Tweens look for easy-to-switch style changes
Who doesn't love a change, especially when it means looking at old spaces in a new way?
Kids who are older than tots but not quite teens particularly like this idea. No longer young enough to appreciate the paper plane mobiles and peony-painted walls of a primary space, these youngsters crave ways to define their bedrooms with unique and innovative updates.
“The juvenile thing is up around 9 or 10 years old. They like to make their own decisions, especially about their room,” says interior designer Donna Webster of Web Decors in Algonquin.
Celia Tejada of PBteen (an offshoot of the Pottery Barn stores) concurs.
“Both boys and girls as they get into their tween/teenage years make their room their very own private space ... their room becomes a social hang out,” says Tejada, senior vice president of Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen product development. “While boys' major focus is playing games with their friends, girls are all about beauty, sleepover parties and displaying their jewelry and photos.”
Start with colorSuch changes typically begin with a discussion about color and theme. As children mature, Webster says themes drift from animated characters, animals and toylike elements to boldly bodacious color, like neon shades of pink, green and blue, along with black, white and purple.#8220;I think girls are going for bright colors right now. I'm seeing contemporary fabrics in lime green, fuchsia pinks, bright yellow, and it's going in the kids' rooms, especially girls' rooms,#8221; adds Webster, who has clients in Barrington, Kildeer, Hawthorn Woods and Long Grove. #8220;Girls want to be feminine and prissy when they're young, and you'll see teacups, lollipops and butterflies. But at some point they go for something else and like the wild stuff such as leopard skin.#8221;Boys, she says, seem satisfied with losing the putt-putt trains and superhero motifs in exchange for water-washed shades of blues and greens with a wall border for accent.#8220;Boys go for the plainer looks and plainer colors, with some interest in red, white and blues and particular sports themes,#8221; Webster says. A good rule of thumb to follow she says is to have #8220;a neutral for the room and no more than two or three accent colors.#8221;Invest wisely But since both girls and boys can be fickle about preferences at times, Webster says choose room investments wisely. For instance, flooring is a room component that can be costly to change. #8220;A child might want a loud color on the wall or purple carpeting one day, and then decide that she doesn't want it anymore,#8221; she says.Instead, start with smaller changes that make a big impact, like bedding and accessories that can easily be switched out once a child's whims pass.As a practical move, Webster says it is usually best to steer clear of custom bedding for this age group. #8220;I have to find a washable fabric or a solid. A custom covering might not be right for children,#8221; she says. #8220;They need a washable spread.#8221;Look for key pieces to make a statementChanging up a child's room gives them a #8220;renewed sense of personal style,#8221; says area interior designer Jordan Guide, who urges parents to include children in the process as much as possible.Hanging beads from the ceiling is still a popular change-up for girls, Webster notes.PBteen's Tejada says there are several ways to provide a distinct space for maturing youth.#8220;Create a lounge space,#8221; she says, where friends can visit. #8220;This could be anything from a bean bag to a sectional lounge. You can even add a trunk or storage cube as a coffee table to create a cool hangout zone.#8221;Select a patterned duvet or quilt to #8220;set the mood and style#8221; or decorative pillows for an #8220;easy and quick#8221; change, Tejada says.Bold wall decals, murals, pinboards and specialty items such as the PBteen Style Tile System can help to reflect a youth's personality and interests.#8220;Bold in pattern and clever in function, it's a perfect addition to the study zone,#8221; Tejada says of the decorative tiles. #8220;PBteen has a tool online where teens can design their own Style Tile set to include things like dry-erase boards, tack boards, calendars, corkboard, mirror, etc.#8221;Better yet, the adventurous might want to create their own unique wall space with products like Wink, a water-based clear coating that turns paintable surfaces into write-and-erase boards.#8220;It allows you to use (walls) like whiteboards,#8221; offers Guide of Jordan Guide Design. The product by Wolf-Gordon was launched this year and is available online at wallsloveink.com for $175 a kit. 10011001courtesy of PBteen.comBold wall decals or murals can help tweens and teens express their interests and personality, but are simple to change out when their tastes evolve. 18011801courtesy of PBteen.comStyle Tiles from PBTeen can be mixed and matched with tiles coming in fabric, corkboard, chalkboard, dry-erase, mirror and other surfaces.