Ways to make teen bedrooms functional, personal, adjustable
Within every home, there should be room to grow, whether that be to make space for new things, ideas or people. There is one room in particular that feels increasingly important to design with those intentions: a child’s bedroom, especially as they become teenagers.
“Creating comfortable fun spaces for kids and teens is important for their well-being and development,” said Kaitlynn Johnson, lead interior designer and director of interior design services at Old Brick Furniture. “It gives them a place to feel safe and secure, while also being able to express their creativity and imagination.”
Rather than keep a child’s bedroom design the same throughout their entire young life, these personal spaces can be updated in cost-effective ways to reflect changing interests, and still blend in with the overall aesthetic of a home.
Johnson said one way to accomplish this long-term is to lay the foundation early by investing in the right furniture pieces to leave room for growth.
“The most common mistake we see when parents are shopping for a kid’s room is they feel like they need kid-sized furniture,” Johnson said. “If your child’s room can handle a queensized bed, I recommend purchasing that size from day one as well as the coordinating pieces, so then everything is the proper scale for an adult-sized room.”
With the right furniture, the bedroom can seamlessly flow into the teen and college years, and eventually into a guest room, without having to purchase multiple sets over time. There’s an opportunity to personalize the space and ensure it meets multiple needs beyond being a place to sleep, but also a fun place to socialize with friends, focus on schoolwork or express creativity through hobbies.
“When tackling any room in the home, our first question is always to ask what type of activities happen in a space,” Johnson said. “And for teens, they tend to accumulate a lot of items that do not always have a specific home, so organization is important to consider in the design.”
Johnson likes to incorporate a bed with storage set in the frame, usually under the mattress, as it serves as an extra place to put things without adding extra furniture to the room.
“These types of beds have the same footprint as a non-storage bed, but offer bonus functionality. You could even replace a dresser if you are tight for space, and then add something like a small desk area for homework.”
Ashley Brown recently moved into a new house in Milton with her fiancé and blended family of four children. Her oldest daughter Greta, 12, has her own bedroom within the finished basement.
“We knew she would love this space when she was older, but I wanted her to feel extra special and included during the design process,” Brown said. “My approach with all of our kids is to ask for a general color palette or theme for the room, and then I choose the details.” Greta chose a white and cream color palette.
Brown knew storage would be an important element in Greta’s room to maintain the soothing, relaxing space she’d need to be able to unwind.
The construction process allowed for Brown to create builtin closet organizers. To add even more space, she purchased storage cubes from the KALLAX series at IKEA. These cubes can be furnished with baskets or fabric containers to elevate the look, and organizes everything from clothing to toys, technology
or art supplies.
One of Brown’s goals for Greta’s room was to make it feel mature, which she says fits the 12-yearold’s adult-like personality. For all of her children’s rooms, she chose basic, neutral colors for the walls and went to sources like Amazon to find fun and affordable furnishings.
Other inspiration from Brown included plants throughout the room, and for there to be representation of one of Greta’s favorite bands, Nirvana.
“I went with artificial plants from World Market and Afloral since they’re much nicer looking nowadays, and I knew she wouldn’t want to care for a real plant long-term.” Brown said. She chose to incorporate Nirvana “without being too obvious” by framing lyrics from a song and utilizing a guitar on a stand as a design element on the floor.
Since tastes often tend to change throughout the teenage years, Johnson said it is important
to design with the intention that things can be easily swapped or updated over time. Brown agreed.
“You can add a lot of personal flair to a space by choosing a bold color or wallpaper pattern for an accent wall,” Johnson said . Peeland-stick wallpaper can be applied in a DIY-style, and is easily removable for when it feels too youthful.
For more subtle pops or personality or color, Brown and Johnson see opportunity in swapping bedding, pillows or throw blankets, as well as replacing artwork where prints can be changed out while using the same frames.
“It only takes a few creative touches to transform an ordinary bedroom into a space that’s truly reflective of a child’s personality,” Johnson said.And while a teenage space should feel personal, Johnson and Brown said the space should resemble the look of the entire home in some way, in the event the room should have to be used for a guest, or in the event the door is left open and visible
from another room or a hallway.
“I know letting your kids have full creative control over their room is something parents have different opinions on,” Brown said. “But for me, Mom gets the final say on design.”
For example, when her daughter requested LED lighting throughout the room, a popular teen trend seen widely on TikTok, Brown compromised and found a set of soft, twinkle lighting from
West Elm, which gave off a more subtle and sophisticated look.
Brown waited to show Greta the finished space as the entire basement had to be completed during the building process.
“The ability to surprise her made me super happy,” Brown said. “Designing spaces for my kids is definitely my love language.”