As your child becomes a teenager a lot changes in his/her life. These adjustments can be reflected by changing the children’s bedroom into a teenage haven.
Complementing their personality is the hard part.
There are as many ways to decorate a teenager’s room as there are teens. Much of the changes will depend on how much you want to spend and how intricate a redecoration the child feels is necessary. But with a few simple modifications, a unique picture hanger where they can display photos of family and friends, and express their individuality, together you can help them create a room of their own.
But guide them to keep the price range reasonable. Here are some ways how:
Free-spirited, fun designs mean more to teens than the sophisticated looks adults might lean toward. Buy the best quality furniture—bed, desk and window treatment—the budget will allow. Then low-cost beanbag chairs, oddly shaped lamps, and brightly colored bed coverings can place the personality stamp of your teen on the room without adding too much additional cost. These items can be replaced every few years as your teen’s taste change.
Paint is the least expensive, quickest way to change a room. Remember that paint looks more vivid and darker when painted on the walls. Professional designers usually choose a color two or three shades lighter than the paint chip they prefer. You can buy pints of a few colors close to the one your child likes and paint a patch on each wall to let them decide which works best. Once the wall color has been selected, accents such as lamps, bedding, trash cans, etc. can be chosen to accent the walls. Many methods of picture hanging can also be used to give personality to the room.
Teenagers want to express their own self-definition. Generally teens like their rooms fairly plain or very dramatic. Often they prefer a theme for the overall effect. That can focus on their current favorite color, sport, player, singer, actor, etc. A variety of strong colors of similar intensity can give a balanced yet unusual look to a room. This can make an emotional statement but not be so outrageous that you feel it’s necessary to shut the door. Fuchsia, magenta and shocking pink accents can make great choices for a girl’s room. Basic blue with deep turquoise, lime green and orange contrasts might work for a boy.
Choosing colors that boost emotions are beneficial especially in the teen years. The teenager’s room should be a place of comfort, providing an uplifting environment where they can spend their time. Warm wood furniture looks good in a room with a cool color scheme and darker laminate furnishings accent warm-tinted colors. Contrasting color accents can be changed to “age” the room as your child goes through the teenage years. Being able to easily adjust the scheme to new accents and hanging pictures can change the mood and give a periodic lift to teen spirits.
A boy’s room can combine both style and function by choosing a bunk-bed that includes storage, a place to sleep and a fold-out desk. These space-saving systems are cleverly designed and very functional. They also tend to be durable, made of naturally finished woods that bring warmth to a room. Decorating around such a unit can be done with soft colors or bright, stylish motifs which may be more cheerful for your teen. Finishing the room is easy with bookcases and chairs made of the same type of wood. Choosing polyurethane-lacquered woods extends their life while showing the attractive, natural grain.
When your teen’s room has been painted and furnished, the finishing touches can be made by accenting the walls with paintings, prints or pictures. Hanging a mirror on one wall will make the room appear larger. The type of hanger chosen depends on the weight of the object being hung. Mirrors weigh more and usually require not only a nail but a special hook to carry the weight onto the wall. For lighter objects, the newer “removable” hangers allow for easy changes later on. Placing paper cut-outs on the wall allows you to make adjustments until you find the most pleasing composition. It’s much easier to adjust paper than the picture after you have pounded in the nail.
These ideas should help make your teen’s room a comfortable, inviting place for them to grow and form their adult personality.