How to rebel and conform at the same time...

Oh to be a teenager again... Today one of my nieces turns 14, she is an amazing girl! Smart as a whip and athletic and has a soft spot in my heart because, like me, she is a second daughter...us #2's have to stick together. Just to clear the air- I am not playing favorites, I love all my nieces and love them even more because each one is so unique from her other sisters, they have the coolest dynamic by being so different. So when I asked the birthday girl this morning what she was doing for her birthday she told me that in between the football game and a Halloween party she would be studying for a history test, and it got me thinking about how, as a teenager, your room becomes your sanctuary.

Teenage years are hard, you aren't old enough to be taken seriously but yet you still have a childlike pull to the fun and whimsy of life, plus you are tired all the time. A teens bedroom should be that one place where they can just be themselves. Graphic shapes and bold colors allow teens to somewhat rebel from the typically more subdued colors of the rest of the home.

The two most important part of a teen room are the bed and the desk. Plus you need to factor in the room being a hang out area so if the room is smaller a loft bed could be a great option to free up floor space for sleep over, impromptu dance parties or whatever it is teenagers do in their rooms. Or if you have plenty of floor space load the bed up with colorful pillows that can double as floor pillows for lounging around with girlfriends.

And lest we not forget the obscene amounts of homework you get as a teenager...the desk is essential. Giving your teen a proper place to work is an essential in this highly competitive world we live in. But a desk does not have to be boring, use bright colors for organization or get a cool mid century modern desk chair.  The desk area is also a great place to add in a touch to keep encouraging their creative spirit. Chalkboard paint is one of my favorite things, however it is not the most inspiring color...until now!
Hudson Paint makes a line of chalk board paint in the most teen friendly colors (or thirty something) that you can use it in the room without it being a glaring chalkboard.

The best thing about teen rooms is that the areas that show the most personality are often the least expensive parts of the room and the easiest to undo in the event of a mood swing... Don't be afraid of paint- it is just that and for a couple of bucks and an afternoon you can redo it yourself. Or if your teen is wanting something a bit more bold- forgo wall paper and use a good quality vinyl sticker. You got decorate the nursery and the "big girl" room so why not let your teen have some say in her room...plus when she grows up you can make fun of her for her crazy choices- for instance I had a giant roll of film running across the walls of my room at my dad's house...while I wouldn't do it now, I stand by it that it was the coolest room and my dad gets major kudos for having let me do that!

And while I am not a fan of TV's in the kids rooms I have to admit- you might as well go ahead and cave since they no doubt have a computer and can YouTube anything (if you don't know what YouTube is then go ask your teen- they do) plus with cable now you can control whatever they watch with parental controls- you can even set timers so they can only watch so many minutes of television a day! Genius! however your teen is probably more tech savvy than you and can undo it all- so take it or leave it. But no matter what realize it is time to let them stretch their grown-up ways and help create their space even if you don't love it.

Happy Birthday to my favorite 14 year old! Keep being your beautiful creative self! xoxo

photos: Pottery Barn Teen, Container Store, TLC, Hudson Paint, the Mural Place, DesignMom, DecorIdeas, TheStir