When your child is transitioning from early childhood into the teenage years, the need for their own personal space becomes vital. A teenager’s bedroom is their sanctuary, and as such, it needs to reflect their personality, rather than the decorating ideas you perhaps chose a few years ago. Although this will be the place your teen will sleep, relax, entertain friends and study, you may feel you want to reign them in a little if they have “out there” decorating ideas. Work on it together to ensure you are both happy with the results and that the design stays well within your budget.
What can you keep?
When you have limited finances, refitting the entire bedroom with completely new furniture is not going to be a possibility. After your child outgrows the junior bed stage, you should purchase a bed frame that will last for several years, and beyond their teenage growth spurts. The mattress should be replaced every five years or so, or before if it becomes uncomfortable to sleep on. If you sensibly bought a bed many years ago that is in great condition, don’t feel you need to waste any money purchasing a new one. The same goes for wardrobes and sets of drawers. Should your child need new furniture, but you are having trouble being able to afford to buy any, perhaps because of bad credit, consider getting a loan from a reputable company. Loans such as the Avant credit loan can help you when you truly need to purchase goods such as new bedroom furniture. As with any loan, ensure you make payments in full and on time to avoid getting into financial difficulty.
What can you sell?
There may be items in your teen’s bedroom that are just too childish to fit in with their new, more sophisticated bedroom. Instead of throwing these items away, sell them via online selling sites and make a little cash which can be spent updating the bedroom. It is great to get your child involved in this, so ask them to sort through their things and to put aside items they no longer want and that you can sell. You can make this an enjoyable task by getting your teen to be in charge of photographing the unwanted goods and allowing them to write the descriptions of each item to accompany the images.
Keep things simple
The teenage years can be a period of constant change and this includes changing opinions on the type of décor your child likes and wants in their bedroom. By painting walls in neutral colours such as cream or white, and by investing in a plain, unobtrusive coloured carpet rather than splashing out on patterned or themed alternatives, you will prevent unnecessary expense in the future. A neutral backdrop allows your teen to add their own accents with throws, artwork, and bed linens.
Get arty
There is no need to buy expensive murals or ornate wallpaper to decorate a bedroom. You may hate the thought of posters on the wall, but why not buy some cheap frames and mount them on them the wall? Encourage your child to feature their own collages, paintings, and drawings on their walls, either framed or attached to a large pin board.
Upcycle
Instead of throwing away childish or worn furniture, upcycle it. Upcycling means taking something old or broken and transforming it into a better version of its former state. Chairs and tables that have peeling paint can be sanded and repainted or varnished. If you have stools or chairs made from a mix of wood and soft furnishings, replace the material on the seat to give an updated look. Upcycling can take a little time and effort, but it is preferable to spending money on new furniture.
Storage
If you thought younger kids had a lot of stuff, wait until you experience the hoarding of a teenager! You may want to invest in some extra shelving for books and other keepsakes, and under-bed storage boxes are a cheap way to store items, especially in a small space.
Switch things up
Changing the position of furniture can sometimes be all it takes to create a fresh new look. You may also want to consider taking furniture out of the room to create more space. Make switching things around a task you and your teen can do together and enjoy coming up with new ideas as you create your teen’s perfect bedroom.
Let there be light!
Lighting is very important in any room, and it is no less important in your child’s bedroom. Use lamps to create different levels of light around the room. Consider hanging a few mirrors on the walls and placing lamps in front of them to create a pretty, reflected lighting effect. It is important that the lighting remains functional, so don’t forget features like a desk lamp for study, and a bedside light that is bright enough for when your teen wants to read.
Shared space
If you have more than one teen sharing a room, or a younger child sharing with a much older child, you will need to be extra creative. Consider allocating half the room to each child to be decorated in an age-appropriate way. This is where decorating in neutral colours really helps as there is no need to paint one side of the room in a certain way as throws and bed covers can easily reflect each child’s preferences.
Create a social space
A teen’s bedroom soon becomes the place they want to chill with their friends away from the rest of the family. If the room is too small for a separate hang out area, get a day bed which can be turned easily from a bed into a couch with the addition of several funk cushions. Your teen will appreciate having this cool hang-out area, and you will save money by not needing to purchase separate comfy chairs, or a couch.