A child who becomes a teenager, a room in a mess… Follow our guide to redecorate your teen’s room without stress… Is your teen’s bedroom decorating “boring”? Is your daughter tired of floral curtains? Your son can’t stand his teddy bear wallpaper anymore? It’s time to take action. As your children enter their teenage years, their taste in clothing and decor becomes more pronounced, and you can no longer make decisions for them. Here are our five tips for designing a room your teen will love.
1. Go from a room that’s too babyish to a teenager’s room
Clowns, flowers, airplanes, or princesses, “it’s all baby”. Since he entered the sixth grade, your child can no longer see his room in paint. And that’s normal! His tastes are evolving and asserting themselves. At this age, teens are attracted to urban-style decorating, and New York and London are particularly popular. Fabric prints, stickers, wallpapers, accessories, and the “city” style are a hit with teenagers. When it comes to color, they leave the light tones behind and move on to strong, bold hues: ebony black, poppy red, slate gray, petroleum blue, and magenta…
If these colors seem a bit “hard”, you should know that they are also more difficult to apply and that several coats are needed for the final result to be satisfactory. When choosing paints, keep in mind the volumes and the overall harmony of the room. The room is his room. Let your teenager take ownership of his or her room’s decor. Ask them to create their inspiration board: magazine photos, visuals from DIY and decorating catalogs, fabric samples…
2. Optimize storage in a teenager’s room
Over the years, despite your efforts to sort and tidy, nothing fits anymore. A big unpacking is necessary. But don’t do it alone! The effect could be disastrous. List with your child what must go and what will be kept. Take advantage of this chore to teach your teenager to make choices, to part with his or her things, and to put things away. Associations, garage sales, online sales sites, some objects, clothes, or equipment can have a second life. The rest will be sent to the garbage dump.
Once you have sorted out your belongings, think about how much space you need to store them as your child has grown, and so have his clothes. Shelves, dressing room bars, coat racks, shoe storage, lockers, we enlarge everything. Optimize the space in your teen’s room by attaching small storage units to the walls: shelves for books and fashion accessories, and shoe racks…
3. Teach your teen to manage a budget
As soon as you’ve decided on the decorating choices, establish a global budget for the work, fittings, furniture, and accessories. A good idea: cut this budget into two parts, with furniture, upholstery, and equipment on one side and decorative purchases on the other. Entrust the budget for paint, accessories, and bedding to your child so that he or she can get involved in the project. By asking them to manage this money, you are helping them grow up and confront their dreams with reality.
Once the negotiation stage is over, think together about how to optimize this budget. Second-hand shops, flea markets, websites selling second-hand objects between individuals, and furniture makeovers allow you to save on the purchase of accessories and furniture. Introduce her to vintage and flea markets. It’s trendy, economical, and allows you to personalize a room.
4. Accessorize the decor
Any decorator will tell you: it’s all in the details. Lighting, furnishing fabrics, bed linen, small trendy accessories, and antique pieces, the harmony of a room is created in the association of objects and colors that compose it. It often happens that the relooking decoration stops at the paint and the furniture. This is a shame! Give your teenager the time to develop his or her room and make it their own. Wait until after the major renovations to buy the right accessories.
Find them as you go along, depending on what you find, what you need, and what you want. If your budget doesn’t allow you to do everything at once, start with the most expensive. Spread out accessorizing expenses as spending money that your child will have to manage. And if your budget is too tight, do the opposite: start with the least expensive.
5. Operation relooking as on TV
You’ve certainly seen the TV makeover shows. Your teenager too. It’s an opportunity to open up the debate with them and to start a makeover of their room. With these shows, some teenagers have become decorator apprentices. Remember to cultivate their “I’m old enough to do it myself” side. And like the TV hosts, play the extreme makeover card by taking before/during/after pictures.
It makes memories, everyone loves it, and it enhances the work of everyone… especially if the work is difficult. Once the work is finished, organize a mini housewarming party to mark the occasion. This is an important step in your child’s life before he or she leaves home sweet home.
Looking for help?
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