Tweenage Bedroom Colour Schemes

If you are looking for inspiration to paint a bedroom that will grow with your tweenage child, then Jenny Kakpoudakis, founder, creative director and writer behind the lifestyle blog Seasons In Colour, has some hacks to help.

Who is Jenny Kakpoudakis?

The go-to guru for design inspiration – with colour always the starting point – Jenny’s interior design tips have been wowing and winning industry awards since 2015. Voted Best Colour Inspiration blog at the Amara Interior Blog Awards in 2016, and named one of London’s best interior bloggers by Ideal Home in 2017, Jenny has cemented her authority in the design world.

Tweenage boy: the challenge

When Jenny gave her 8-year-old son’s bedroom a makeover to take him from toddler to tween, she decided that deep blue was the perfect primary palette starter for an accent wall.

“Kids grow up so quickly and George seemed to have outgrown his previous room scheme,” Jenny recalls. “There were too many toys on display and no reading space other than on the bed (his desk is in my office). I thought it was time for him to have a space that expressed his personality better.”

But wait…what is a tweenager?

That statement will resonate with any parent of a tweenager – defined as a child between the ages of 9 and 12. It’s when they are growing from child to teenager with an increased sense of independence. They will be going through a lot of changes and approaching puberty with all the challenges that come with adolescence – both for you and them. One minute they love you and will come in for cuddles; the next they will be running for the hills like you’re Nanny McPhee gone mad. You want to give them room to spread their wings – even if they are not ready to fly the nest just yet.

They will be building on their personal skillset, and will probably have more responsibility at school, including an increased amount of homework. Their hobbies and interests may have changed, with their digital devices and books becoming as – if not more – important as their toys.

As Jenny explained: “We knew George wanted a reading nook and plenty of space for his Lego (his two great loves!). Having enough space on the floor to flip over his Lego boxes and go through all the pieces until he finds the perfect one was really important.”

Red and blue and…yellow

When it comes to teenage bedroom colour schemes, Jenny says that “Red and blue as primary colours work well in a kid's room. We used Steel Symphony 1 for the accent wall and Steel Symphony 4 on the rest of the walls, adding hints of yellow décor in there for a fun, bright combination. We wanted to be able to make the room look grown up later on, just by removing the yellow accessories. We also hung some grown-up art on the wall, so I am hoping that for a few years I won't have to worry about making any further changes.”

Get the look

As they approach their teenage years, your children will want to express themselves more freely, as well as build a fortress to hide away when they need to escape from you. To help tackle their changing tastes, get them involved and let them stamp their own personality on a bedroom they will be happy to turn into a cocoon. These cool tween bedroom ideas will keep your tweenagers happy and ensure that you won’t have to repaint their room again next year.

Keep in mind that those teenage tastes can change with the wind. A top tip for tween boy bedroom ideas on a budget is to choose a colour that is easy to live with, and use accessories such as framed prints, cushions, or statement duvets to refresh the look more often, and at less cost. For a teen accent wall, blue is a colour that never goes out of fashion. You could go for a nautical theme with grown-up model sailing boats. Alternatively, use framed graffiti art to give their bedroom an edge. Wall art can easily be removed when your tweenager’s mood swings.

Tween girl gathering

For tween girl bedroom ideas, remember that their room will have multiple functions – from a place to sleep, to that all-important space where they can lounge and gossip with their friends. To create more room, try placing the bed lengthwise against the wall, and make a nook where they can easily throw down pillows and rugs for a tweenage girl gathering.

If your tween girl is feeling a little less pretty in pink than when they were a little girl, ask them how they want to express themselves now that they are growing up. You’ll find plenty of ideas, along with colour inspiration, for different tweenage personality types here. But don’t dismiss pink as too girly just yet. With the right accessories and décor – and a bright red accent wall – pink can get an adult makeover to create elegance and warmth.

A tweenage bedroom can seem a daunting prospect and one of the hardest rooms in your house to decorate. It needs to grow with your child, provide space for them to work and play, and reflect their personality as they discover their identity and independence.