If the time has come for you to turn your child’s bedroom into a teen’s, there’s a lot for you to think about, from new storage and study areas to classy lighting and creative touches. For some handy tips on how to get started, read our guide.
Listen to your teen
The first thing to remember is that this is your teen’s bedroom, not yours. So, rather than telling your child how their room will be redecorated, listen to what they want and, unless it involves something altogether unfeasible like knocking down walls or painting the whole space black, try to give it to them. After all, unlike you they don’t have a whole house to spread out in and, most of the time, everything from studying to relaxing will be done here.
Divide up the space
The next step is to think about how the space can be divided up. If possible, you should aim to allocate different areas to different tasks. For example, a desk creates somewhere clearly devoted to study, and a small bookshelf next to it could be used as a convenient place to store all their schoolbooks. A larger bookshelf elsewhere in the room could hold their personal books, which will give them a clear division between home and school life.
A sofa bed or a few beanbags in one corner, meanwhile, gives your teen a nice place to relax with a book or hang out with friends. For added atmosphere, you could put up some fairy lights above this area – or maybe invest in a floor lamp.
Get storage savvy
Once you have decided what the different parts of the room will be used for, you should buy some new storage solutions. Teenage bedrooms tend to be cluttered at the best of times, so when redecorating it really does pay dividends to be as clever with storage as possible.
First of all, it’s worth getting them to pick out a laundry basket they like – preferably one with a funky design – that will encourage them not to heap dirty clothes on the floor. Boxes that can be tucked away under the bed, meanwhile, are absolutely fantastic for smaller spaces.
It is also worth purchasing some storage units for use inside wardrobes, as these can help you make the most of any free space at the bottom and top of the furniture. Hooks on the walls, meanwhile, are great for dressing gowns and other bulky items that take up too much wardrobe space.
Be clever with seating
Your teen can’t realistically work in a space that has no desk chair, or hang out with friends when there’s no comfy seating – but furniture like this can easily take up a lot of space. However, if you are smart about it, you can strike a balance between necessity and space-saving.
For instance, if space really is tight, consider a folding desk chair that can be tucked away when it’s not being used. Should you not have space for something like a sofa bed or chairs that your child and their friends can lounge about on, opt for oversize cushions and bean bags instead; the beauty of these is that they can be put in the cupboard when they’re not needed.
Lighting: task, ambience and relaxation
Above, we mentioned that fairy lights can create a nice atmosphere for your teen’s hangout space. There is much more you can do with the lighting in this part of the house, and it is well worth giving some thought to.
Indeed, a teen’s room is used for more than most bedrooms, so the lighting needs to be equally diverse. For the main ceiling light, it’s good to opt for a striking shade, as teens usually like their rooms to look unique – you can see a good selection of options here.
Task lighting, such as lamps for the desk, are essential for studying. However, the bedroom also is a place for relaxation and sleep, so a dimmer switch for the main light or smaller lamps positioned around the room for a soft glow are in order.
