We Answer Wednesday - Teen Space

"Our basement was (and still is) the playroom but my kids are all teenagers now.  I'm clearing out the toys but the room needs a makeover suitable for my teen boys and girl.  The floors are covered in primary colour foam tiles and the walls have cutesy posters with ABCs and 123s.  It has to be cool! Any ideas?"

It sounds like it's time for a refresh and we love to hear that you are wanting to do that for your kids.  It's a great start to clear out the toys first - that way you can really see the amount of space that you actually have.  Toys can really take up a lot of room.

Once you clear out the space completely so that you can see what you are working with.  Also take a look to see if there are any small repairs needed.  Ceiling tiles? Burnt out light bulbs? Any floor or wall damage? Take care of those items next.

Now let's have fun!

We feel the room should be gender neutral because you have boys and a girl, there are lots of options.  Here are some of our favourite ideas.



We love this NYC loft look!!  Try adding some brick pattern wall paper to get that exposed brick look and feel.  We also love the large cityscape wall mural - pottery barn teen has some great options for wall murals ranging from music to sports to beach scenes.   It looks like you have the best view money can buy.  The rest of the furniture is neutral a mix of grey and cream tones.  This bed is a sofa pull out option, so this is perfect if your basement is the neighbourhood hang out (and if it looks like this it definitely will be).  To keep the basement from feeling dark be sure to add light.  Pot lights are great because they are streamlined and out of the way but you can add some other task lighting, table and floor lighting just keep it simple.


 We love the idea of a teen space being fun and a place for them!  Adding interactive games like pool, ping-pong, fuse ball and even a collection of board games is a great way for them to socialize with friends and family.   We also love fun art - it could be colourful, thematic or just goofy!  We love the idea of signage and fun (positive) sayings!  This blackboard wall is another great addition to a teen space.  It is so easy to do and the chalkboard paint comes in a selection of colours (blue, green, red, pink you name it).  We also love easy seating options like these chairs or even bean bag chairs. They are casual and comfortable and easy to move around.



If the space will be for everyone - find a place for everything! This small space (this is actually a garage) has seating, a home gym and a TV area.  We also love how the decor is neutral and cool for everyone.  Add some great pillows to your neutral sofa.  Looking for some fun pillows? We love the selection at www.denydesigns.com they have so many colours, prints, saying and you can even customize your own pillow!



When it comes to a teen space, you can still play with colours but we suggest staying away from your primary tones like red, blue and yellow and playing with a more sophisticated tone like navy or grey and then adding a splash of fun colours like green and orange, turquoise and yellow, turquoise and orange, for example.  Fill the room with things they like - music, movies, sports and more...Add some fun prints and graphics too!

Be sure to think of them and what they need (and maybe what you would like them to have as well).  Shelving for board games, video games and some decor?  TV for movies and video games? A gym area?  Desk space? A fridge or even a small kitchen space ? Pool table or other large games? Speakers for music and movies? Electric fireplace (some basements are chilly)?

There are so many options for a basement space for your teens but be prepared to be THE neighbourhood hang out!