Bedroom

How to design a bedroom for your teenager inspired by the surf and sea

Article by Your Home and Garden

This kid’s bedroom design is perfect for a teenager that loves the sea and surf. We round up some creative ideas to help you decorate like a pro

How to design a bedroom for your teenager inspired by the surf and sea

Teens are not renowned for being the tidiest bunch, so make sure to incorporate enough storage to keep clothes and clutter at bay. A good wardrobe system and/or chest of drawers is essential.

This simple wall shelf above the bed is great for storing things like headphones and books and displaying special items. A bedside table is necessary to accommodate a reading light and keep books or magazines off the floor. Both the table and shelf were painted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen ‘Optimist’.

The art in the room should reflect your child’s interests. This room belongs to a surfer whose favourite surfing spots is Bondi Beach.

Keep bedding casual and easy to straighten and tidy. This crumpled-linen duvet is a perfect option for this reason. Different shades of grey were used for the duvet, cotton sheets, waffle blanket and cushions. A blue tone matching the surfboard is the perfect accent colour and is repeated in the patterned pillowcase, headboard, shelf and table.

Bedding tip

If you’re not a fan of traditional valances, consider going up a couple of sizes in the duvet cover – that way it will cover the whole bed and hide the bed base and mattress. We used a queen duvet cover on a single bed. Another good thing about going bigger in duvet size is that when you go up in bed size, the bedding will still fit. Linen duvet covers are a popular option and we’ve used one here, although they are generally a little more expensive than cotton.

The headboard

This simple plywood headboard, which measures 1m high and 1.1m wide, was given some personality by adding the surfing phrase ‘Hang loose’. To create the lettering, we cut letters out of adhesive paper. The fact that they aren’t all exactly the same size and shape gives it an authentic feel. We measured 10cm down from the top of the headboard and then masked off a 30cm-wide strip with painter’s masking tape.

We stuck the adhesive letters onto the strip, ensuring all the corners were stuck down firmly so paint couldn’t seep underneath. The strip was painted in two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen ‘Optimist’ and left overnight to dry. The letters were then carefully peeled off to reveal the ply underneath.

Floor

These pine floorboards were stained using Resene Colorwood stain in ‘Bleached Cedar’. To get great coverage, try using a speed brush to apply the stain. To ensure longevity, we suggest applying a waterborne flooring urethane/sealer. Resene Qristal Clear is a great option for helping to keep the boards looking good.

All the colours here are from the Resene Total Colour System.
Paints and colours are available from Resene ColorShops and resellers nationwide. resene.co.nz/colorshops or 0800 RESENE (737 363).