll try to include the fun teenage boy elements while making them more hip to the 21st century and “designed,” for example: an emoji-esque peace sign tapestry instead of a tie dye one. Unfortunately, the vintage pinup lamp cannot be replicated, for that missing touch of camp, I hope a Big Mouth Billy Bass will do.
Lamps: Tripod Lamp, Figural (Lobster) Lamp, Illuminated Globe
Bedding: A Few Freshwater Fish Comforter, Green Wool Blanket
Door Decor: Mini Basketball Hoop, Stop Sign
Wall Art: Peace Sign Wall Hanging, Big Mouth Bass, Magnetic Dartboard, Woodstock Poster
Drums: Electric Drum Kit
Rug: Impasto Blue Rug
And there you are! That’s everything you’ll need for a nautical and game-filled teenage boy’s room. All you’d really need to finish it off is a ring of salt to protect from witches and ex-boyfriends. I honestly think this would be such a fun room and there’s a lot more to love here than I thought there’d be before I studied it. I hope you’re able to get some inspiration from it, too!
Best,
Julia
