Does your child’s bedroom still resemble a toddler’s room even though he or she is now in their teenage years? Maybe it’s time to upgrade to something a little more age appropriate.
Many parents tend to overlook the facts that as children grow up, so does the need for a bedroom that is better suited to a young adult.
So, while teddy bears may still have a special place in a teenager’s bedroom, the need for practical furniture, more room and plenty of storage space becomes a top priority.
Revamp or Replace Bedroom Furniture
As far as bedroom furniture goes, there’s no reason to toss out if you can revamp the existing furniture. Pine bedroom furniture can be sanded down to freshen up and then a new coat of clear vanish applied.
Or if you want to change the look, you can consider applying a wood stain and clear varnish coat, or even whitewashing furniture to brighten up a room.
Even melamine or laminate furniture can be lightly sanded down to de-gloss the finish, before being painted with a quality acrylic paint.
As far as bedroom furniture goes, there’s no reason to toss out if you can revamp the existing furniture. However, if the furniture is dated and too small for a growing teen, perhaps you should consider buying or making new furniture for the room. A basic box bed is simple enough to make and you will find a wide variety of materials to use for the construction, as well as all the other supplies needed, at your local Builders Warehouse.
Spring for a New Mattress
If you haven’t previously invested in a decent spring mattress, this is something to consider. A foam mattress is fine for young children, but you should think about a quality mattress for a child from 12 years and upwards.
The size of a mattress is also important. If there is enough space and budget allows, choose a three-quarter or double sized mattress. Spending that little bit more for size and quality will ensure that the mattress will last for at least 10 years, and perhaps even longer.
Let your teenager be involved with the buying process, so that they can choose a mattress that they feel is comfortable. Parents tend to easily forget that they are not sleeping on the mattress and, while they prefer a spring mattress your teenager may not. You can buy a variety of mattresses these days; from spring to memory or latex foam, and each offers a different type of body support and comfort.
Expressing individuality and personality is part of the process of growing up, so let your teenager make decisions about how he or she would like the room to be decorated.
Choose Colours Wisely
When decorating the room it is also a good idea to involve your teen in the process. You will obviously want to set down some boundaries as regards to paint for wall colours and budget, but other than that let you teenager choose furnishings and accessories that match their own personality.
Choosing a light colour for walls allows you more freedom with furniture and furnishings. With white, cream or light coloured walls you can opt for almost any colour scheme to finish off the room. And if you select standard colours from the Plascon colour range, you can easily buy another can of paint for when the room needs to be refreshed at a later stage.
If you want to add colour to walls try to limit this to one feature wall to avoid overpowering the room. In a larger bedroom, adding colour to walls will not have the same effect, but choose colour wisely. Avoid too many bold colours and rather select a wall colour from accessories already in the room.
You can buy a variety of mattresses these days; from spring to memory or latex foam, and each offers a different type of body support and comfort.
If you want to add interest to walls make use of wallpaper murals, vinyl stickers, or simply add art or posters. With the popularity of digital printing you can have wallpaper murals printed in various sizes and have the freedom of selecting or supplying your own image.
Personal Touches
Expressing individuality and personality is part of the process of growing up, so let your teenager make decisions for how he or she would like the room to be decorated.
Discuss the budget that has been put aside for decorating and look at options for furniture and accessories.
Now that your child has become a young adult – respect their ideas for decorating their personal space. It might not be your style but at the end of the day, your teenager will be using the bedroom for the next 6 to 10 years, so let them decorate the space to suit their needs.
SOURCE: www.home-dzine.co.za
