Creating The Ultimate Teenage Boy Bedroom
Are you still hanging on to your kiddo's adorable animal or truck-themed room? Does your middle schooler complain about the outdated and immature sports decor filling his space? It's time to relinquish your little boy's room and create a space suitable for a growing and maturing guy.
As Verywell Family points out, teens need a healthy level of privacy to gain responsibility and foster their independence. This privacy is also necessary for them to build confidence and allows them to develop their interests. For many teens, their own bedroom is their only haven and place in the world that they can call their own.
Creating a stylish bedroom can allow teens to express their personalities and grow as individuals. This is a prime opportunity for them to mature in their style and learn the adult skills needed to set up a functional space. Plus, they'll have an area to hang with friends and unwind after a hectic day of teenage life. So, where do you start on your decorative quest? Here are some awesome ways you and your teenage boy can work together to create the ultimate bedroom.
Let your teenage boy drive his decor style
Part of growing as a teenager is finding your own style. Help your teenage boy discover the design aesthetic that appeals to him most. This can be a great starting point for designing his room. As The Teen Magazine points out, industrial style is a popular choice that can work for teens drawn to raw materials like metal and concrete. You can also go with a retro style for those that love color and quirky designs. Or, if you can't choose just one look, mix and match styles for an eclectic aesthetic that reflects your teen's personality.
Many teens have a hard time nailing down or describing the look they want in their rooms. Browse stores like IKEA with mock rooms set up. Snap pics to make an album of favorites along the way to create a digital lookbook. You can also browse sites like Pinterest together for ideas of what your teen might like. Or, help them take an online decorating style quiz and browse ideas inspired by their results.
Integrating their hobbies into the space
Pew Research Center reports that today's teen boys spend about six hours daily doing leisurely activities. This can include playing video games, surfing the web, and playing sports. Give your teen a haven to explore these hobbies so they can enjoy them in their own space. Think about long-term hobbies and interests your teen has enjoyed over the years and set up their space around them.
If your kiddo is a gamer, give them a sweet set-up to compete in their rooms. Include a gaming chair, space for their console or PC, and plenty of storage for accessories. You might also need to add a Wi-Fi extender to give them the best signal possible and prevent lagging (via PC Gamer). Maybe your teen is super into music. Provide them with the perfect space to practice and listen to their favorite playlists. Have a dedicated rehearsal area complete with instrument storage and music stands. You can also soundproof their room using acoustic wall panels to give them the best listening experience and keep the rest of the home quiet (via A Quiet Refuge). If your teen is artistic, create a station where they can sketch and get their creative juices flowing. Mount a bulletin board above it to post inspiration and show off their latest works.
Show off what makes them unique
As Dove points out, helping your teen show pride in their uniqueness can help them gain confidence and improve how they accept peers. Use their room and its decor to celebrate everything that makes them who they are. This can include accomplishments or hard-earned awards, photos of important events, and other important momentos meaningful to their lives.
A photo wall is a great way to display photos of teens and their friends and family. One teenage boy-friendly way to do this is to coat an entire wall or a dedicated section with magnetic paint (via Angi). This unique lacquer contains iron dust that turns any surface into a magnetic one. This gives your teen a low-fuss way to casually display photos and easily switch them up. Collect magnets from family trips to hang pictures on the wall for an extra personal touch.
Showing off their accomplishments might make some teen boys uncomfortable. But when done in a low-key way, these displays can look like part of the decor. A simple floating shelf can make a home for any trophies and framed certificates. Attach a row of hooks to the bottom for metals to hang. Provide your teen with a dedicated storage box to rotate out any items that they no longer want to display, but you'd like to hold on to.
Decide on a versatile color scheme that teenagers love
Teen boys can be fickle, and their tastes can pivot on a dime. Create a color scheme that they'll love but will also last long term. First, begin with a neutral base. As MasterClass points out, you can choose from either warm or cool neutrals. Warm tones, like beige and cream, have pink, orange, or yellow undertones. Cooler neutrals like gray have hints of green, blue, or purple. Consider the other colors your teen will later add to the space when selecting your neutral base. Then, paint the room with your chosen color to give you a blank slate for decorating.
Create a color scheme for your accent colors using the 60-30-10 rule (via MyMove). Your neutral shade should take up about 60% of your room. Then, help your teen select a secondary color that's a bit more vivid to fill about 30% of the room. This could be in the form of a painted accent rug, a bold area rug, or window treatments. Finally, the boldest hue should take up about 10% of the space. This can be done with throw pillows, wall art, or a fun decorative accent.
