In many households the teenage years can be a difficult time with uncontrollable hormones flying around. When your children begin to outgrow their old rooms it may be time to redecorate. Those pink bunnies and blue cars may have been cute when your child was seven but by fourteen a teenager will crave their own space that they can relate to. This is especially true when it comes to exam years when teenagers will need a quiet, peaceful place to do homework and prepare for exams.

It is important to include your son or daughter in the design process so that their individual tastes and pastimes are included in the functionality of the room. As they will be the person spending the most time in the room it is essential that they feel involved and where they can, contribute their own ideas. I suggest that you start off the project with their favourite colour and build a design scheme around this.

Examples of colours to bear in mind are white for a girl’s room as Crown shades such as Sail White and Porcelain Bowl are a great base for any room. Dusty pinks such as Couture and Mademoiselle are pretty, fun colours that will look great in any grown-up girly bedroom. Boys can be a little more difficult to please, try using masculine colours like browns and deep blues to add character to the room without being overbearing. Walnut and Silhouette are good examples of these types of shades.

To make the room feel contemporary, why not incorporate some modern painting techniques, for example try painting a motif on the ceiling using stencils in a contrasting colour. Simple designs such as circles or stripes as seen in my previous blog post can be used to add depth and symmetry to a room. Avoid anything that has childish connotations attached to it like wall stickers or character borders.

One of the most  important design elements to consider in a teenager’s bedroom is storage. Rightly or wrongly teenagers are known for their messy bedrooms and storage can aid in the amount of mess visible to parents. Be creative with your storage solutions. Use multi level shelves with different colours in the foreground or raise the bed slightly so that colourful baskets can be stored underneath. Add drawers and cabinets where possible to a room and make simple changes like using a new handle or painting the old ones.

At some stage it is likely that your teenager will have to go through the exam process whether it is in school or at college. You can help ease the stress of these strenuous months by ensuring that a sensible study or desk area is incorporated into the room. Old desks can be sanded down and repainted or a new desk with built in storage can be added to the room. Remember to have the desk near an area with good lighting and to use a suitable cover to tidy away wires.

To finish off add some personal touches to the room. Add fairy lights and lots of photo frames or a signature feature mirror to a girl’s room. For boys who are into music, have an area for his stereo or iPod dock and funky storage for his CDs and DVDs. Why not incorporate a TV for movies or gaming into the room. At this stage it may be best to sit back and let your son or daughter put their own stamp on the room so that they can truly embrace their new space. This should result in a happy teenager and more importantly a happy household.

Happy decorating,

Neville