How to Decorate a Teen Girl Bedroom
This post will show you the 3 things you are doing wrong when decorating and how to fix them. I will show you how I decorate my teen girl’s bedroom on a budget that looks and feels expensive. You don’t have to be creative (but that’s a plus) to follow directions and finish this journey with a beautiful room you created with your teen.
Your child’s style will evolve and change as they grow, but this space should bring life to them in the season they are in. The magic happens when we listen to their wants and maintain cohesiveness within our home.
Teenagers are learning who they are and defining what they are about. The pressure to reach their potential and fit in can be exhausting and trying. You are doing more than merely decorating a room, you are creating a retreat from the world where your teen will learn how to rest and be the most herself.
This is an important space and decorating their room with thought will make a big impact.
How to Begin
Beginning with decor is not the starting line. Starting with decor can be rewarding, but those skeletons in the nightstand drawer will come out. Embrace a fresh start in a new room by following the Home Reset System IN ORDER. Also, check out this popular blog Decorating your home on a Budget.
Guide to decorating your Teen’s Room
I’m going to assume since you are here, that you have decluttered, organized, deep cleaned, and undecorated your teen’s room. If you have an idea but aren’t ready to purchase yet, just skip to the next step, but try to work in order as you can.
1. Mood Board
First, we need to know what THEIR style is and what they are expecting. Decorating a room with someone else requires communication and expectations to be known. This is the ONLY room in the house that is theirs more than likely.
Begin by creating a board on Pinterest for their room. Ask your teen to pin ONLY the pictures they LOVE. This is very important they don’t pin away because it will water down the board. I had my teen girl create two boards. One we used as a mood board and the other a dream room board.
Pinterest Board
The mood board was what we wanted her room to FEEL like. This can be places that they love, furniture styles, textures, or even colors. By talking about who she is and what inspires her, I realized Natalia loves rusty orange and warm tones. Knowing this gives you insight into what makes her feel like her.
The Dream Room board is where we pinned the bedrooms she dreams of! Of course, communicate that these are for inspiration purposes, but we had fun not thinking about logistics or the budget.
Room Discovery
This is a great time to consider the purpose of the room. Here are some questions we discussed to discover new ways of using her room.
- What is working in this room and what is not working?
- How is this room used and what activities happen here?
- What is my teen’s style? What is the design style of our home?
- Where is the focal point of the room?
A great example of this is realizing that we had a desk in her room, that was being used for makeup. After talking about the purpose of her room, we decided to stop forcing that desk to be a desk and use it instead as a vanity. Mind blown.
2. Furniture and Room Layout
The bed is the focal point of the room. This is the priority and important to purchase classic furniture that will stand the test of seasons. The bed and mattress are worth investing in. Review your Pinterest board for consistent style and color. This is your teen’s room, but this is your home and the bed needs to be cohesive with both.
Other furniture you may need could be: a vanity or desk, a bookshelf, or a reading chair. DO NOT force these pieces in a room because your Pinterest board has them. If they are needed, create a space for them. Otherwise, keep it as simple as you can.
Just remember: DO NOT compromise on furniture. They take up big physical space and will be the reason you do not like the finished room. You don’t need Pottery Barn furniture, but the size and look need to align with your boards and vision.
The layout of your room matters a good bit as well, so pay attention to that as you work through this phase. I like to use graph paper to lay out my measurements and think of new ways to use what we have. However, I cannot stress enough to NOT force furniture in a room.
Less is more.
Natalia has a white poster bed we bought from Wayfair and matching furniture from Target. Her nightstand is a marketplace find that she doesn’t love however, it is a great size so it’s staying for now.
3. Rug & Floors
The floor is a big area and an easy way to define the style of a room. Not all bedrooms need a rug in my opinion. However, search your Pinterest boards and compare the rugs in the pictures. Are there similar rugs or styles? Then, buy the biggest rug you can that fits the space.
