While not all teenage boys have the same taste, there are some general styles and ideas that most would respond well to when decorating their bedroom. First of all though you need to make sure any ideas you pick up are shared with the teenager in question and talk to them about what they would like to have. Their bedroom is one of the few places in the house they see as completely theirs, so their room should reflect their personality, taste and practical needs. Here below are a number of ideas you can start from, and some popular themes that may be of interest, the rest will be up to you!
Room color
Color is very important and you need to work with the teenager on this to reach a wall color you are both happy with. Most teens like big and bold colors something vibrating like blues or purples. You can use furnishings and furniture that is light in color to add some accent.
The bed
Once you have a wall color and a theme for the room, the bedding can then be inspired from that. So if the room has a surfing theme and the walls have been painted in a beautiful ocean blue the bedding can either continue the ocean color theme, or pick other colors like white for spray, or surf board patterns or sandy yellow for the beach. You could have murals on the wall too. If that is too busy for the teenager’s taste stick to walls in a solid color and bedding that enhances it.
Shelving
Have them choose a style of shelving they appreciate so they have a place to keep books, knickknacks, trophies and so on. Modern shelving would be more suitable for a teenage boy.
Wall art
Lots of teens have posters up of things they are interested in, a certain sport’s team or player for example. Allow that, but show ways that this can be displayed in a better way rather than tacking it straight up on the walls. Buy frames to their favorite posters in to display, create a collage of all their ticket stubs to hang up and so on.
A place to study
All teens need space to study so if the room is big enough to give them that. Talk with them about how they study and what they need to help the process, do they like to spread out their books so need a lot of surface area, or do they need a place to store or organize notes? Get a desk or table that they like and can work on.
Popular Teen Boy’s Bedroom Themes
- Sports
- Camouflage
- Wilderness
- Western
- Future
- Navy
Sports themed bedroom
Ideal for the jock of the family and can be personalized to whatever sport or team the teenager likes most, or can just be a general sporting theme, or even a vintage one. Use old sports equipment and put it up on the walls as a display, check out garage sales and second hand shops for ideas too. Re-purpose old hockey sticks to create legs for a table, have trophies and team pictures on display on shelving. Have a duvet cover and bedding set that carries on this sporting theme with motifs. You could take old team jerseys the teenager has now outgrown and turns them into pillow cases or make a quilt from them.
When it comes to accessories in the room have them in colors that coordinate, such as storage containers, wastepaper baskets, frames, lamp shades and so on. Instead of having a regular headboard for the bed collect together old baseball bats and turn them into a unique headboard. Or a hockey stick could also be a curtain rod.
Camouflage themed bedroom
A lot of teens like this look and today this does not just mean the more traditional khaki colors, there are all kinds of camouflage colors that can be used. Paint the walls in whatever color the teen prefers and then choose bedding that works with it. There are many styles of camouflage bed-in-a-bag sets you can get from various stores for a fair price. Hang some mesh netting around the bed, use a lantern as a bedside light instead of a lamp, put up military posters and have shelving to display any military themed memorabilia that has been collected.
Army themeWilderness themed bedroom
Choose colors that reflect the outdoors feel for the walls and think about things like nature, being rustic, trees, bears, fish and so on to draw inspiration from. Bedding that would work well would be plaid flannel, or something with an outdoors motif. Hang paddles, old fishing rods or nets up on the walls, have a birdhouse on display with some binoculars on display somewhere. Have books in a book shelf that gives facts about any areas they are particularly interested in, and posters up on the walls.
Jungle theme
Bedroom furniture should be rustic in style, perhaps made of pine. Frame and hang up a display of vintage fishing lures, display rocks you have collected over the years and photos of outdoor trips you have taken. Things like old canoes, or oars can be re-purposed into decorative shelving.
Western themed bedroom
This theme may be more suitable for younger boys and young teens rather than older, but we have added it in case it is something your teenager is into. There are a lot of options for Western themed bedding sets or denim bedding and once you have the right bedding you can work from there to create a rugged look. Themes you can go with include horses, horseshoes, Native American, cowboy hats and so on.
Cowboy bedroom theme
The walls would look good in earthy tones but a good idea would be to take part of the bedding with you to the paint store so you select colors that work well. While there is the option to have western themed wallpaper that may be going overboard and may make the room to busy and too young. If you prefer wallpaper choose simple designs like a pattern of leather stitching for example. If the teenager wants more art up you can get prints, or wall murals.
Future themed bedroom
A lot of young men are into technology and gadgetry so this may be a theme you decide to pick up in the bedroom. Choose greys for the walls, have bedding that compliments the walls and keep things more minimalistic . Straight lines and edges and not too much clutter. Make displays out of old cell phones, get a print of the first computer created, have a modern desk set up for a study area.
Space age design ideaNavy themed bedroom
Navy sea blue design
Some boys and teenagers are interested in the army and prefer the camouflage theme of above, but some are more interested on the Navy. Use shades of blue for the walls and accents. Have Navy memorabilia on display, fishing nets on the wall, ship steering wheels and anchors to encourage a nautical feel. Wall scones could be in the shape of lighthouses, have a pair of fins displayed on the wall.
Thanks, Gina
