Decorating your tween’s or teen’s room might actually be funHelpful hints available from the pros

Gary Carnivele
Special to FineLife Home
Photos by Ryan Lely

Many parents remember when decorating their child’s room was a mostly pleasurable experience? Their little bundle of joy required a crib, a changing table and a dresser for their pastel room. When the growing darling made the transition to a big boy/girl bed, the décor revolved around their toys and hobbies. The occupant of the room may have been allowed to make suggestions concerning wall color and fabrics. Now that child has become a tween or teenager, chances are they have grown to hate their bedrooms.
Redecorating their rooms is not for the feint-of-heart. After asking them to be part of the decorating process, parents may need to spend hours attempting to talk their children out of extreme paint choices or themes. Left to their own devices many young people lean towards decorating schemes that can best be described as French bordello Boho, shabby beach-shack chic or, worse, Goth. Now is certainly the time for some sound advice from decorating and organizing experts.
“I like the tween or teen to get involved, because if they don’t they are not going to be happy with the end result,” said Wendy Owen, whose Sonoma-based Wendy Owen Designs has been designing interiors in the North Bay for ten years. “It is their room and by the time a child reaches this age they definitely have their own point of view as to how they want to live, how they want their room to look and what their interests are.” 
Maria Hernandez of Home Staging Concepts in Glen Ellen agrees with Owen that children must be involved, but added that parents may need to have the final word on some touchy subjects. “Are the children going to use the room to study and have their own computer in the room?” Hernandez asks parents. “I like to know what type of electronics will be allowed in the room, because I find that a TV in the room tends to isolate them from the rest of the family.”
Color is crucial to any design work. “Color definitely has a large role to play in our mood so I try and keep my palettes quite neutral and use the calming colors found in nature,” said Owen. “High impact color – shocking pinks and purples – can make a person feel edgy, so I bring in color with accents, like pillows, artwork and the young person’s treasures.”
Most likely the redecorating will involve the replacement of worn-out, outgrown or previously handed-down furniture. “If allowed by room size I like to give them a double, queen or trundle bed, perfect for sleepovers,” said Hernandez. “One or two nightstands; a desk or working station with good reading lamps; bookcases with doors; and a chest of drawers are the other important furniture items.”
One daunting aspect of redecorating a tween’s or teen’s room is devising ways to keep them organized and clutter-free. Organization experts like Susanne Otteman of Organize This! in Sonoma can help make this happen. 
“It is important to respect the child’s belongings, so together we decide what to keep, what to give away and what to throw away,” said Otteman. “I work with my young clients to divide the room into zones, which can include a place for clothes, books, toys and study. This gives them their own sense of space and where they would like to have things stored.”
Most young folks will insist that certain items be worked into the decoration plan. “Tweens and teens want their rooms to include things personal to them, such as sports trophies, horse ribbons and artwork,” said Owen, who in 2005 was named “Designer of the Year” by the Wine County Chapter of The Interior Design Society. “Old skate boards can be hung on walls as shelves, sports memorabilia can by displayed in shadow boxes and doll collections can be incorporated.” 
 “A good designer will understand and guide his or her clients though the entire process in areas difficult to understand like space, proportion, room flow and color coordination,” said Hernandez, who is a member of the American Society of Interior Design and the Interior Coalition of California. “A qualified designer will know the market, has resources not available to the public and can save clients from making costly mistakes.”

Resources and their Web sites

Maria Hernandez and Home Staging Concepts
707.933.8714
www.homestagingconcepts.com  

Susanna Otteman and Organize This!
707.996.2120
organizethis@vom.com

Wendy Owen and Wendy Owen Design
707.933.0881
wendyowendesign@mac.com

Designer Wendy Owen’s Essential Items for Tween’s and Teen’s Rooms
• A bed large enough to accommodate growing kids
• A proper place to do homework, artwork, crafts or hobby work
• A comfortable chair in which to read or listen to music
• Plenty of efficient task lighting
• Window treatments that provide privacy and can block out the sun when necessary
• A cork or bulletin board on which to display photos, posters, homework, ribbons etc.
• A good closet system, dresser or storage unit for clothes, collections, toys, books and everything else