Make a Very Modern Room for a Teen Girl Inexpensively

Though making and decorating a 'modern' room for a teenage girl may seem like a daunting task, in reality, it can not only be rewarding, but fun. Here are a few suggestions directly from a teenage girl to help you along.

Steps

  1. Take the girl's tastes into consideration. Though you may assume all teenage girls appreciate similar things, you could be drastically wrong. Ask her what favorite colors, bands, celebrities, hobbies, patterns, and room styles are. Get as much information about the girl as possible before beginning. Though not all of it may seem useful, any shred of information can help.
  2. While shopping for furniture, remember that there are three necessities when it comes to a teenager's room. One, a comfortable bed. Two, a desk and chair to do homework and keep up on hobbies. Three, storage. Think wall-shelves, bookshelves, bins, and dressers with plenty of drawers. Teens are known for their messy habits, and if you have not given them a place to put their things...well, don't expect the room to remain clean. Beyond that, good lighting (especially around the desk) and other sitting (who doesn't love beanbags?) for friends are nice to have. Like a lounge area almost.
  3. Flesh out the room's style. A bedspread is a good place to start with the room's color scheme. Make sure it doesn't clash with the wall/carpet color, it's comfortable, and the girl will like the colors. Obviously, stay away from any colors or patterns she particularly dislikes.
  4. Follow through on your chosen color scheme and add a few matching, decorative touches to the room. Bright drapes/curtains, rugs, desk accessories, and new lampshades are easy ways to add color. One great idea that many "hip" teens do is to put up white holiday lights in their room. It works best if the strands are white and that the lights have a swag to make it look better. Another great idea is to write her favorite song or poem in another language such as Japanese or Chinese and hang it above her desk. Don't forget, this is a teen, so keep it funky! How about some lava lamps or funky wall art?
  5. Add your finishing touches. This is where the girl's interests can come into play. A few choice posters and photographs on the wall really add character to the room, and will make your teen feel right at home. Get her 2 or 3 posters (that she can hang up herself in case she wants them in a special place) of her favorite band, celebrity, movie, or anything else she may have mentioned to you!

Tips

  • Don't put your styles into the room, make sure this is all hers!
  • A computer in her room would be well appreciated. Have your teen shop with you, make sure she likes it before you buy it
  • Remember that your teen will likely make a few adjustments once the room becomes hers. This is no insult to you. This is her space now, and she's bound to want to change things a bit.
  • Also, it'd be great to make it possible for her to listen to music in her room. Stereos, iHome for her iPod, or small and affordable CD players (not Walkmans, but ones with speakers) are easily available at most electronic retailers. For a nice touch, place a few of her favorite CDs nearby. Don't forget to position it in an area where it'll be heard from anywhere in the room, and is easily accessible.
  • Consider you and your teen working together on the room.
  • You can also use locker shelves in a corner or something for some visible display of stuff she likes without taking up space on a desk or wherever.

Warnings

  • Unless your teen particularly wants it, avoid making the room seem too childish/girly. Lace, floral patterns,little girl furniture(such as her first bed) and excess pastel colors won't appeal to her.
  • Make sure there is still a sufficient amount of space within the room, it makes the environment more breathable within, because a girl would spend more their private moments (as an adolescent) in their room and an open environment would be soothing for their mind.
  • Remember that this is her space, her refuge from the rest of the world. Almost all teenage girls are very particular about their privacy, and you'll need to respect that - even if you did decorate the room yourself. Knock at the door before entering, and do not go through her things unless it's absolutely vital. This will only bring resentment.
  • Be mindful of the space the room offers, don't put too much into the room and clutter it.
  • If you are the type of parent who doesn't really like dusty curtains or drapes remember that your teen isn't like you. She is her own person and likes to add flair to her room. Maybe you could make a deal with her such as washing or shaking the curtains to get the dust out. Curtains really spark up a room and make everything more colorful. Blinds are just boring unless you get them in color and you still have to dust them.

Things You'll Need

  • New bed (Optional)
  • All new furniture (optional)
  • Paint (in solid or coordinating colors)
  • New bedspread, or quilt
  • Organizing bins
  • Anything else that she may need to feel comfortable in her space
  • Posters, paintings, etc.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  • Ikea. Excellent source for bedroom furniture, decoration, and even decoration ideas.
  • PBTeen. The Pottery Barn's site for teenage rooms. A little pricier, but definitely worth it. Good for furniture, decoration, and ideas.
  • Target. Plenty of bedding, lighting fixtures, and other decorative touches, all at a very reasonable price.
  • Alloy. Though Alloy generally sells clothes for teenage girls, they also have some very cute and affordable bedding and room decorations.
  • Delias. This is generally the same story as Alloy, but it's good to have a selection to choose from.
  • Best Buy. You can find many affordable, good electronics here, such as CD players and computers, as well as CDs themselves, movies, and much more.
  • Allposters.com. A good source for posters of all types to make your teen's room more comfortable.
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