Sooner or later your child will want to redecorate his or her bedroom. The adorable little lamb wallpaper they’ve had on the walls for the first 11 years of their life is just not going to cut it. They need something cooler and less babyish. This is a great opportunity to help give your older kids an updated space, and get to spend some more time with them in the process.
Some things just won’t change. Girls will probably still gravitate to bright colors and anything sparkly. It can be harder for boys to pick out a decorating scheme so they might just keep it short, like blue or stripes. Ask your kid to do some research on what kind of styles they like. Have them pay attention to the bedrooms they show on their favorite TV shows or movies. Clip a few pictures from magazines or print some from the internet. Talk about the choices together and decide on a new direction.
Make Decisions Together
Go shopping together. Start with new linens and bedding. It’s so much easier to match paint to fabric than fabric to paint. Let them pick out the color or print. If your daughter wants to paint the walls hot pink, try to meet her halfway with a lighter wall color and hot pink bedding.
The good news is you don’t have to get rid of everything in the room and buy all new stuff. You probably don’t need all new furniture. Breathe new life into their old dressers and side tables with fresh paint. Kids will start having to take home more and more homework as they get older, so a desk is a good investment. Check out thrift stores and garage sales for desks or long tables.
Move Furniture Around – Make Room for Storage
The floor plan of the room will also change. Kids will need less open floor space to build giant Lego towers and Barbie cities. Soon they will want their own space to hang out with their friends. Fun, affordable seating like bean bag chairs or ottomans are perfect for a tween space.
Storage is essential for a tween bedroom. Kids will start to accumulate more clothes and will need more closet space. If closet space is tight, consider installing an extra hanging rod in the closet or hanging fabric shelves. Give your son or daughter a laundry basket and put it in plain view so they know to use it! IKEA is a great place to look for any kind of storage solutions from shelving to under the bed bins.
Just a Few Keepsakes
Although your child might want a more mature bedroom, they aren’t ready to get rid of all of their favorite childhood treasures. Trophies, collectibles, and stuffed animals all have a soft spot in their hearts. Provide high shelves for them to store their favorite items, without having them in the way. You may also choose to leave just a few of their most prized childhood possessions to display and put the rest in storage. Take the time to work on a project for your child’s new room together. Make a photo collage with pictures of friends and family.
Although tween style is always changing, and you want your kids to express themselves, you don’t want to revamp the room every year. Make sure that they can grow with their choices. Add fun, low cost items (beanbags, lava lamps, and posters) that can be replaced without a fuss. Stores like Target offer inexpensive products with a teen slant that your kids are likely enjoy.
So tackle the transition from baby to big-kid by redecorating your child’s room together. Not only will it help them feel more mature, but it’s an opportunity to get to know your child as an individual with his or her own set of ideas, preferences and interests.
This article was written by Amanda G a writer for Erie Construction. You can follow Erie Construction on Twitter.
About Alaina Frederick
