Tweens and teens need their own space Kids are far more socially advanced than children of my era ever were. Cell phones and Internet offer today's tweens and teens access to more information about the world and life in general than ever before. As a result, kids today are worldly and more mature in many ways.
When I was a kid my bedroom was what it was. I lived with what my parents put in there no questions asked. It never occurred to children of our era to ask for specific colours or designs in their space and we certainly didn't have access to the wide array of décor fashion options that kids do today. Thank goodness times have changed. Parents have the opportunity to create a special retreat for their tweens and teens and I think that the kids deserve a little input into the one space that is just for them.
Colour
Colour is an important part of a child's bedroom décor. Colour affects mood so use it to your advantage. A tween that is high energy might need a calming colour palette in his bedroom to promote tranquility and quality sleep. A brooding teen might benefit from a cheerier colour scheme like the pink and lime colours found in our feature photograph. When you look at this photograph it makes you feel happy and hopeful so imagine what a room like this can do for a sullen teen.
Save yourself some grief by bringing colour into the space through accessories and bedding. Teens and tweens change their tastes frequently so changing colours will be easier if they are not semi-permanent as in wall colour or carpeting. As seen in our feature photo, courtesy of Walmart, keeping the wall and floor colours neutral provides a blank canvas for any colours that come into play.
Colour can be brought into the mix without a lot of cost. The plastic stacking crates in our photo, for instance, are fun for storage or for seating and are reasonably priced. The fun lime garbage can even be painted or covered with fabric or wallpaper in future if needs change. Even the hot pink lamp shade is easy to change out down the road so the initial investment is not totally lost.
You have to buy bedding so make it work for you. Try to find bed sets that are interchangeable. A duvet with two different patterns front and back, for instance, can be used to change the look of the room in an instant. Buying a few solid coloured pillow cases in coordinating colours to a printed sheet set is another easy way to easily change the look of the space.
Inspiration
After you've found your colours it's time to find a fun theme. If you are unsure as to what design direction to take the décor, garner inspiration from items of interest. In our photograph, for example, the circles found in the bedding are repeated in the crates and even on the cork board. Geometric designs like circles are probably going to be better received than fussy floral or chintz patterns. Keep it simple.
Kid-friendly space
Kids don't necessarily want or need fussy furniture and structured placement. Freedom to be able to move items around and change things up a bit will keep your kid happy with her space. Instead of a stationary bedside table fun crates can be used in our feature bedroom. The computer table and chair are on casters and can easily be moved around at will. Having no headboard allows the child to sleep in either direction. Cushions for the floor, a soft area rug for laying around on and casual furniture are more fun than fussy headboards or high maintenance wooden pieces that the kids have to worry about damaging.
Organize
I was famous for throwing my clothes around my room as a teen and I'm sure there are many teens out there with the same habit. A series of wall hooks along with a proper dresser and closet may help with a messy bedroom. Purses, accessories and clothing items can hang on the hooks rather than being thrown in a corner only to pile up.
Cork board panels might save your walls from pinholes left by tacks used to hang posters and pictures. You could also buy some removable putty material to use in place of thumbtacks to hang these items. A magnet board, chalk board or eraseable board might also be a fun accessory for tweens or teens where they can hang pictures of their friends and write important messages and notes. The dollar stores have lots of fun magnets, erasable pens, decorative pens, pencils and desk organization items that will add fun elements to the space and help keep things organized.
Teens' bedrooms are their sanctuary. Give them a little leeway when choosing décor items and styles. The process may help them feel better about themselves and teach them some responsibility. It will also give them pride in their personal space. Who knows, you might just inspire the next generation of decorators!
Connieoliver@shaw.ca
