Those in-between years are a challenging part of growing up; not quite adult, yet no longer totally child. During these years, the bedroom becomes a very important place for exploring independence and escaping adult rules and limitations.
As kids grow into their teens, the decor and furnishings that fill their special space needs to be flexible and responsive to their changing needs.
The Zen of Zoning
While grown-ups see the bedroom as a place for mostly sleeping, teens tend to want somewhere to live. It’s not just a bedroom, it’s a mini apartment, needing space for study and hanging out with friends as well as sleeping. It should reflect their personality and their passions.
Bearing those things in mind, the ideal teen bedroom will have some kind of zoning so there’s a place for different activities as well as somewhere for personalised art or posters.
Furnishing ideas could include:
During the planning stage, it can help to sketch out design and layout ideas on paper. This can help you decide which zones to include, and if your ideas or desires would work in practice.
Plenty of Storage
Must-have storage in the bedroom includes plenty of shelving, storage bins for under the bed, dressing tables and wardrobes. However you provide storage, make sure it’s functional and keep it fun.
As needs grow and academic work becomes more demanding, it’s sometimes useful to hang onto previous year’s course work, which requires more storage but not necessarily in the house. You can keep important documents or notes secure but not underfoot by renting a self storage locker close by.
This is also good for anything outgrown but which still has sentimental value. Cherished childhood toys, for instance, can be hard to part with but may have no place in a teen’s current life. Self storage keeps them safe.
Bespoke Décor
Allowing older kids to have a say in their choice of decor helps ensure they’re happy with their personal space. While adults might prefer calming colour schemes, don’t be surprised if your tween or teen wants floor to ceiling vibrancy!
Let them be as bold and imaginative as they like with decor, since paint and wallpaper are easy to change as their taste matures and develops. It’s good to experiment and play with ideas, especially if you give them some direction, such as:
In small rooms, one bold accent wall with little matching or echoing features elsewhere may work better than boldness on every wall.
Anticipate Change Before it Happens
As kids grow up, you can get ahead of their changing needs by storing furniture or accessories over the years instead of throwing them out. The thinking ahead habit can be started very early, for instance by putting full size beds in self storage in anticipation of toddlers outgrowing their cots.
Instead of getting rid of older furniture, keep nicer pieces safe in a self storage unit. Items that teens might enjoy include small armchairs, chests of drawers that could be upcycled, rugs, and all kinds of soft furnishings that you might otherwise discard. Those items could be cherished again as part of a tween or teen room.
Having a local storage room would also give you space to snap up bargains before you actually need them, knowing there’s somewhere to keep them pristine. Redoing a room for a teen can get expensive, so it’s good to start acquiring things ahead of time when you can.
Creating a tween or teen room is fun for everyone as well as giving your fast-growing child a space to call their own.
