Teen Room Decor Ideas That You and Your Teen Will Love

Teen rooms combine fun themes with adult style. But striking the right balance between playfulness, sophistication and the must-haves for a teen room can be challenging. We’ve compiled a list of the best ideas for a teen room to help you get started and some helpful tips to keep in mind as you proceed with decorating.

9 Teen Room Theme Ideas

Central to a great teen room is a great theme. Work with your teen to determine a theme that can evolve with them. Your teen may love Taylor Swift now but become obsessed with Ed Sheeran next year, so suggest a broader theme like Top 40. Or pick a more neutral theme like minimalist and accent with items and artwork that reflect changing tastes.

Boho: Ideally suited to a teen bedroom, bohemian style, more commonly known as boho chic, layers of informal patterns and textures against a clean, minimalist backdrop. Although you’ll want to avoid a cluttered look, boho gives you the option to easily change the room’s look by replacing accent pieces, artwork and textiles.
Pop culture: Teens often strongly identify with their favorite TV shows or movies. While this can be a good theme, balance is key. For example, instead of investing in “Stranger Things” bedding and memorabilia, decorate with a framed poster and a few subtle items sprinkled throughout the room.
Sports: Like the pop culture theme, a sports theme works great for teen rooms. But don’t overdo it. Your teen may love the Denver Broncos now but would rather display allegiance to their college team later. Focus on sport-themed accents like equipment, stadium seats, or decor locker with only one or two team-related pieces.
Friends: Focus on your teen’s social activities with a theme that emphasizes their friendships. Create a collage of framed photos your teen can easily switch out to reflect their latest outings, add bean bag chairs for hanging out in and stock a mini refrigerator with sodas and snacks.
Industrial: Another blank canvas theme, industrial style features salvaged wood, faux bricks, metal and other recycled materials. It’s a look that can easily grow with your teen as they go off to college or even move into their first apartment, especially since it’s so popular with adults right now. Plus, they can accessorize it with their current favorite artists, movies, and other likes.
Graffiti: Let your teen “tag” their room by sectioning off an area where they can create their own street art. Complement the look with industrial lighting, metal fixtures or storage containers.
Music: Who doesn’t love music? If your teen plays an instrument, display it prominently along with a few framed sheets of their favorite pieces. If they prefer to listen, display framed album covers, a record player or headphones slung over the back of a chair. Either way, keep it simple and allow them to switch out artwork featuring their favorite musicians as their tastes change.
Fashionista: Nothing’s wrong with wanting to look your best for a big day. Give your teen the space to do it with an oversized mirror, flattering lights and the space for make-up, brushes and other beauty must-haves. You can make it extra glam with a chase lounge draped with faux fur and floor-to-ceiling mirrors.
60s retro: Tap into your teen’s free spirit with a 60s retro theme. Suggest natural colors like green, brown, yellow, and orange accented with shag rugs and open shelving units for a more neutral look. Teens looking for a bolder look will appreciate brighter colors accented by tie-dye, paisley prints and items bearing the words “peace” and “love.”

Fresh Color Ideas for Teen Rooms

Regardless of the theme, color has a big impact. According to Sherwin-Williams, white, grey, blues and pinks are popular choices for teens, but you can make almost any color work. Not sure how to choose a color scheme for a room? This article can get you started. Otherwise, we’ve listed some tried-and-true color recommendations for teens below.

White: No matter the room, you can’t go wrong with a shade of white. Sherwin-Williams suggests Extra White and other neutral shades like Alabaster and Silverpointe that you can contrast with bright shades like blue, orange or pink.

Black: Create a stunning focal point by painting one wall black or dark grey. You can go for a monochromatic look of blacks, whites and grey or use black as a backdrop for more eye-catching colors.

Navy: Navy is a popular option, especially for boys. Use it with green, brown or light blue accents. Combine it with colorful accents, like a yellow bedspread, white curtains, or bold posters for a brighter look.

Pink: Take pink to the next level with a more sophisticated approach. Modern furniture with simple lines can offset the childishness usually associated with pink bedrooms, but you can also choose to incorporate bold pink accents instead.

Purple: Whether you go bold or stick to lighter shades, purple can substitute for pink when your teen wants a more adult look. Purple rooms with white furniture and light fabrics work especially well for creating a tranquil retreat.

Ceilings and Floors

Your teen’s room is more than just its four walls. Pay attention to the ceiling. You can paint it in an accent color or paint a fun pattern. Add swags of billowy cloth hung from the ceiling for a wispy, feminine look, or use curtains to separate the bed from the rest of the room.

Lighting is another way to add visual interest to the ceiling. Consider hanging a chandelier like this traditional fixture or this fun one. You can install tons of light fixtures to give the ceiling a fresh look.

Don’t neglect the floors. Rugs are an easy way to change the look of the floor without a major renovation. Consider purchasing an area rug that complements the color scheme or one that reflects your teen’s interests. If you have a monochromatic room, a bold rug can add a much-needed pop of color.