Of course, designing a teen boy room is all about individuality so bending this rule is a good way to get a look that expresses their style while being mindfully assembled. Scale your percentages to create a more subtle or bolder color combination (via Moving.com). Or, select an additional accent color or two to add to the mix. If your teen seems stuck, use a tool they're comfortable with—technology. Online and app-based color scheme generators can help inspire them.
Use prints and graphics for a fun statement
Fun prints and graphics are an awesome way to bring youthful energy to a room. If your teen loves the look of multiple patterns, don't be afraid to mix and match them. Pulling together patterns that complement each other can create a dynamic look. Nicole Gibbons, founder and CEO of the online paint store Clare, tells Real Simple, "Keep your patterns in the same color family and vary the scales. A large scale and smaller scale print will complement each other nicely, whereas two large scale prints would compete."
One impactful way to add a graphic pattern to your teen's room is with a wallpapered accent wall. Plus, wallpaper is easy to hang and comes in washable teen-friendly options (via HomeLane). A bold black and white graphic pattern can work as a neutral, allowing you to add bright accent hues. You can also use a vivid design to make a statement-making splash of color.
Another fun way to mix and match patterns is with the bedding you select. Start with a high-quality set of comfy sheets as your base (via Ballard Designs). Then build off that with a comforter and pillows in the same color family with varying patterns. Adding texture takes the style up a notch. This can mean pairing gray sheets with a black striped comforter and charcoal leather pillow sham. Or, cover dusty blue sheets with a textured navy duvet and oversized denim bolster pillow.
Make sure there's plenty of storage
Teen boys typically have a lot of stuff, which means they need a lot of storage. Avoid the stereotypical messy teenage boy room by providing them with lots of organized storage options. As Organizenvy points out, teaching them bedroom organization strategies can save your sanity and help them into adulthood.
First, help them purge any unwanted items. Elect to throw them away, donate them, or store them safely if they are sentimental items. The same strategy applies to their closet as well. This is often the most challenging part of a teen room to organize. This age group typically wears many clothes: sweatshirts, t-shirts, and casual shorts or pants. If your teen's closet is more suited for hanging, add shelves to create more storage space for their mostly folded wardrobe.
Utilize typically unused space as opportunities for more storage. Hang a shelf above the closet doorway to line with books. Purchase bins or cubes designed to slide under the bed to organize everything from socks to school supplies. You can also hang simple Command hooks to the wall to store things like headphones, hats, and sports equipment.
Have fun with lighting
When it comes to lighting, it's important to get it right to ensure your teen's room is as functional as possible. Toll Brothers suggests using lighting at different heights so that they can adjust them to their given needs. Start with recessed overhead lights or a ceiling fixture for full room illumination. Then, think about the activities that your teen does in the space and provide light sources. A desk lamp is a must for doing homework, and a bedside light is perfect for nighttime readers. Having multiple sources of light allows your teen to adjust the brightness and illuminate the areas of the room that they need.
Teenage boys also love creating a vibe in their rooms with lighting. An LED light strip kit is an awesome way to make a huge impact (via Craftibilities). These are super easy to install and set up. The self-adhesive strips connect and can be used to outline the ceiling, doorways, or bed for a cool customizable look. Then, teens can use the remote to illuminate their room in nearly any hue they choose.
Think outside the box when choosing artwork
Finding artwork to fill a teenage boy's space can be a tough challenge. They are likely beyond the years of sports-themed graphics yet a long way from collecting fine art pieces. Think outside the box when choosing artwork to make an authentic statement. Elaine Penhaul of Lemon and Lime Interiors explains to Livingetc, "When it comes to teenagers, it's key to let them personalize their room so they feel like they have their own space. Allow them to incorporate any hobbies or interests they might have and create wall features by hanging weird and wonderful items."
This could mean repurposing old CDs and mounting them for a unique statement wall in a music lover's room. Or maybe they have a great collection of shoes they'd like to display on floating shelves. For sports fans, framed jerseys or autographed balls make ideal artwork.
You can also have a mural custom printed for a one-of-a-kind statement piece (via HomedIt). This allows you to fill a wall with a unique image that reflects your teen's style. A printed map of a special spot in the world or a mock graffiti wall can add stylish character to a blank wall.