I used this to decide on the rug size. Bedrooms are easier since the rug is relevant to the bed itself and bed sizes are similar. You’re welcome.
On Natalia’s Pinterest board, we saw mostly neutral and jute rugs. I would have loved something more colorful in this room, but I chose a rug with lots of texture. Her dream board made it a clear decision.
I’m purchasing this World Market Rug. It’s smaller than I would normally use, but since it’s a bedroom and her style can change, I think it does the job on a budget.
4. Walls & Framing
The color of your walls is everything when it comes to the mood of a room. Do not underestimate painting. Knowing the undertone of a paint color and whether it’s cool or warm will make a difference.
When we moved into our home, gray walls were in big time. The builders suggested SW Repurpose grey, but I wanted a lighter feel, so I moved up on the paint card to SW Aider White. This, my friends, was a gamble not worth the time it saved me. Aider white was a purple color once the depth of the gray was removed! I plan to repaint every wall!
My favorite warm white is SW Greek Villa and with Natalia loving neutrals, this color will bring that warmth and freshness to the room we are looking for.
If you have the budget, now is the time you decide about wallpaper or wall treatments. This is a great way to bring personality and upgrade a room. My only advice here is to know if you are doing something trendy and have a plan to remove it easily if the trend changes. Trust me on this.
5. Windows
Curtains add a softness and coziness to a space. As well as privacy. For that reason, I suggest adding them to bedrooms. However, there are a few guidelines to follow.
Window Rules
- Make sure your window treatments match the style of the room and are cohesive with your home. This includes blinds (I’m a window shade fan) and window treatments in the same area.
- Make sure your curtains are LONG enough. They need to start up as high as they can and reach until they almost touch the ground. This elevates your windows and makes your room feel grander and more expensive.
- Attach your brackets with room for your curtains to sit beside your window. This makes your window appear larger and allows as much natural light as possible to come in the room.
This is the time to review your Pinterest boards for what curtains you see in the room inspirations. Are they colorful or neutral? Do they have a similar texture? This will help you narrow down what you need.
Did I say make sure your curtains are long enough?! Literally, there is never a reason to buy 84′ currents unless your walls are 86″ high.
HERE ARE THE CURTAINS I purchased for Natalia’s room. Hear me out- These are kinda out there, but she likes them more than she thought she would. So mom was right again.
6. Lighting
If you want to refresh a room on a budget upgrade the lighting. This includes the overhead light (What’s on the ceiling) and task lighting (lamps). Using symmetry with lighting is an easy way to look like a pro styled your room and even buying pairs is a great idea.
Review your Pinterest board and note the style and color of the lighting used. I generally choose lighting based on whether I want the light fixture (Or lamp) to be seen or to blend in.
When purchasing lighting for the room, generally speaking, the light fixture should match the design style of the room. Ideally, it would also stand the test of time. Most rooms need a flush or semi-flush fixture unless you are making a statement with the light.
We changed the fixture from the signature boob light to a woven semi-flush fixture a couple years ago and thankfully, it still works in her room.
Lamps. Every room should have at least one lamp. In a bedroom, a nightstand lamp is a must. You may also want directed light for a reading area or desk.
In Natalia’s room, we are shopping for the perfect lamp. I’m eyeing this lamp at Pottery Barn to add more color and interest to her room. Another place she needed light was for getting ready and makeup, so we recently bought her this makeup mirror to make getting ready easier. Her room doesn’t have a lot of natural light, so a vanity mirror was a must.
7. Wall Art
Do not buy wall art like you’ve always bought wall art in the past. I’m willing to bet you have a thing or two to learn about wall art. This is probably what you ran out to buy when you thought of decorating a room. We buy 5-6 smaller wall art pieces, because we are on a budget, and hang them wherever the room needs color.
Listen to me, if you want your room to look created on purpose and expensive, we have new rules.
Wall Art Rules
- Go big or go home. If you are hanging a picture above furniture, it needs to be 2/3 the length of the furniture. The smaller pictures do not do justice for your room and could be why you aren’t getting the look you saw on your Pinterest board.
