Back-To-School Teen's Bedroom Refresh

As summer draws to an end, my thoughts focus on all manner of back-to-school planning. This includes school supplies, new clothing and shoes, and now that my three boys are older (ages 11-16), ensuring they each have a suitable space to study and rejuvenate after a long day at school. My oldest and youngest sons had their rooms updated in the past couple of years, but my fourteen-year-old had not. The last time we made any significant changes to his room was ten years ago when we moved out the toddler furniture and added some new larger-scale furniture. In this post, Back-To-School Teen’s Bedroom Refresh, I will show you how we made a few simple changes to take his bedroom from childish and disorganized to more mature and functional.

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Before Photos

Incredibly, I couldn’t find any recent photos that accurately captured what my son’s room looked like. I did find these old photos from when he was a toddler. Since then, he has obviously upgraded his bed to a double and added a desk. The additional furniture meant that he needed a smaller chair, so the large chair was also retired but we hadn’t found a suitable replacement. While his room looks spacious enough in these images, the addition of larger pieces of furniture and accumulation of 14 years’ worth of belongings meant the space was starting to look cramped and untidy.

Input From The Teen

When decorating a teen’s room, it is especially important to consider their ideas for the space. My son didn’t have a lot of ideas, except that he really wanted to keep the existing paint colour and wanted some new artwork. He chose all the new art and I discussed each proposed change with him prior to implementing anything. Some teens may want more input and may even have a complete vision for their room. In this case, give them the freedom they need to express themselves this way. You can work together to create a budget and work plan. You can read my post, The Teens Guide to Decorating and Creating a Bedroom Sanctuary, here.

The Work Plan For Our Back-To-School Teen’s Bedroom Refresh

When updating a teen’s bedroom, I recommend using the following list:

Create a floor plan
Purchase any new furniture that is needed- the following items are the basics: dresser, desk, bed, side table, chair for lounging, bookshelf, floor and table lamps
Choose new bedding- I recommend doing this before choosing the paint colour as there are almost an infinite number of paint colours and it’s easier to choose a paint colour to match bedding than it is to choose bedding to match a paint colour
Choose simple window coverings or blinds
Order artwork
Declutter the room, donating or selling any furniture, clothing, or toys that are no longer needed
Paint the walls and trim, or fill holes and touch up paint if keeping the original colour
Paint furniture, if desired, to give it a new look
Hang window coverings
Place furniture in the desired configuration
Place lamps
Add bedding, and add throw pillows and extra blankets
Create a cozy reading area with a chair and bookshelf
Hang artwork
Add a bulletin board to help your teen stay organized
Ensure there is a dedicated space for your teen to set up a computer or laptop
Add plants and accessories, making sure to leave room for your teen to add treasured belongings and keepsakes

This was my work plan for my teen’s room:

Order new bedding and artwork
Declutter all surfaces and contents of drawers
Fill nail holes and touch up paint
Paint the vintage desk
Purchase a lounge chair
Purchase a bulletin board
Hang the artwork and bulletin board
Add the new bedding, pillows, and blankets
Add plants and accessories

After Photos For The Back-To-School Teen’s Bedroom Refresh

You can see how choosing larger-scale artwork and using a neutral palette for the bedding and accessories ties the room together and gives it a more mature feel.

The Bed And Bedding

Most of the bedding is from Beddy’s Beds. This bedding is amazing since it zips up easily and quickly, ensuring that the bed is made each morning. The main comforter is from the Kennedy bedding line. I paired it with the Aiden large luxe blanket, some neutral-toned throw pillows, and a knitted blanket from Urban Barn. I added a rust-coloured pillow for the fall season. My son’s bed is the IKEA Hemnes bed in the double size (grey-brown colour). It is an affordable, solid wood bed that has a rustic woodsy look my son adores.

You may notice that my son doesn’t have a bedside table. There is only a small space between my son’s bed and the desk, so he’s opted for a small stool to keep just a book or two and any bedtime necessities. I’m on the lookout for a small log-style table. That would tie in perfectly with the artwork above the bed.

Cozy Sitting Area

At the foot of the bed, I placed a cozy small-scale lounge chair for my son to read or sit on with his laptop. It’s right next to his bookshelves (not shown) and acts as a mini library for him, which, as an avid reader, he adores and uses often. The Birdy chair, from Structube, is covered with a decorative faux fur throw and a faux leather pillow from Beddys.

The Dresser

This is my son’s original dresser seen in the “before” photo. It’s an IKEA Hemnes dresser to match the bed. My son chose these beautiful prints from Poster Store. Our family loves canoeing, kayaking, and camping, and these pieces really spoke to him. I added a single plant to the dresser, leaving lots of space for future treasures my son will want to display.

The Desk

The desk is an antique piece that belonged to my grandparents. I painted it using Fusion Mineral Paint in Coal Black. This desk is ideal for my son with its many drawers to store all manner of things. We paired the desk with an acrylic ghost chair to keep my son’s small room from looking too cluttered and to minimize the furniture footprint. His desk is topped with just a few basics- a lamp, clock, and small plant. Nature-inspired posters from Poster Store are displayed above his desk.

The Bulletin Board/Pegboard

I think all teens can benefit from a bulletin board to display schedules, artwork, postcards, photos, and whatever else they want. The IKEA Skadis pegboard is affordable and has options to add clips, hooks, storage cups, and mini shelves.

Summary

I hope you have enjoyed reading my post, Back-To-School Teen’s Bedroom Refresh, and that it has provided a small dose of inspiration or motivation. Working on this update with my son has been a fun bonding experience for the two of us, and I’m really glad that his room is now ready for a whole new year of school and new experiences.