So, you’ve got a teenager in the house. Your baby is all grown up and beginning to explore the idea of self.

Self-expression is a critical stage in a teenager’s life. Having the confidence to try new things and express themselves creatively helps them settle into their own skin.

One of the best places for teenagers to unleash their creativity and exercise freedom of expression is redecorating their bedroom. This is the point where they say goodbye to the young boy or girl who once slept here and hello to the emerging young adult with a big old life ahead of them.

While giving a teenager licence to redecorate their room may be a terrifying thought for many parents, there are plenty of ways to switch from cuddly toys and rainbows to rock stars and grunge without committing to anything of permanence.

The Facts

Teenagers love and need privacy and independence. Creating a space inside the home where they can safely satisfy their need for both means they won’t seek to escape the house so readily.

Adaptable Design

Your teen’s journey of self-discovery is a work in progress. As they move through various phases, their taste will likely change. 

Encourage them to express themselves with interchangeable items. 

Such as:

• Bedding
• Cushions
• Wall hangings, posters, prints, removable wall decals
• Rugs
• Lamps
• And, if they must paint a wall, steer them toward one feature wall

Our wall decals are removable and transferable, making them perfect for the ever-evolving taste of a growing teen and their bedroom design project.

Get Space Creative

You can transform a small pokey room or expansive play space into a functional teenage den with some clever use of space.

Get creative by making efficient use of vertical space or using functional pieces to create defined areas.

Examples:

• Elevate the bed and create a study nook, wardrobe space or chillout zone underneath. 

• Create a wall using a double-sided bookcase and fill it with pieces that add to the overall design aesthetic.

Study Space

With secondary school comes an increase in homework and academic commitments. If space permits, try to create a dedicated study space and an environment that supports healthy and productive study habits. 

Such as:

• A comfortable chair and a spacious desk
• Good lighting – natural light is excellent!
• Easy access to power points
• Drawers, shelving and functional storage for books, laptops and accessories
• A pin or pegboard to hang inspiring quotes, affirmations, dream boards, goal lists etc.

Chillout Space

We talked about a teen’s need for privacy. Try to create a space where they can hang out with a friend or alone when seeking to enjoy some family-free time.

Make it comfy by using oversized floor cushions, bean bags, or an old two-seater couch. Try creating a relaxing space, including speakers, lamps, led lighting, or fairy lights. Your teenagers are busy growing and getting to know the evolving them. A chillout space allows them to stop, unwind and take a break from the journey now and then.

Incorporate Hobbies

You may have a teen who is not overly concerned with design or interiors but still keen to make a personal statement in their room. For these kids, finding a way to incorporate their hobbies into the room’s aesthetic is an excellent way to personalise their space.

You can make art with almost anything these days – ballet shoes, skateboards, surfboards, and guitars, either hung or mounted to the wall or deconstructed to make shelving, door handles, stools etc.

Check out our range of skateboard deck art, skateboard stools and sports, dance and music decals.

Storage

Busy, active lives lead to more stuff! More stuff requires a lot of organisation or, better yet, great storage. By incorporating fun and practical storage solutions in your teen’s room, you will encourage them to be organised, or, at least, plant the seed!

Easy and accessible drawers and wardrobes are a must if you want to imagine a life free of clothing strewn from one end of your teen’s room to the other.

Deep shelving and a desk with a storage compartment for books, devices, decorative pieces, and photos are great options. 

If space is at a premium, you will need to get creative and look for storage opportunities where there are none.

Dead space is a prime spot to store things infrequently used. Under the bed and the bottom of the wardrobe are great examples of dead space. Fill these spaces with drawers, sealable and stackable plastic tubs, or rack units.

Remember

When embarking on a bedroom design project with your teen, the main thing to remember is that this is often their first attempt or opportunity to express themselves through something beyond what they wear or how they fix their hair. Be tolerant and be gentle. Guide them but keep your judgement to a minimum. Let them feel what’s it like to exercise a little creative freedom and bring a vision to life; this will go a long way in developing their confidence in who they are and how they see themselves. 

Today’s world is a busy and uncertain place. Allowing them to create a room that belongs to them will ensure that they always have somewhere safe to rest and recalibrate while trying to make sense of it all.