When it comes to teenagers and their bedroom it seems there are two camps – those who care a lot about their bedroom decor and those who aren’t particularly bothered (my son, for example, when I painted his room a different colour and he didn’t even notice!).
Whether they are particularly design savvy or not, most will have an idea of the things they’d like to have in their room. If you or they think it’s time they had a whole room makeover, or even just a little revamp, here are some suggestions to get you started:
Cushions
Cushions not only add softness, texture and colour to a room, they are great for resting on, snuggling, especially if you choose beautiful knitted cushions – or even throwing across the room in a temper! Seriously, though, teens do like to ‘lounge’ so something tactile works well on the bed and then having some larger floor cushions for chilling with friends seems to please the majority. I think its fair to say every teen, boy or girl, loves a floor cushion – the ones from Simply Cushions NZ are perfect for the floor.
Funky Storage
Maybe your teen has outgrown their childhood wardrobe and it’s time for a replacement? Instead of going for a traditional wardrobe again, why not choose something more quirky like a full length metal locker, some cage storage or a hanging rail? Some stores have customisable storage so you can create a unique system that perfectly fits the space and your child’s storage requirements. Teens also love ‘cubbies’ or pigeon hole type storage to stow their everyday items in and it can be a great way to keep a room tidier. Make sure you provide a laundry bin, too, as teens have a tendancy to hang up their clothes on the floor!
A Unique Light
Teens are partial to the occasional cool item (you may have noticed) so a distinctive light is a must-have. There are many options these days, from quirky lightboxes where they can change the letters to make their own witty slogans, string lights and neon wall art, to industrial cage lamps and colour-changing bedside lights; with so much choice there will definitely be a cool light out there to suit your teen’s personality.
A Feature Wall
Teens don’t do bland, so consider adding an eye-catching feature wall to their bedroom – there are lots of ways you can achieve this. Perhaps choosing a dark, moody paint colour or a textured wallpaper with a brick or wood effect would add a nice bit of personality. Another option is to create a gallery wall with quirky prints – or girls in particular may like a trendy boho wall hanging, maybe with a gold or copper noticeboard, too. If they need to be a bit better organised with schoolwork or studying for exams, perhaps consider a magnetic wallpaint, which essentially turns the wall into a giant pinboard that can be customised or used to collate and store revision notes, drawings, invitations, photos etc.
A Desk
Studying is an unavoidable part of a teen’s life and they need somewhere to do their homework and to revise quietly, but also a place to doodle, draw or write, somewhere they can go on their laptop, too – so a desk and chair or stool are essential. Even a small room can usually accommodate a compact desk and you can create storage space above it with shelves, hooks and organisers. A desk can be very versatile, providing a place to sit and eat a snack, play a game, be both a workstation and a dressing table, so it is a key piece of furniture for a teen’s bedroom.
Ultimately, their room needs to be a bit of a sanctuary. Kids go through a lot of different challenges and emotions during these turbulent years, so having a relaxed place they enjoy spending time in is important. Also somewhere to sleep well in, since adolescents are known to need a significant amount of good quality sleep during this intense period; in fact you can read more about this in my article here. You may also like to pin this blog post for later:
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