Lighting for Teens

A proper mix of lighting is essential. Start with a bright study light at the desk and, if your teen likes to read in bed, a reading light there, too. Then, throw in some softer lighting, like table lamps. Lighting can serve a dual purpose, adding an element of fun to the room. Hang a string of themed lights or a glowing speech bubble that reads, “Hello.” Or, display fairy lights in a jar for a whimsical look. Even floor lamps can be an opportunity for your teen to express themselves. A tripod movie studio or a streetlamp-inspired floor lamp can lend a lot of personality to any room.

Dark and Quiet

Teens need their sleep, so as important as it is to get the right lighting, you want to be able to make the room dark any time of the day. Lined curtains, the kind you’d find in a hotel room, are a good option. Or you can use blackout blinds. To help keep the room dark, get your teen in the habit of turning off their screens before they go to bed, too.

Best Beds for Teen Rooms

If you haven’t already, it’s time to ditch their childhood bed and replace it with a more adult option. Bonus points for a bed that your teen can take with them to college or when they move into their first apartment. Daybeds that include a trundle are a good option for teens that love to have sleepovers, while a loft bed opens up the room, allowing for extra space for hanging out with friends. Even a queen-size bed will make your teen feel like a grown up.

Furniture for Teen Rooms

Kids need space to play; teens need space to study and entertain friends. Make sure your teen’s room can accommodate both. Start with assessing what is already in the room. Your teen’s room should have a place to study (more on that later), a good bed, dresser, end tables, comfy seating and storage space.

You may be able to makeover what you already have by repainting or reupholstering existing pieces to give them a fresh look. Or you can invest in new pieces. If you decide to shop for new furniture, think about pieces your teen can take to college or use in their first apartment.

Study Space

High school and college courses can be demanding, so your teen will want a productive area to study. Start with a deep enough desk for a laptop or computer and has drawers for pens, pencils, and study materials. A chair with good lumbar support is essential, but so is adequate lighting (see above). Hang a whiteboard, chalkboard or corkboard over the desk so your teen can note important assignments. Near the desk, consider installing shelves for reference and textbooks.

Artwork for Teens

Posters, photos and other artwork help personalize a teen’s room. But teen tastes change as often as the Top 40 hits. Minimize damage to your walls by investing in frames and swapping out artwork (rather than regularly taping or tacking new pieces up). Frames also give the artwork a curated feel and help prevent damage to favorite pieces.

If your teen is unwilling to commit to specific frame sizes, hang a corkboard instead so they can add artwork of various sizes whenever they want.

Storage Ideas for Teens

Want to increase the chances your teen will keep their room clean? Provide plenty of storage for clothes, shoes, school supplies, books, sports equipment, musical instruments and interests. Plastic bins, wire baskets and even under-the-bed boxes make good storage space for seasonal items and those not used regularly. If your teen doesn’t already have one, invest in a large laundry basket. And, make sure the closet is stocked with plenty of hangers.

Shelves are a good storage place as well. Give your teen a place to store favorite photos and memorabilia or keep textbooks over the weekend.

Closet Space

Clothes are an important part of teen life, and yours will likely want extra space for their collection. If your teen’s closet is small, increase wardrobe space by removing unused shelves and adding a second rod. Or buy a kit from Home Depot or Lowes to organize the space. You can also organize the space with hanging shoe bins and belt loops. Or, add a shoe storage cabinet on the closet floor.

Of course, a large laundry basket for dirty clothe and plenty of hangers are essential.

Accessories

Accessories are all those items that give the room its personality: a signed guitar, a classic “Star Wars” movie poster or tie-dye pillows. Usually, they reflect the theme or add a splash of color. Think bright picture frames or a lava lamp. While you may end up purchasing accessories, especially if you plan a total makeover, your teen may already have items that will reflect the theme. Decorating in a sports theme? Display your teen’s baseball collection or favorite jersey.

Space to Hang Out

Most teens want a private place to hang out with their friends. Create one. Add bean bag chairs and other comfortable seating to one section of the room where your teen can gather with friends. A mini-fridge stocked with soft drinks and snacks will be appreciated but is not essential. If your teen is a gamer, consider having the space serve double duty as a gaming area. Just make sure it is far enough from the study space, so your teen isn’t tempted to trade study time for game time.

Space for Music

Your teen may not play an instrument, but most teens love to listen to music. Good speakers, lights flash in time to the music or even mood lighting enhance the experience. If your teen listens to records, be sure to provide space for their record player and record collection as well.

Budding musicians should also have the space to focus on their craft. Set up an area where they can practice and store the instruments when not in use.

Connectivity

Set your teen up for academic and social success by incorporating plenty of electrical outlets and USB charging points to power up phones, tablets and computers. But be strategic about placement. While a charging station next to the bed makes sense for an adult, you may want to place one on the opposite side of the room so your teen doesn’t spend hours texting or playing on a device when they should be sleeping. Instead, you may want to create a dedicated area for their digital gear in one part of the room.