Design with style: Fitting a teenager’s entire life into her room

When I was a teenager, I would redecorate my bedroom during the summer months — mostly at that point in my life because I needed something to do and also because I had the decorating seed in me! Since then, summer months seem to bring out my desire to change a teenager’s bedroom, unless I’m giving a bedroom makeover as a special birthday gift any time of the year.

In the before photo (above), we see the room’s challenges: It is a small room but with high ceilings and the two windows meet in the corner. The client wanted to have separate areas to work, rest, and play, which added to the challenge of the small space available.

A black and white color palette was chosen, and each aspect of the room’s elements was carefully planned.

With white walls, strong contrast is offered by using black shades for the windows, which also provides privacy.

To maximize light control, metal drapery rods, mounted towards the crown molding, hold drapery panels lined with room-darkening lining. When pulled closed, no light will peek through.

With the rods taking the panels off the windows on the outside of the corner, as much natural light as possible can enter the room.

Keeping the drapery panels white and away from the corner also helps the small room feel open. Adding black banding at the top of the panels draws your eye up. Using vertical lines visually enlarges small spaces.

The focal point of the room is the very tall, elegantly styled upholstered headboard. Its dramatic black fabric is studded with white buttons. Following the delicate contrasting detail, the white bedspread has black cording separating its top from the fully gathered floor length sides. An existing futon was reupholstered in a soft geometric pattern in black and white.

A black glass vanity was placed by the window. It has multi-function as a vanity, nightstand, and desk for studies. The client’s desire to have three separate function areas has been fulfilled in this small space.

The long wall features free-style artwork. A new, over-sized pattern wallpaper could also be used to get this effect.

The black and white palette shows youthful pops of color in the throw pillows, area rug, lamp and other accessories. These are the pieces that can be most economically changed as the teenager’s favorite color changes.

It’s such a joy to watch our clients, of all ages, realize their dreams.

 

 

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