DIY Teenage Rooms

Do you remember your room as a child? Did you parents ever let you redecorate and add your own flare to it? Or did you have to keep the walls white, nothing on them and keep it clean all of the time? Children need to express themselves and their rooms are their domains, which is a perfect place for them to start expressing themselves.

Kid's rooms are one of the best places to play with color, have fun designing, and buy new furniture. The trick is to be able to do all of this on a budget that you will obviously have to set well before you begin the design process for their new room. The first thing to think about is not to simply start buying products without knowing the cost for everything that you plan on doing. So how do you effectively create a new room theme for your child's room? Coming from my experience this is some key points you should keep in mind.

1. Do NOT add your 2 cents into their design.

This is where you want your children to express their personalities; it's also a great time for you as a parent to learn more about your child. You can learn their favorite colors; you might learn what is important to your children, such as a desk so they can do art. Obviously you are the parent and have final say, but if it comes down to a color fight, remember it is your child expressing themselves and the room can always be redone.

2. Remember to Think Ahead.

Never buy twin-size beds for your child. Just because they are less than 5 feet now, doesn't mean they will be in 2 years. I know of children that hit a growth spurt and grew over 8 inches in a 3-month span. This is not really that uncommon, so be sure to think ahead when designing your child's new bedroom.

3. Don't be cheap.... Unless you have to.

I recommend you buy some high-end items when it comes to the furniture, such as beds, desks, bookshelves, nightstands, and dressers. This should all be purchased before you settle on a color and have in mind that these pieces will be used throughout the child's life. If you are short on cash, you can always hit the flea markets, garage sales, or Craig's List. Fixing up an item will save you a lot of money when buying furniture.

4. Add Impact to your Child's Room.

• Paint is the number one way to add impact in a room. Let your child pick out the paint, if you don't like it, work with your child and try to come up with a good compromise.
• Bedding is a very important key element. Your child should have 100% control of this. Just make sure you are buying them comfort as well as the colors they want.
• Window treatments can really add impact to a room.
• Lighting is a great way to add impact, but be sure to consider function when adding any light to the room.
• Wall letters or decals - Decorating the walls is always another way for your child to add their own creativity as well as add impact to the room.
• Accent Pillows and rugs will add a huge impact to the room by adding extra color. Plus they are easy to find and are usually relatively cheap.

5. Put your Kids to Work.

Give your kids assignments to do in order to keep them busy, but also to keep them invested in their space. Be sure to make the assignments age appropriate, a teenager can paint and learn to do shelving, while a younger kid might simply create some artwork and help with the overall color theme. It is also a great idea to have your kids go through their stuff to see if there is anything that can be sold or given to charity. I have run into 18-year-old boys who still have Aladdin videos. That is a great way to have an over-crowded room with stuff that is not needed.