Style your teen girl’s bedroom
Ateenage girl’s bedroomis their little corner of the world and the backdrop to many a drama and future memory.
As kids, design choices, like all the others, are made for them. But as they enter adolescence, letting them have a little say in their environment is healthy.
‘‘I think that by the time our children become teenagers they are definitely ready to have some say in the decor of their rooms,’’ said Amanda Holland, stylist and owner of Wellington design store Small Acorns.
‘‘However, this needs to be balanced with the fact that they are also at an age where they are heavily influenced by social media and their friends opinions and can be afraid of being different. Plus this may not be the look or style that a parent is after.’’
‘‘I find it works best when the teen has a say, and then the parent or designer comes back with some options and choices that give everyone a win.’’
Full of bits and bobs, ‘‘by their very nature teenage rooms tend to get very busy,’’ said Holland.
‘‘So I find a neutral colour that can then be ‘coloured in’ tends to be best, has the most longevity, and that this allows the accessories and bed-linen to add personality and colour.’’
For the walls in a teen girl’s bedroom, consider whites, soft greys, moody blues, and ‘‘lovely dirty pale pinks.’’
Holland also suggested keeping an eye out for a wall that would suit wallpaper.
‘‘Nothing adds quite so much impact for relatively little cost. Great bang for your buck, and still great with art hung on top,’’ she said.
Inexpensive de´ cor ideas that a teen could implement in their own room include washi tape, pot plants, bunting and fairylights.
‘‘Washi tape is your greatest friend in teenage room,’’ said Holland. ‘‘This paper tape can help you create the most fabulous collage walls which can be changed every other day if you like, all without damaging the walls.’’
‘‘Teens love photos and selfies. I love to help them create collage walls which include photos and magazine tear-outs and mementos. Photobooth pics, polaroid instax pics, all make great temporary installations that can be changed easily and updated at whim.’’
Pot plants - adding an essential green, natural element and a little life to the room. These look great in a basket container, or just wrapped in fabric or a piece of (coffee) sacking and string.
To keep a personalised feel, frame up some of your teen’s own artwork for the walls using off-theshelf frames from The Warehouse, Typo, Country Road or head to the op shop to let them pick out some vintage art or record covers.
When it comes to storage, Holland suggested ‘‘a place for everything and everything in it’s place.’’
Like a stack of old suitcases used as a bedside table but holding things, a Post Box style storage unit, natural stacking baskets, hooks for hanging things behind the door, and plenty of containers for makeup and jewellery.
‘‘Wooden drawer knobs painted in nice colours and screwed in to the wall in various sizes make great hangers for jewellery, necklaces, hats, headphones and the like,’’ said Holland.
If you’re renovating, make sure to include ‘‘lots and lots of power points’’ and consider your teen’s lighting and window treatment needs, like above desk lighting or blackout curtains.
As for the answer to the oldfashioned question, ‘Should I let my teenager have an adult size bed?’ Holland doesn’t think it matters.
‘‘I don’t think it’s implying that more than one person is sleeping in it,’’ said Holland. Often teen rooms double as guest rooms, so a double bed makes good sense.’’