How To Update Paint Colors For A Teen's Bedroom

One thing to prepare for is that teens, both boys and girls, often want to add black to the bedroom color scheme. In some instances, this can be a good thing, because touches of black and brown can instantly update a pastel child's room to something more grown-up. Note, though, that we said "touches" of these colors, especially black. Parents should definitely nix any effort to paint a room entirely in black, dark brown or any dark colors. Young people have enough stress in their adolescence without coming home to a depressing bedroom.

That said, "creative basics" could be the theme for updating a young man's room. Wall colors of green, gray, blue or brown work best, and can be enhanced with maroon, orange or yellow for some bright pops in other furnishings. In fact, while they may seem like blistering hues to adults, orange rugs or bright yellow rugs often give a teen boy a real sense of "cool" in his bedroom.


Orange Flokati Rug

Other themes that work well for teen-aged boys' rooms are the outdoors, such as a forest, campsite or pastime like fishing; a rock 'n' roll theme with black tribal designs as wall stencils; or a science theme, which runs the gamut from strands of DNA to one-celled organisms to galaxies.

Teen-aged girls are no less complicated than their brothers, and can be anything from frilly to artsy. A funky artist would love having an accent wall with a vivid color such as purple, fuchsia or lime green, echoed in rugs of similar colors on the floor. A girly-girl most likely will prefer a room that's more traditional, in soft green, blue or pink, with chocolate brown accents.

Themes also are a good option for decorating teen girls' bedrooms. For example, a young gardener, botanist or environmental advocate would love a room designed like a flower garden. Choose a color that will serve as a good background for her favorite flowers. Then paint the flowers on the walls after the background dries. Be sure to avoid areas where furniture might cover up the design, such as the location of the bed. Instead, paint flowers above her bedside table or the top of her dresser (if it doesn't have an attached mirror). A scheme such as this makes it possible to choose floor coverings in many complementary colors such pink rugs, green rugs, or

Finally, classic color combinations such as black and white can work in bedrooms for boys and girls. For accents in bedding, curtains and area rugs, boys can add blues, greens or red like fire trucks or racecars, while girls can use pink, purple or teal. Once the teen-ager adds his or her favorite posters and other accessories, the transformation from child to teen will be complete.