If your child is on the cusp of adolescence, the chances are they’ll feel they’ve outgrown their childhood bedroom. Soft toys feel babyish; the Disney bedding they begged you for is now an embarrassment. If your tween is ready for a new bedroom, these five tips will help make their room a space they will love.
Walls
Neutral colored walls are best for a tween’s room because over the coming years their tastes will continually change as they discover more about their likes and dislikes and experiment with fashions. A plain backdrop is the ultimate blank canvas for your tween to accessorize. Use frames to display prints of their favorite film posters, popstars or photos – these can then be swapped as often as your child likes to fit with their passing fads.
Soft Furnishings
An easy way to update the look of your child’s room is by choosing new bedding sets, curtains, and rugs. If they’re bored of Harry Potter or no longer want a My Little Pony themed room, encourage them to choose a more grown-up design such as plain colors, stripes or florals which will likely last longer than their current flavor-of-the-month. Changing soft furnishings is easier than adapting a whole room, so next time your teen asks for an upgrade it will be cheaper and quicker.
Multi-purpose
Your tween will probably be wanting more privacy over the coming months and years, so if their room is large enough, consider making it more than just somewhere they sleep. A desk is a great addition, so they have a space away from the family to do schoolwork and a comfortable chair or sofa (which doubles as a spare bed if they enjoy having friends to sleep over) is another good choice. Giving them access to their own TV and Lenovo computer for study and play is ideal for encouraging independence (and stopping family arguments about what to watch each evening).
Lighting
A great way to add personality to your tween’s bedroom is through lighting. There are so many fun and funky lamps out there with lava lamps and glow in the dark character lamps perfect for those not quite ready to fully leave their childhood interests behind. LED strip lighting is a modern way to give the room an update and tweens will especially love those that can be changed by remote control. For the simplest of changes, swap your child’s usual lightbulb for a colored replacement.
Storage Space
Utilizing storage space is vital to make the most of a tween’s room – not only do they accumulate lots of clutter and schoolwork, but they are also growing out of clothes on what feels like a daily basis! Integrate storage by adding under-bed drawers or using boxes or crates that can be stacked and stored.
However you decide to update your tween’s room, be creative and listen to their opinion. You don’t want to go to the effort of renovating the room only for your child to complain that it isn’t to their taste, so give them an element of autonomy over their own space and everyone wins.