Getting Started

Tackling tween decor can be a challenge, but not if you remember four tricks of the trade: Add bold colors, do away with a theme, give your tween a say, and create a hangout space.

Here's how one designer from Kids' Rooms Etc. transformed this room from little-girl digs to fun tween space.

 

Don't be afraid to saturate a tween's room with color! Bright hues add warmth and personality to a room and give your tween a sense of personal space. Our designer chose bright blue and sassy pink, which suits a common tween taste for surfer-girl colors.

Also, be creative with your supplies. An assortment of cork coasters (available at hardware stores and garden centers; the larger ones are made to use under houseplants) are glued together to make this pinboard. Layer on several coats of acrylic paint to customize the pinboard to your color palette.

 

Tween rooms should stay away from strong themes that automatically put a time limit on the space. You can't go wrong choosing a solid comforter that is easy to mix and match with patterned linens and pillows. These applique dots we used on the walls are timeless and should peel off easily without leaving marks.

 

It is important to let your tween have some input in the room's design. The tween age range (9-12) is a time of self-expression, not "Look what Mommy made for me."

Rather than handing over the reins completely, you may want to outline options for your tween to choose from. This also helps your tween buy into the plan before it is finished. If you're at odds, try to find a way to compromise: instead of a "surfer girl" scheme, we chose more timeless dots, but painted the walls in tropical colors.

 

In a tween's world, bedrooms aren't just for sleeping; kids also hang out there. This room has a clearly defined "chill zone" with a hanging chair and a toy box converted into a bench seat. This gives your tween a space to sit back and read or chat with her friends.