When we decorate our children’s bedroom, we often opt for cute and childish. We think about all of their favorite TV shows and toys and base our d or choices around them. There are plenty of Disney and other characters, and lots to play with. We keep things low so that our kids can reach their favorite things, and safety is a top consideration. But we also try to build a bedroom that will last. We don’t want a room that they’ll grow out of as their interests change, and we certainly don’t want to have to spend a large amount of money on furniture that will be no good to them within a year or two.
But, as much as we try to prepare for the future, at some point, our children grow out of their cute kid themed bedroom. Their interests change, they no longer like the colors that they once demanded everything in, and they quite literally don’t fit in the beds and chairs.
When the time comes, you’ll once more want to take your time to create a room that your child can enjoy, but also one that will last the test of time. Below is a look at some of the changes that you could make to turn your kid’s bedroom into a trendy teen hangout.
Keep it Simple
The thing with teens is they change quickly. They are growing rapidly, their personalities are changing suddenly, their friendship groups evolve, and their hobbies and interests change lightning fast. Decorate their rooms in their favorite colors, with posters of the games that they like, or the stars that they admire, and you’ll only be changing it again in a few months.
Keep it simple, and you make it much easier to adapt to suit current trends and needs. Keep most of the walls neutral, perhaps getting more creative on a feature wall, and you can add color with the accessories and soft furnishings, which are much easier, and cheaper to change when you need to. Stick to plain furniture too, that is stylish but simple and will grow with them.
Add Seating
If there’s one obvious difference between a kid’s room, and a teen’s, it’s that the teen spends more time in it. Your kids quickly pass through the phase of a bedroom being for sleep and storage, right into it being where they spend all of their time.
So, make sure it’s comfortable. Your child might have spent time on the bed or playing on the floor, but your teen will want to entertain their friends, do their homework and spend time online. This means they need seating. A supportive desk chair is ideal for their developing bodies, but a giant bean bag from the best lovesac competitor, Fombag, can be ideal too.
Create a Study Space
As our children grow up, the homework demands grow with them. They’ll have assignments to work on most days and will need somewhere to do it. Find a desk that can grow with them if possible, and make sure they’ve got things like desk tidies and letter trays to keep things neat. Add an easy to reach shelf for all of their books and workbooks, and stock their desk with all of the pens, pencils and paper that they need to work comfortably.
Keep Some Favorite Comforts
As much as teenagers would love us to think that they are grown up, most of them still cling to some elements of their childhood. Don’t clear everything out straight away, even if they tell you too. Leave some of their favorite childhood teddies and toys in their room, or, if they ask you to remove them, keep them somewhere safe just in case.
Cater to Their Interests
You might not want to cover their walls with their favorite musicians, actors or sportspeople, or their favorite characters, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t include their interests in their room. If they are musical, add a practice space with everything that they need. If they are artistic, add a space for canvases and freedom to explore. You might even want to create zones, to give them plenty of opportunities to explore hobbies and passions.
Add Extra Sleep Space
Teens love a sleepover, and they are bound to want friends over more and more as they grow up. But they’ve probably started to outgrow the idea of bunk beds. A pull-out bed or chair can be the ideal solution.
Give them Room to Show Their Personality
Don’t do everything for them. Perhaps buy frames for posters and prints, but leave them empty, so that they can fill them, and change them whenever they want. A chalkboard wall might seem childish, but your teen might love graffitiing it, or getting their friends to tag it.
Include Plenty of Storage
While toys and games might be on their way out, clothes, instruments, sports equipment and technology are on their way in. Your teen won’t have less stuff, and a lot of their new stuff will be bigger and take up more space. It may also be harder to store. Add hooks to walls, mounted shelves and drawers, and other clever storage options to help them to keep it tidy.
Prepare for Vanity
Another growing element of your teenager’s life might be vanity. They are soon to spend more time on their hair and makeup, and an increasing amount of time worrying about their skin.
Involve them in Your Plans
Even from a young age, it’s a good idea to involve your children when it comes to decorating and furnishing their room. By all means, guide them, and make suggestions, but don’t push them into anything they aren’t happy with.
Sometimes, all it takes is a few simple changes to create a bedroom that your teen loves, and somewhere that they are happy to invite their friends. Just make sure you involve them and try to keep things as simple as you can to make any further changes easier to manage.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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