Shabby Chic
Say goodbye to Tonka, Lego and Barbie. Your teen wants change. His bedroom decor is "too babyish." Not only has he grown up, but so have his ideas. He is more independent, free-thinking and maybe radical. Let him redecorate his space. The decor should reflect his individual style and taste. If you don't want a complete makeover, change the room color, update the bedding and pick up some accents. Your teen will thank you for it. Does this Spark an idea?
Gothic
Let your teen go goth. First select a color scheme. As goth colors tend to be dark, you need one striking color that will be reflected throughout the room. Popular goth colors include red, burgundy, deep purple, gold and black.
First, paint Gothic arches or faux bricks on one wall if you are creative. Alternately, look for a stone wall mural, graveyard silhouette or brick-style wallpaper to use as a backdrop behind the bed. For the actual bed, choose a metal frame with a "Gothic Gate" headboard. Emphasize metals for other furnishings. Look at antique gold, silver, wrought iron or bronze. Or opt for dark woods and stone. For bedding, pillows and fabric, select rich, deep tones in velvets or brocades. Find black netting to use as a canopy over the bed. Highlight with wall scones, ornate picture frames or decorative wall grilles. Don't go overboard as it can look like Halloween.
Adorn windows with scroll rods in black. Go for heavy drapes with fleur-de-lis finals and tasseled tiebacks. Other goth decor ideas are gargoyles, an Edgar Allan Poe-inspired "raven's perch" wall sculpture and Celtic crosses. On the bedside table, add a "Dark Shadows" gargoyle sculptural lamp.
Punk
Bring back punk. For a punk room, less is more. Have your teen decide if she wishes the decor to reflect skulls, skateboards, bands or the Union Jack. Paint the walls a stark white. Find a mural with graffiti such as "Orange Graffiti" or "Black Star." Or select punk band posters or Ed Hardy-inspired prints.
Make furnishings solid wood and black with a geometric flair. Have fun creating your own punk bedding by uploading your own design and allowing the online store VisionBedding to interpret it for you. It will match your style and produce a one-of-a-kind statement. Use the colors or pattern of your design to select the window treatments. For the floor, find a shag throw rug with one of the colors from the bedding. You want to tie it all in. For the bedside table, add a black table lamp and an Ed Hardy shade. Complete the look with punk band throw pillows. Consider The Pogues, Sid Vicious or The Who.
Shabby Chic
For a softer look, make your teen's room shabby chic. In general, the room should have a European flair, with tea roses and vintage fabrics. It will be intentionally or artistically mismatched. Paint an accent wall with Sherwin-Williams' Touching Pink. For other walls, select Greek Alabaster or Gauzy White. Consider chintz, French linen or chenille for bedding and fabrics.
For bedding, find a chenille quilt and fringed or eyelet bed skirt. Add European 24-inch pillows in "cottage floral" and lace. Search flea markets for furnishings. Look for pieces with distressed surfaces. Select cottage-style pieces and a white wrought-iron bed frame. Pick up an antique upholstered chair. Decorate it with lace-trimmed or floral pillows in soft whites and pinks. Look for embellished wall mirrors and picture frames to complete the decor.
Surfer
For the surfer teen, make the room bright and airy, reminiscent of waves and wind. Consider colors in surfer blue, sunny yellow or bright red. Whitewash walls and paint an accent wall surfer blue. Add posters with a surfer theme. Look for legendary surfers like Dempsey Holder or Greg Noll. Choose a wave photograph from Laguna Beach. As a variation, purchase a "Sandy Surfboard" or another surfer-themed mural to hang.
Select furnishings in a light wood. Buy Maui Wowie Surf Board Knobs for drawers in blue, black and red. Purchase an "Island Paradise," "Surfboard Patchwork" or "Wave Stitch" quilt with appliqués of palm trees, waves, boards or surfers. Include "Surf's Up" pillows to place on top of the bead. Add a raffia bed skirt to give the room a beach atmosphere. For window treatments, select woven bamboo window shades and frame with sheers in colors like calypso or freshwater blue. Find a surfboard throw rug to place in front of the bed.
Tags: accent wall, bedside table, frame with, furnishings Look, goth colors, picture frames
