We know teenager bedrooms can be tricky spaces to design – especially since their interests and tastes change so often. But fear not, we’ve got you covered!

The key to creating longevity is choosing furniture, fabrics, and furnishings that can grow with them. So, to help you sort your teen’s bedroom, we’ve asked the industry experts to share their top tips.

From paying attention to their interests and integrating their personality into the scheme to finding the right multi-functional solutions, here’s how you can design a teen bedroom – perfect for sleeping, studying, or relaxing…

What’s your teen’s favourite colour?

“When designing a teen’s bedroom, I often start with their favourite colour. This way you are involving them in the design direction and allowing them ownership of their space. This is not to say that I would purposely paint all the walls in their preferred palette – most certainly not. Instead, I like to keep walls neutral and introduce the colour in the built-in joinery such as wardrobes. Curtain and blind fabrics are also a fantastic way to introduce texture and pattern,” explains Charmaine White, founder and creative director at The White House.

“To ensure you’re not changing the space every year, I’d stay away from childish patterns and prints. I like to use stripes, chevrons or a sophisticated animal print. Quirky trims, such as pompoms, will liven up otherwise straightforward blinds or curtains as well,” she says.

Tips for choosing teenage bedroom accessories

Now that you’ve got the colour palette sorted, it’s time to decorate. So, if you are looking to renovate your teen’s bedroom, instead of painting all the walls in their favourite shade, why go for a feature wall but mix and match fun and colourful accessories in the same hue, too? This way, once they change their preferences, it will be much easier to update the scheme.

“Choose easy-to-rotate items like bedspreads, cushions, and rugs to reflect your teens colour or theme obsession. These can be quickly and cost effectively swapped to reflect changing tastes,” recommends Sam Greig, senior designer at Swoon.

What furniture should I get for a teenager’s room?

Teenagers usually tend to spend more time in their bedrooms, which means the space should be as multi-functional as possible.

“When choosing the best type of bed think about what is ideal for your situation. Is a storage or loft bed good for the small room or would a canopy bed make a grand feature?” asks Charmaine.

“I’ve seen some amazing images of custom-built bunk beds which will not only address a requirement if you have siblings sharing, but they’re also perfect for sleepovers. Alternatively, a casual seating area beneath with a couple of comfy floor cushions for chilling out, or when they have friends over is another great idea.

“Space permitting, I always like to incorporate a desk area with a chair. It not only serves as a place to do homework but can also double up as a dressing table if needs be,” she recommends.

“At a recently completed project in Kensington, I designed lots of bespoke joinery throughout the house and that included wardrobes in both teenage girls’ bedrooms. They both loved the colour blue in varying shades and so I designed storage solutions, which were painted in their preferred hues,” continues Charmaine.

“In the older girl’s bedroom, a loft conversion, she has a raised platform, so we positioned a mattress on top to denote the sleeping zone. The wall behind it follows the shape of the old chimneystack and so I created a custom headboard that follows its shape, incorporating a shelf for books and a chic wall lamp with a funky shade,” she adds.

Small teenage bedroom ideas

A teen’s room may be one of the smaller areas of the house, so what can be done to maximise the space while prioritising the essentials? The easiest way to sort a compact bedroom is to include a bunk bed with lots of organising nooks, which keeps the bed off the floor and offers plenty of space underneath.

In small bedrooms, storage needs to be clever and well thought out. “Plentiful storage is vital, whether in the form of freestanding cupboards and chests of drawers, or built subtly into the design of the bed so as not to take up precious floor space,” advises Patricia Gibbons, part of the design team at Sofa.com.

“Ottoman beds are a great choice and can easily hide away a winter wardrobe and extra bedding, where divan styles are more easily accessible for everyday items – pyjamas and socks perhaps,” she says.

How can you make a teenage room look cool?

“Discover what it is that your teen is passionate about, and try and include this somehow into the scheme – but make sure it’s easily changeable, in case they suddenly find a new hobby,” suggests Charmaine.

So be it decorative wall art, quirky rugs, or themed, easy paste-the-wall solutions, make sure to integrate their passions into the design so it reflects their personality.

“Life can be pretty tough as a teen sometimes, so why not hang inexpensively framed artwork or quotations around their room that is going inspire and empower them daily,” she adds.

How to transition from child bedroom to teenage room?

“All children will eventually embark on the big move from primary to secondary school and you may find that your child is starting to outgrow their bedroom – not just because their tastes have changed, but because as they grow up they have different needs,” explains Julia Steadman, commercial director at Brandt Design.

“Where the bedroom was once a space for sleeping and playing, it now needs to become a space for relaxation, entertaining friends, and doing homework. If you are considering re-designing your child’s bedroom in line with these changes, it is important to keep their new bedroom as organised as possible.”

Does your teen need a more restful snooze? Here are our tips on how to get a good night’s sleep

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