Teenagers bedrooms one of the hardest rooms to decorate

Why is it so hard to decorate a teenage girls or teenage boys bedroom?

Actually decorating a teenagers bedroom is easy. The hard part is getting them to like it and keep with the theme for longer than 3 months. You can't keep changing the bedroom furnishings and decor once or twice a year because that would be far too expensive. The trick is to decorate with furnishings that are in between  contemporary and modern. Colors should be neutral so they will match with the ever changing wall colors. This is where you should allow your teenager to have a say in when and which color to paint the walls.

Dark earthy tones can be too depressing in the winter but look really nice in the summer. The same goes with pastel colors or bright wall colors, they are good for a cheery atmosphere in winter but far too bright in the summer months. So make a rule right at the beginning that if they want to change the rooms colors it can be done but only twice a year and they must either do all the painting or at least help and let them pick the wall colors. It would be my advice not to use wallpaper for the bedroom walls, unless you enjoy scraping it off when it comes time to paint.

Where to start decorating: Step 1 - beds and bedding

Remember a difference in six months of age is like 5 years difference in adult years. Likes and dislikes go in and out as often as their clothes. Start with the main feature which is the bed. Your son or daughters personality and sleeping habits are important considerations. Canopy beds are nice for girls but they get tired of them quickly. Boys are a little easier to buy beds for because they just see it as a sleeping compartment. Girls see beds as a furnishing or as part of their personality. Bedding which we will cover further down is going to be used as a decorative feature.

• View all bedroom furniture

Best choice for a bed in either a girls or boys bedroom is what is called a platform bed. These are in between a contemporary style and modern furniture.  They are easy to move around and when the time comes for them to move out they are easy enough to pack up.

Buying bedding for a teenagers bedroom is easier if you choose a color to compliment the wall colors. You can buy sheet sets, duvet covers, comforters and pillow shams in a wide range of prints and colors. Boys seem to prefer the block colors and girls lean towards the floral and solid colors.

Step 2 - Bedroom rugs for teenagers

Buying a area rug for a teenagers bedroom is sort of dependant on what type of flooring you have in this room For boys geometric shapes would be good. But Don't pass up some of the play rugs. You would be surprised how teenage boys can still entertain themselves, they are still children at heart.

If you are looking for something very soft on the feet which all teenagers enjoy especially in a girls bedroom look at these colorful bedroom chenille rugs.

Step 3 - Finding a place for a stereo, alarm clock, TV and computer

If your teenagers are anything like mine (I have 3 girls, 1 boy just past teenager stage) shelves are pretty much used for things they don't use anymore. It seems they think the floor is a better place to store items, including clothing that they use from day to day. One item that I have found works well are 4" deep clear plastic storage boxes that they can keep under the bed or stack up in a closet. And speaking of bedroom closets a closet organizer is a must. It will keep sweaters, t-shirts, socks and sweatshirts off the floor.

Buying a desk is pretty much a standard part of all bedroom furniture. Just about all desks are made to hold a computer, the only concern here is if it has at least one drawer and a shelf. Your teens stereo will probably take up most of this area or the nightstand will. When buying the night table the important consideration is a large top. You need one to fit an alarm clock and possibly the stereo. If there is a TV in this room try to get a corner shelf unit for it. They can use this instead of a rack to store videos and music cd's.

Step 4 - Lighting for teenagers bedroom

We have left bedroom lighting until last because you can think of these as bedroom accessories. Lamps including table lamps should be of a modern style. This is a pretty simple choice. Mostly they will be for a side table by the bed or for reading on a desk.

One very important feature in any bedroom is a ceiling fan. Teenagers all seem to like their rooms on the cool side. If the bedroom has a ceiling light already you are lucky, many modern homes do not have these anymore, which is a shame. You can buy a ceiling fan with a light, which can be used adding the extra light for getting dressed.

Step 5 - bedroom accessories to finish it off

All bedrooms should have a full length mirror in it. The best place is to hang one on the door or with some bedrooms you have a narrow wall by the closet, this is a good alternative spot.

Desk chairs are normally too big for a bedroom and will get in the way most of the time. A simple solution is a 24 inch stool or stacking stool that will fit under the desk. Even if your teens bedroom doesn't have a desk a stool is a wise purchase. Extra seating is always needed for when friends come over to visit them. If you would like read more about stools for desks go to this page.

If you have two teenagers sharing a bedroom like I did. You have my sympathy especially if they are girls close in ages. For me it was a sharing the clothes battle and their own personal bedroom space. One item that I found solved a whole lot of problems was a room dividing screen you can get more details on this page about dress screens. They are handy for when one is getting dressed, and is a little more self conscious.