Designers offer style tips that grow right along with kids and teens.
You don’t have to sacrifice style when creating a room for kids or teens. In fact, it’s a great opportunity to get creative, bringing in bold color, fun prints, and unexpected design choices. Read on to find out what area designers recommend to add personalized flair to young people’s spaces.
Expert Advice on Creating a Room for Kids
“Kids and teens entering our shop are most drawn to our colorful Assouline travel books. Alone or stacked, they are bright, beautiful, and inspire creativity and wanderlust. Parents love them as gifts, especially if they have traveled to the destination with their children for a fun reminder of their adventures! I also love that the books are timeless and will stay a decor staple no matter their age. Fun fact: if you search them on social media, you’ll find teens are using the covers as art for their walls or as notebook covers.”
Danielle Walter
“Vinyl wallpaper is key. It provides impact and is easy to clean—just wipe it down, and it’s perfect for a high-traffic room. A cute, affordable way to make a room pop is to get a play tent from Restoration Hardware; they come in pink or tan. Kids love to crawl in and read a book or play in them. It’s a large object that provides a big reaction when you walk into the room.
Robbie Randolph
Kids’ spaces are great opportunities to encourage their individual style to blossom. Spending time with our clients’ young ones, getting to know them, and really listening and asking the appropriate questions opens the door to their individual personalities. The right artwork, or a color for an accent wall or accessories and bedding can foster a love for an aesthetically pleasing and relaxing space. Personalizing the space to reflect their personality and interest is key to designing a room they will enjoy most.
Kids and teens especially enjoy curating for them a space where they can lounge. Even the younger ones envision a space where their friends can sit comfortably.
Meranda Bailey
I am doing a lot more bed nooks and canopy beds. The enveloping nature of those features makes for an ultra cozy sleeping spot! I love paper flowers and plants. I frequently use The Green Vase or Papier Fleurs in both kids and adult spaces. The one in my daughter’s room adds such flair to the space, and I never have to water it!
Color tip: “I’m a green girl all the way. In my son’s bedroom in our former North Main home, I did the trim in Farrow and Ball Arsenic. Now, in my daughter’s room in our current house, I have a green lattice print from Rifle Paper.”
Whitney McGregor
Whitney McGregor Designs
We love to include fun wall sconces to a space to add some dimension to the walls. Whether it’s a light for a reading nook, an option for their bedside that can’t be knocked off a nightstand, or a pair of fixtures to frame out art or a mirror over a crib, sconces can add both personality and function. Not to mention, there are so many options—both hardwired and plug-in!
Amanda Louise Campbell
We design teen rooms customized to each child’s personality, like this half-rolled room. He was into steampunk, so we have a mix of his interests reflected in the art.
Katie Skoloff
We designed a room that was going to be shared by the clients’ grandchildren when they visited, so it had to work for boys and girls. A green-and-blue color palette and a mix of florals and patterns ensured the space would appeal to both for many years to come.
Carey Taylor