Add a touch of nature
According to Casper, adding plants to the bedroom can boost creativity, improve mood, and reduce stress. These are all great benefits that are helpful to teenage boys and their lifestyles. Plus, plants add a welcoming character and stylish touch of nature to their decor. Low-maintenance plants are your best bet here. These can ease teen boys into the responsibility of taking care of their plant life. ZZ plants and aloe are good choices that withstand a few missed waterings (via NBC News). A Dracaena Gold Star can grow large to make a statement but doesn't require much care. And jade plants are easy to care for and simple to propagate, meaning that your teenager can learn to use offsets to grow new plants. If you think that even a low-maintenance plant is too much work, go faux. There are some high-quality fake houseplants on the market to add the same stylish and natural look that real ones bring.
When adding plants to your teen's space, be mindful of placement and container types. Wall-mounted or ceiling-hung planters allow them to stay out of the way. You can also use unbreakable pots in stylish designs like faux concrete or industrial galvanized steel. Let teens select their own plants and containers to make them more invested in caring for them and showing them off.
Find stylish, yet functional window treatments
Good window treatments are a must for any teen's room. Not only should they look stylish with the decor, but they should also be functional too. Johns Hopkins Medicine recommends that teens get at least nine hours of sleep a night. Waking up too soon thanks to the sun peeking in can cut into that. People are more sensitive to light during the last hour of their typical waking time (via CDC). So, you should select curtains that look great and have blackout features to encourage quality sleep.
Look for high-quality blackout curtains that are wide and long enough to prevent any gaps when hung. Luckily, there is a wide range of options on the market to fit any decor style. These are often made of several layers of tightly woven fabric to block the sun. Some even have fabric coatings that enhance their light-blocking properties. Interior designer Beth Brown tells NBC News, "This material is thick and offers thermal insulation benefits, blocks out noise, and creates ultimate privacy."
These are all awesome features when it comes to getting quality sleep and creating a serene space. The sound-muffling properties of these curtains can reduce noise pollution from the outdoors. Plus, the thickness of the material provides temperature control by blocking sunlight and preventing cool drafts. Another option is using window shades. These can be simpler and lower profile than curtains if your teen is looking for a more toned-down look. Options include designs like roller shades and cellular shades that are mounted above the window and easily pulled up and down (via The Shade Store). Look for opaque material options to still reap the light-blocking benefits of blackout curtains.
Add ways to keep the air fresh
To create the ultimate teen bedroom, you'll need to consider all of your senses. A stellar space just doesn't look great, it smells great as well. Eliminate odor from your teen's room and ensure it smells fresh and clean.
An air purifier can be a welcome addition, especially if they suffer from allergies. Consumer Reports recommends looking for one that's Energy Star certified and designed for the size specifications of the space. Also, check out the noise level, as a high-decibel unit can be disruptive. There are sleek and modern designs available that can fit seamlessly into your decor.
Teen boys are known for being stinky. Add a touch of fragrance to freshen up their space with clean and natural essential oils. There are a wide variety of diffusers on the market to fit nearly any style. You can also opt for a wall mount unit that's discreet and out of the way. Specific essential oils are known to have effects that are known to impact mood (via The Art of Healthy Living). Use peppermint or orange oils for a jolt of focus during studying time. And when it's time to wind down for the day, diffuse lavender or vetiver oils to encourage quality sleep.
Create a productive homework zone
If your teen plans to study in their bedroom, then creating a dedicated homework spot is key. Pew Research Center reports that teenage boys spend about 50 minutes a day doing homework, a number that's been steadily increasing over the years. Set them up for success with a functional homework area that's efficient, organized, and that they actually like working in.
If you have room in your teen's room, a small desk with plenty of storage is an ideal working space. Gather stylish accessories like stacking trays and file folders, so they enjoy staying organized (via Sposie). You can also encourage your teen to use a cloud-based system like Google Docs to eliminate cluttering paper. Hang a motivational poster or sign above their desk for encouragement. Mount a sleek glass dry-erase board or calendar in their favorite theme for a fun way to keep track of test days and homework due dates.
Make your teen's room friend-friendly
Another important function of your teen's room is being a fun hang space. Arrange their furniture, so there's plenty of open space in the room to host friends. If their room is on the small side, Setting for Four recommends only using necessary furniture and avoiding bulky pieces. A sofa or day bed can also be a good space saver that can double as seating for guests.
Add a few helpful pieces to accommodate more guests. Look for hangable bean bag chairs that can be hung up and off the floor when not in use. Folding bungee chairs are another comfy option that takes up minimal storage space and can be unfolded for sitting. And a trundle bed is a perfect sleepover solution for teens (via Wayfair). It rolls right out from under the bed for overnight guests. In the morning, you simply tuck it back away and regain the floor space.