Teenage rooms that provide your kids with a sanctuary

Far from being a luxury within the home, teenage rooms are an important feature for growing families. In providing this separate space, you're also giving your teenager the ability to forge their independence in the security of the home environment.

Fabienne Phillips from Space Stylists has a practical approach for such rooms. "First and foremost, I like to use open storage in the room. Everyone needs storage, and teens seem to get a lot of things to take up even more space as they grow older," Fabienne says.

Interior options for teenage rooms

As well as providing extra storage space, the unit can provide a decorative feel as well. "It can look effective as long as it's tidy. In such a space they can showcase decorative objects like cars, for example" she says.

For the floors, Fabienne suggests something durable like timber. "Blackbutt is a suitable hard-wearing wood," she says. It also maintains its smart appearance over a long period of time, reducing the need to update the room repeatedly.

"To make the room warm you can put a rug over the top - there are some great designs out there that teens would love," says Fabienne.

Painting a teenager's room

The paint should also be durable to sustain the heavy workout it will have. "Children can be rough when they're playing inside - they can often bring their outside activities indoors, so you need tough paints to withstand that," Fabienne says.

When choosing colours there has to be a compromise between what the teenager likes and the aesthetic of the rest of the house. "The colour scheme has to flow through the house, but you can create a happy medium," Fabienne says. 

"You can trick it up using feature colours while keeping the main colour connected. I might use a coloured piece of furniture or rug, or do a feature wall in navy or some other colour that won't mark or scuff. Bold colours are good, and greens are great because they're also soothing to the eye."

Durable furniture

Sturdy is also the word for furniture, covered in hardy, durable fabrics. "Macro suede is fully washable and looks like suede, and it provides a great, clean-cut look," Fabienne says.

"Timber day beds are a great, hard-wearing and decorative alternative. They can be great for watching TV and when friends stay over they can double up as a bed. 

"Just one other piece of advice," Fabienne says. "I wouldn't suggest glass in such a space!"

Having a chat with an interior decorator may help you understand how you can get the most out of redesigning teenage rooms: