It seems like only yesterday they wanted everything pink and princess, or football and dinosaurs. Now they’ve hit their mid-teens, and it’s all ‘so embarrassing.’ You’ve probably already salvaged some of those much-treasured stuffed animals and clothes your child threw out. They remind you of their younger days. But it’s not going to end there. Your teen wants a complete clear-out of everything ‘babyish, ’ and the only way forward is with a complete bedroom makeover. Are you ready?
The Big Clearout
Teens find this time in life to be full of inner conflict. They want to appear grown-up when their friends come over to the house. But all of those beloved toys, books, and posters still have deep meaning and comfort for them. You might call it sentimentality, but for a teen, this can be incredibly difficult to manage.
When you have the big clearout, offer to put a couple of containers in the loft so they can come back to those most treasured items later. It clears them out of the room and out of sight of guests, but you haven’t cut that tie to their comforters altogether.
New Furniture
Teens come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, especially at this age. It’s best to buy standard furniture now. If you’re going to invest in it, you need to know it will last beyond college! Don’t feel uncomfortable about buying a bed in a larger size than a single. Teens struggle to sleep, so any help you can offer will benefit their health and education. You can buy a fluffy goose down comforter in most sizes so your child can be comfortable all year round.
Closet space starts to fill up during these teen years. Fashion trends for this age group change so often, and your child will, of course, continue to grow for a few years yet! Encourage your child to swap items when you’re buying new fashion. This means a tee is put in the thrifty gifting box for every new tee they buy. This prevents excess items blocking up valuable closet space.
Desks are vital for kids still in education. Look for desks that come with tidies or organizers, so they have places to store stationery and books. Study periods will start to extend so a comfortable office chair might be the best option here. Position the desk near to the power outlets. Chances are they’ll need a laptop, printer, and desk lamp plugged in there.
Tidy? Really?
Yes, teens like to have a tidy room, especially when they have their friends over. Teens can sometimes be more houseproud than us! Still, it takes effort to do, as well as motivation or, occasionally, incentive. Make it as easy as possible by providing plenty of storage for their things. A home for everything makes it quicker and easier to put things away.
Do you often find the dreaded laundry “floordrobe” scenario? An extra laundry basket positioned close to the door could help save you a lot of time and mountaineering. Carelessly discarded items if your child is a little untidy can really wind parents up!
Many teens are comforted by having their favorite things on display. Install a couple of shelves for this purpose. Of course, you’ll need to get the painting finished first!
Decor
Some kids can be pretty indecisive when it comes to choosing a style for their new bedroom. Of course, whatever you choose, they won’t like! Still, it’s worth shortening the list of choices as much as possible so you can get on with doing the job of decorating. Picking the main color is the first task. Broadly speaking, you should be able to pick a palette from this color that suits everybody.
Blues for boys and pinks for girls rarely works by this age. Brighter colors might be popular choices, but try to steer away from the moody navies, blacks, and dark grays. You want to be sure that whatever changes you make to this room can actively add value to your home rather than put any potential future buyers off. Of course, there is nothing wrong with these richer, darker tones being used for an accent wall if the other color choices are complimentary.
Decorating can be a fun life lesson for your teen, as well as an opportunity to spend quality time together. Eventually, your child will have a home of their own, so they need to learn these valuable skills. Prepping the walls is essential. There may be lots of posters and pictures to take down. Any secured furniture is likely to leave a few holes in the plaster too. For a really good finish, fill the holes and sand the surface flat again.
Cleaning the woodwork or stripping the old paint off may generate a fair bit of dust. Make sure you’ve got your vacuum handy. If you take the time to make all the preparations, the finish will appear much better. Start with the ceiling, and work your way down. You might choose to wallpaper one or more of the walls. This can be quite hard work so make sure your teen is around to lend a hand! When everything is adequately coated and dry, you can install the flooring.
Usually, carpeting is used in the bedroom. For a start, it’s quieter when you’re downstairs! Your teen might prefer wood flooring and a rug. The cost to lay the flooring is quite similar, but carpeting might be the cheaper option for you. A rug can sit equally well on either surface. Leave the patterns to the rug – this can be easily and cheaply swapped out if tastes change later on.
Like adults, teens are more inclined to keep a room as pristine as they found it. A fresh new room could be ideal if you find your kids aren’t tidying up or taking care of things as much as you would like. Wall art and a good mirror could be the finishing touches this room needs. Hopefully, this space will do wonders for their sleep, studies, and moods! Enjoy.