Within every home there must be room to grow, whether that means making room for new things, ideas or people. There is one room in particular that is becoming increasingly important to design with those intentions: a children’s room, especially as they become teenagers.
“Creating comfortable fun spaces for children and teens is important to their well-being and development,” said Kaitlynn Johnson, chief interior designer and director of interior design services at Old Brick Furniture. “It gives them a place to feel safe and secure, while also allowing them to express their creativity and imagination.”
Rather than keeping a child’s room design the same throughout their young lives, these personal spaces can be updated in cost-effective ways to reflect changing interests while still blending in with a home’s overall aesthetic.
Johnson said one way to achieve this in the long run is to lay the groundwork early by investing in the right furniture pieces to leave room for growth.
“The most common mistake we see when parents are shopping for a nursery is that they feel they need child-sized furniture,” Johnson said. “If your child’s room can handle a queen size bed, I recommend buying that size from day one, as well as the matching pieces so everything is scaled appropriately for an adult room.”
With the right furniture, the bedroom can transition seamlessly into the teen and college years and eventually into a guest room, without having to purchase multiple sets over time. There is an opportunity to personalize the space and make sure it meets multiple needs, apart from a place to sleep, but also a fun place to socialize with friends, focus on school work or express your creativity through of hobbies.
“When tackling a room in the house, our first question is always to ask what kind of activities are going on in a space,” Johnson said. “And for teens, they tend to collect a lot of items that don’t always have a specific home, so organization is important to consider in the design.”
Johnson likes to integrate a bed with storage set into the frame, usually under the mattress, as it serves as an extra place to put things without adding extra furniture to the room.
“These types of beds have the same footprint as a non-storage bed, but offer additional functionality. You could even replace a dresser if you’re short on space, then add something like a small desk for homework.
Ashley Brown recently moved into a new home in Milton with her fiancé and a blended family of four. Her eldest daughter Greta, 12, has her own bedroom in the finished basement.
“We knew she would love this space when she was older, but I wanted her to feel extra special and involved throughout the design process,” said Brown. “My approach with all of our kids is to ask for a general color palette or theme for the room, and then I pick the details.” Greta chose a white and cream color palette.
Brown knew that storage would be an important element in Greta’s room to maintain the restful, relaxing space she would need to relax.
The construction process allowed Brown to create built-in closet organizers. To add even more space, she bought storage cubes from the KALLAX series at IKEA. These cubes can be decorated with baskets or fabric containers to elevate the look, organizing anything from clothes to toys, technology or art supplies.
One of Brown’s goals for Greta’s room was to make it feel grown-up, which she says fits the 12-year-old’s mature personality. For all of her children’s rooms, she chose simple, neutral colors for the walls and turned to sources like Amazon to find fun and affordable furniture.
Brown’s other inspirations included plants throughout the room, and for a representation of one of Greta’s favorite bands, Nirvana.
“I went for artificial plants from World Market and Afloral because they look much nicer these days, and I knew she wouldn’t want to care for a real plant in the long run.” said Brown. She chose to include Nirvana “without being too obvious” by framing a song’s lyrics and using a guitar on a stand as a design element on the floor.
Because tastes often change during the teen years, Johnson said it’s important to design with the intention that things can be easily swapped or updated over time. Brown agreed.
“You can add a lot of personal flair to a room by choosing a bold color or wallpaper pattern for an accent wall,” said Johnson. Peel-and-stick wallpaper can be applied DIY style and is easy to remove if it feels too youthful.
For more subtle touches of personality or color, Brown and Johnson see opportunities in swapping bedding, pillows or blankets, and replacing artwork where prints can be replaced while using the same frames.
“It only takes a few creative touches to transform an ordinary bedroom into a space that truly reflects a child’s personality,” Johnson said.
And while a teen space should feel personal, Johnson and Brown said the space should somehow resemble the look of the whole house, in case the room is to be used for a guest or in case the door is left open. to stand. and visible from another room or a corridor.
“I know giving your kids complete creative control of their room is something parents have different opinions about,” Brown said. “But for me, mom has the final say on design.”
For example, when her daughter requested LED lighting throughout the room, a popular teen trend seen a lot on TikTok, Brown compromised and found a set of soft, twinkling lights from West Elm that gave a more subtle and sophisticated look.
Brown waited to show Greta the finished space, as the entire basement had to be completed during the construction process.
“The ability to surprise her made me super happy,” said Brown. “Designing spaces for my kids is definitely my love language.”