Oh, how fast they grow. Yesterday, it seemed like they were lapping up their dinosaur-themed bedroom, and now they’re a teenager and things have very much changed. Your growing, continually developing little humans deserve a space in which they can truly relax, get a good night’s sleep, and shut themselves off from the world when things all become a little much.
With that in mind, we thought it’d be a good idea to put together a list of a few key essentials to keep in mind when designing your teenager’s bedroom. Make sure your teenager’s room has all of the following, and they’ll be happy — which also likely means that you’ll be happy, too.
Make It Them
Remember your teenage years? You might begin developing your personality long before that age, but that’s when your personality all of a sudden seems to be highly important. If you want to anger a teenager, then put forth some bedroom design ideas that are at odds with who they are (or rather, at odds with how they seem themselves). The easiest solution is to get their input! While they can’t have full say on all design elements (that would be a disaster), allowing them to have some input can A. ensure that the theme of the room is right for them and B. make it more likely that they take pride in the room, which will make it much likely that they keep it clean and tidy.
Study Encouragement
You don’t need us to tell you that secondary school performance influences later success. You’ll fully understand that already. Your teenager? They may not yet be quite as fully convinced. While it’s unlikely that you can get your child to love studying, you can ensure that their bedroom at least encourages them to do so. Allocating an area of the bedroom for study, including a desk, chair, and corkboard, will greatly increase the likelihood that they settle in for a few hours of studying. And if you can position the desk so that it’s visible from outside the room (i.e., by you when you pass by), then all the better.
Bring the Tech
You’ll have had some technology in your room when you were a teenager, but it probably wasn’t that important to you. To your teenager? It’s essential. These digital natives rely on technology for just about everything, and while there’s value in limiting your child’s screen time, it’s also best to make it easy for them when they are using technology. Kitting your child’s room out with charging stations, smart devices, Bluetooth speakers, and other bedroom technology will offer practicality mixed with a healthy dose of the cool factor.
A Good Night’s Sleep
Teenagers have a lot on their plates, and it’s much easier for them to manage all of those responsibilities if they’ve had a great night’s sleep. Studying, healthy living, and simply managing their mood becomes more straightforward when they can consistently get 6 – 8 hours of sleep each night. From large double beds to beds for teenagers with small bedrooms, there’s no shortage of options on the market that can provide style and functionality in equal measure. Add a comfortable mattress and some blackout curtains, and you’ll be creating the perfect environment for your teenager to get a good night’s rest.
Plenty of Storage
It’s good to have plenty of storage in the home anyway, but for your teenager’s bedroom? Ample storage provides them with a way to save them from themselves. Many teenagers are a little sloppy when it comes to keeping their bedrooms neat and tidy; ensuring that they have some smart storage solutions, such as space under the bed, under the seating, and on shelves, will make it much easier for them to keep their room organised.
Natural Light
Finally, something of an underrated tip: look at adding as much natural light as possible to your teenager’s bedroom. The benefits of natural light are well-founded — they help promote sleep and can be excellent for mental health, two things that benefit teenagers in particular. In an age when many teenagers are spending more time than ever staring at their devices, ensuring that they can easily get a dose of natural light can make all the difference. Look at upgrading the windows to maximise natural light and so that your teenager can open them wide on dry days — ventilation is excellent for airing out spaces that are prone to becoming a little stuffy, and there’s no room on the planet more stuffy than a teenager’s bedroom!
