Teenagers need spaces to call their own, even if those spaces are just small bedrooms. Because teens need their rooms to serve multiple purposes, you can face many design challenges when the spaces you have to work with are less than ample. However, with the right furniture and input from your teens, you can easily make their spaces into spots they are proud to call home.
Instructions
1. Measure the room, making note of windows and doors as well as their dimensions. Use graph paper to draw a scale model of the room, using two squares to equal one foot. You can adjust the scale to suit your needs; just make sure to include windows and doors on your model.
2. Select furniture pieces that serve multiple functions. For example, a bunk bed with a futon on the bottom bunk serves as a sleeping area for your teen, plus gives him seating and an extra bed for friends. Loft-style beds are a good choice because they can accommodate a bed, desk and seating in the same footprint as a single bed. A tall bookshelf uses vertical space to hold possessions, a stereo and school books, while a tall, skinny dresser can house lots of clothing without taking up a lot of room.
3. Measure the furniture, and make scale models using the graph paper and the same conversion you used for the room. Cut out the pieces, and use them to arrange the room on paper to see how the furniture will fit. This will allow you to visualize the room without moving heavy furniture around.
4. Choose a color scheme and theme for the room, but keep the colors light and the pattern simple. Dark colors make a room feel smaller, while light it seem larger. Purchase bedding, lighting and other accessories needed to decorate the room.
5. Create a study area for your teen with a slim profile desk and a bright task light. Add a bulletin board to the wall over the desk with a calendar that can help your teenager keep up with practice schedules and homework assignments.
6. Fill in the room with your purchases, keeping in mind that less is more in a small space. If you choose interesting, bold accessories, you do not need a lot of them to make a statement.
Tags: area your, area your teen, colors make, graph paper, , windows doors, your teen