Decorating With Teens Can Be Fun...REALLY!

The teen years should be called the bedroom years. A computer, home entertainment system and a bed provide them with all they think they need. If it weren’t for the occasional trip to the kitchen, parents would never see their offspring.

There comes a time when your child will declare their room boring or childish. The American Girl Dolls or Brio Trains will be packed for the attic along with the posters from their favorite Disney movies. They are ready to express themselves in their own creative way. As a parent, your job is to remind yourself of what you wanted at this age and how much you would have loved it if your parents had been open to your ideas. I was lucky. My mom gave me the freedom to paint my room trim and closet door lime green. At the time I ( and my friends) thought it was so pretty. I am not sure that was true and it is probably the reason I want only white trim in my home today.

A cool teen room starts out with a theme. For boys, skateboarding, surfing or technology are popular. A giant mural depicting a surfer experiencing the ultimate wave or a skateboarder doing a 360 in the park will give an awesome impact to a room.
Guys are often most comfortable with the colors of their favorite team or school. Hang plenty of shelves for them to display equipment, trophies and souvenir hats. Old t-shirts from favorite events can be turned into pillows for the bed.

Stripes and polka dots are strong favorites with teen girls. You can use paint to create this look on the wall or purchase a comforter splashed with dots or lined with stripes. Animal prints are also a hit. Zebra is fun, especially when paired with a color such as yellow or bright green.

Visit the paint store and let your teen play in the paint sample cards. Encourage them to think about colors that aren’t the typical pink, purple, primary blue and red. Look at the color cards furnished by the paint companies. The combinations they suggest will spark your imagination.

Don’t be surprised if they want to paint their room black. If you aren’t thrilled about this for the entire room redirect them to paint their furniture in this dark tone. One wall in black can create a stunning accent wall behind their bed. Blackboard paint is also a fun choice. It lets them express themselves with easily changed drawings or song lyrics.

Decorating your child’s room can be a fun project. Give them a budget and a few guidelines then listen to what they have to say. They may actually think you are cool for encouraging their creativity.

(Photo shows a room that your teen would love to relax and entertain in. It was featured in a model home. I did not design this beautiful room and do not know the name of the designer in order to give them the credit.)