- Decide on the shape before you buy. Long gone are the days you blindly buy artwork. No ma’am. You are decorating with a vision in mind now. Not only did your life get easier with fewer decisions, but you will have clarity on what you want. Is your wall horizontal or vertical? Do you need a rectangle, square, or perhaps the soft corners of a round piece of art?
- Wall art is not always art in a frame. It can be items or texture, so feel free to think outside the box.
- This is a great place to add in a character or theme, but sprinkle don’t glob.
Be wise and sparingly with wall art and you will be amazed at how much better your room feels. This changes the game with decor.
In Natalia’s room, I’m hoping to start over with wall art. She’s using things I bought before my new wall art rules. I’m hoping to get the famous San Francisco tram framed, as well as, adding a picture on the wall opposite of it to create balance.
8. Bedding
I’m the guiltiest person here when it comes to bedding. Before, I go to target and buy a bed in a bag because who has the capacity to buy it all separate. This is wrong and I am learning to do this differently.
The bed is the focal point of the room, so don’t underestimate the power of bedding. Mostly, bedding is a great way to add character and decor without more stuff. I’m upgrading everything from the pillows to the sheets. Well, two sets of sheets. The first set will be classic white (because why not) and the other will be a fun pattern.
Here’s the shopping list:
- Mattress Pad: Confession and lesson learned to not buy a mattress in a box. She needs a little more umph
- Fitted sheet set and flat sheet
- quilt. She has a white one currently, but I might search for a burnt orange quilt
- Duvet- She has a cream one that still matches her room so will prob stick with that
- 4 pillows (Standard size for a full bed)
- 2 26 x 26 Euro Pillows
- One long 17×17 in front
I may finish this off with a throw, but honestly, teenagers love blankets and she has 8 million. If i had one, it would be a chunky knit one.
Bedding is a great way to add in the season through a character or color. I hope to challenge my pattern and color combo when I get to this step.
9. Accessorize
This is the step you have considered as “decor”. We need to decorate a room, so we go to Hob Lob (that’s short for Hobby Lobby) to buy all the little cheap things to put all over the room.
This is what you are doing wrong and why your room doesn’t look complete. Spending your money in the other areas FIRST, brings the vision to life without ever buying the little things.
Accessories are the jewelry of the room, not the outfit. Buy with caution and lots of intentionality.
For Natalia’s room, we are using plants. I also plan to grab some makeup organizers and find a cute way to store her jewelry. My plan is to remove as much as I can without her noticing because she will find how noisy and cluttered those things make her room.
Again, this is not the place to find things to fill shelves! Old habits die hard, I know! Look at this room from a home tour we took last spring. It’s full of style and character with hardly ANY accessories.
10. Personal Touches
Last step best step. Add those picture frames, Bible verses, journals, etc. ANYTHING that is on display is decor, so treat it that way. I’m keeping this last step short because it is short! Don’t over think it!
Final thoughts on how to decorate a teen girl bedroom & Lessons Learned
I hope you feel empowered and educated to create a room for your teen girl. It does take practice and being okay with moving slower. The power is in the steps, so work them in order and don’t jump ahead when making purchases. This process has taught my teen about spending money and making decisions. We are still in the thick of her room decor, but it’s feeling so good. How I wish I had known these tips years ago!
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Here are some lessons learned.
- Facebook finds are great IF they align with a vision.
- Spend your money on furniture, mattresses, and comfort.
- Use the accessories to add fun touches for this stage of life, that way when they grow into something else you aren’t replacing curtains and comforters.
- Decorating is not about the amount of stuff.
- Never under any circumstances buy a bed in a bag.
- Compromising for a deal is no deal at all.
I hope this post is helpful in decorating your teen girl’s bedroom. Let me know below any questions or comments! Until next time,
Here are other posts you may like:
- Decorating on a budget
- Home Reset
- Living Room Refresh
