15 Trending Ideas for Teenagers' Rooms From Interior Designers

Teens are notoriously fickle creatures, but that's understandable considering they're still learning who they are and what they like. So while there are certain bedroom styles that are trending, they're as varied as teens themselves and run the gamut from retro sophistication to fashion influencer. Regardless of personal style, many teens are embracing the latest trends of lounge areas, neon accents and statement wallpaper. So whether your teen is interested in a new bedding color or wants to try out a completely new look, use these designer-sourced trends for fresh inspiration.

Move aside dedicated desk spaces — lounge areas are one of the hottest requests for teenagers' rooms. To recreate this lounge look, Carey Karlan of Last Detail Interior Design advises that the space should reflect the teen's style without resembling the rest of the house, or even the teen's bedroom, if it still feels juvenile.

"It must be inspirational and aspirational," Carey advises, which could include incorporating glamorous metallic wallpaper or a mirrored cabinet that hides a TV. But most of all, "It should be fun; a place to hang out, chat, etc." She recommends a curved sofa for this purpose. And since we're discussing teen design after all, "It should have more edge and privacy," Carey adds, than other rooms in the house.

Carey says that as a result of the pandemic, with everyone spending more time at home than before in many cases, parents are willing to invest more money in their children's rooms. "There has been more commitment to higher-end, less juvenile wallpapers or interesting painted wall treatments," she observes. The result? Rooms with neutral, classic colors and decor and quality furnishings that are meant to grow with your teen.

Carey is among the designers who are tackling the neon trend, although she takes a more cautious approach — even if her younger clients fully embrace neon. "We wouldn't really want to paint a room pink flamingo or lime green, but a stripe of those colors around the room, plus a bold sofa color, is fun and everyone is happy," she says.

Other simple ways to try the neon trend are painting an accent wall, choosing a neon light fixture or hanging neon signs or artwork.

Lindsey Jamison, partner and lead designer at Rumor Designs, collaborated with her three teenagers on a home redesign. "The brighter the floral, graphic or texture, the better," she says of this teen room in her home. "Mix a bold paint color and patterned headboard with a fun wallpaper. This will inspire your teen and definitely wake them up in the morning when they don't want to get up for school," says Lindsey.

Lindsey also observes that the retro look is trending in teenage bedrooms right now. Here, that's achieved through a midcentury modern light fixture and vintage-style desk. Vintage skis on the ceiling complete this retro-cool aesthetic.

Midcentury modern is trending in general, from Saarinen style-tables to swiveling tulip chairs. "Midcentury style has staying power for a young child right through high school and beyond, so the investment in furnishings is worth it even if the wallpaper/color scheme changes over the years," says Carey.

Lindsey is a fan of the fairy lights trend, noting how they create ambiance and a cozy space. "There are so many creative ways to hang string lights. Hang vertically above your headboard, hang horizontally around the upper walls of the room, or hang around a mirror," Lindsey offers. "You can use string lights to separate a space in a room, for example, a reading area," she adds. "They are also inexpensive, which is a plus!"

"Whenever I work with teens, they give me inspiration photos from regular design sources and seem to be looking for a mature, serene feel, almost like a hotel vibe," says Naomi Coe of Little Crown Interiors. "I think in this post-COVID world, everyone is looking for a retreat — ways to increase calm and relaxation in their everyday lives — and that includes teens." Her teen clients find inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest, and then Naomi takes a layered approach to recreate the design.

"They are going to grow and change and will want their space to reflect that. So if a teen wants a calming and sophisticated room, I would start with the foundation — create a neutral base with things like the wall color, bedding, flooring, etc.," she advises. "Texture and coziness are key here as well. I generally suggest accessories and art on the more inexpensive side, since these are likely to get switched out. If they ever decide they want more color, they can change around some throw pillows and a few pieces of wall art without having to redo the entire space."

"I do see that teens are asking for plants and greenery, but they don’t necessarily want to take care of them," says Naomi. "I’m always careful when suggesting plants to teens. They either need to be faux, or extremely low-maintenance plants."

Another clever way to incorporate nature without worrying about the consequences is evidenced by this project Naomi did. She used a real tree trunk for a fun take on a bookshelf, chose a lavender tree wall mural for behind the bed and added a tree branch lamp in gold.

Max Lord of England-based WallpaperMural.com has seen a growing interest in their graffiti wallpapers. "The feedback we have been getting is that graffiti wallpapers are an affordable yet effective way of adding texture and an urban feel to a teen's bedroom," he says, adding that it's "a good way of balancing teenage rebellion with interior design while looking up-to-date and modern."

Denise Davies of D2 Interieurs shares that peel-and-stick decals, such as these removable gold hearts from her sister company Project Playroom, are currently trending in teen rooms. "We love how the trends we are seeing are not permanent and the items and accessories can be easily switched out as the child grows into the room," she adds.

While most of Denise's clients prefer neutral rooms with colorful accents, including teens, there's a trend away from just using pillows or decor for added color. Instead, more teens are opting for colorful furniture too, such as this custom blue bed. "Bold colors can be sophisticated and elegant," Denise says.

This particular teen client loved the color blue, so Denise fully committed by choosing a patterned blue wallpaper and blue carpet. The lamp channels a cloud, and the overall effect mirrors the blue sky outside.

"This is where you can really use your imagination," says Denise, like this gummy bear light fixture.

Ceilings aren't being overlooked either, and that means going beyond a cool light fixture. Fun wallpaper, personal objects and painted patterns are among the top choices to pep up this blank canvas. Jessica Shaw, Interior Design Director of The Turett Collaborative shares, "When adding colorful elements to a bedroom, I make sure that the client is open to experimenting with bold shades."

"Sometimes an accent wall or ceiling is enough." She adds, "The most important thing to remember when designing with bold colors in children's or teen's rooms, such as these, is that paint is always temporary."

Jessica used bold-patterned carpet tiles from Flor for this bedroom, since her client was open to making a loud statement. She likes Flor since "it's an imaginative, colorful brand that allows you to select a preset pattern, which is divided into tiles for your space. Their patterns range from solid and simple to more complex but are always easy to use," she says.

"These temporal design elements may not be fit for a teen as they grow older, and that is OK," she acknowledges. "As many of us design children’s nurseries with the expectation that they will need to be redecorated after a few years, the same thought process can be applied to growing children's rooms."