Teen Room Makeover

I'm re-sharing this makeover with you now - as many of you have asked and are interested in what can be done with their teen's room or with the child's room that is transitioning away from their kid room into a more "grown-up" space. 

So I figured this makeover journey would be new inspiration for those of you in this situation...and perhaps re-inspire those that saw it when I first released it.  

This project was one of my favorite projects for a client was taking a boy's room from kid's space to all-about-Teen space.  The kid is growing up - so his room should reflect that too...In essence, taking a space that was all about him being a kid and creating something that would inspire him - but also support him during his teenage years...

What I like about a makeover room that I am focusing in on is the first vantage point of the space....this is what I was seeing when I visited the room for the first time...

The focus of this project was the bedroom, but the adjacent bathroom was getting a makeover too...

After my first visit to the space, I had a clear idea of what I was going for in the furnishings area...I had seen pieces at PBteen in NYC and those key foundation pieces for the room remained true to my design and were ordered...

One nugget of information that also became part of the overall inspiration for the room was my chat with the boy who would inhabit the room.   I learned that he was an avid stop-motion filmmaker and creative writer.  He's a kid that loves films and has taught himself how to create them.  As a kid that also loved films and sketching floor plans of sets - I started thinking "what would I have liked for my old room?"

So I was motivated to give him a space - to inspire him!  For years, I have been a supporter of arts programs in our nation's schools being saved.  Anywhere we can inspire creativity in our kids is key.  So obviously the teachers who were inspiring this kid were doing something right!  

The next phase of the makeover was getting to the location and pairing down what was there - donating, purging, repurposing, etc.  Getting the space down to basics and starting with a clean slate is key to any space.  You don't always have to have everything be new - but in this case we were setting the stage for an exciting, new chapter in this boy's life - The Teenage Years - so we wanted something special!

Paint is an instant makeover in a can!  I love how just painting a room can make it come to life...So once we got the room down to basics - the room was prepped for painting and a new look...In this case, I brought in a PBteen Paint with Benjamin Moore paint that was very eco-friendly.  I'm all about working with products that are healthy where I can...No point in adding more toxins into the environment...I had not explored the complete collection of paint colors from PBteen before - so I was very pleased to see the selection when I was working with my color scheme.  

Once the painting was completed - the makeover truly started to come to life...You could feel and see the new energy in the space...just from having painted it.  Then, the fun part could happen - bringing in the main pieces of furniture that were standing by...

So here it is...the original vision of the room that I had imagined from that NYC store visit and creating those art pieces in my studio - a room for a boy as he enters into his teen years...

The classic lines of the PBteen "Parker Bed" were a big part of my creative inspiration.  The warm tones of the wood were perfect to give a traditional feel to the room, while combining beautifully with the modern accents.  I love how the side table also from "Parker Collection" showcases the stainless bedside light called "The Shine-On Task Light" nicely but also (my favorite lamp in the room) - the "Shine-On Clip Light" seen on the headboard.  

A great final touch to this area - the Chalk Movie Sign...which blends perfectly with my "Lights Camera Action" art...

I won't bore you with showing you "before" Images every time I show you a final beauty shot - but I always love looking back on what the room looked like before and this is a quick look back at the future sleeping area before...

Now - I'll let you sit back and enjoy the creative journey of this makeover...

Seating in any teen room needs to be durable, comfortable and allow them to change things up on a whim.  PBteen's Lean and Laze Lounger is a must-have in this reading nook... The side arms are adjustable so you can create various seating options or remove the back pillow if you wanted to use it as a guest bed...The blue tones of the fabric truly bring in a great color into this area - but also tie in perfectly to the blues used throughout the room.

You can see the detail of The Parker Bed and my favorite lamp up close...The Bedding brings in that hint of blue.  I like this "Derby Style" bedding because it is classic in style but has that slightly washed look about it... 

The Chatham Large File Desk and Hutch is a perfect fit for this creative corner...Also from PBteen it showcases great storage, a traditional style - yet you can see how it blends beautifully with the modern accents.  Clearly they are pieces of key furniture that will grow with this young man - and be classics years from now.  I like that you can bring in furniture that can stand the test of time and not appear dated or out of style down the road.  The "Swivel Armchair" compliments the zone.

As I found out from this aspiring-filmmaker teen and also as a parent of tech-savvy kids - technology plays a big part in their everyday lives.  As a designer, however, I'm all about technology marrying with good design...so I really wanted to bring product in that would make this family's life easier - while blending in nicely with the style and mood of the room...

I remain impressed by Apple Products...they marry the two must-haves for me seamlessly.  I know how much they are incorporated into my own family's daily life - but also into my own creative works.  The attention to detail is something I take notice of because it is all designed to make life easier.

I liked that this room had great wood floors.  I really wanted to keep the majority of the floor visible, but having an area rug provides yet another place to sit and relax too.  At the same, the room needed another layer of softness and texture.  I choose this rich Textured Wool Rug in a Dark Coffee color to add another dimension of color into the space.  

A room does not come to life for me - until it is lit.  So seeing the final room with the right lighting is key.  To complete the film-inspired room - PBteen has these amazing spotlights that fit the bill.  "Stage Floorlamps" are truly what I envisioned for this space because they have that classic Hollywood look about them.  They play perfectly into my theme but are also quite functional for everyday use.

More stylish storage that blends into the blue scheme - I added hidden storage with this Collapsible Twill Storage Cube.  Easy to move around - yet store those larger items easily...

I wanted this to be a room that the teen boy could hang out in - but also gather with his friends to work on projects, do homework or just listen to music together...

Film and filmmaking is something that I personally have an interest in - so seeing my final art work in his space is great fun for me personally.  I liked the idea of taking what would be on the pages of a movie script and making it bold and larger than life...This art piece and the one below are available at :  The Stephen Saint-Onge Canvas Collection... Art is something that inspires me in the home and I designed this collection of art for everyday living with real homes in mind...I think there is something there for everyone...Check it out!  

Just because your kids are growing up - doesn't mean you cannot have reminders of things they loved when they were younger - or that they still want to have around...

I love the idea of going back, as a grown up, to the room you grew up in...Something about the touchstone of things just staying as they were...Is that possible?  So in styling this room - I brought in things that he had around him before - books, projects, accessories, etc.

I know how easy my MacBook Pro makes my life.  So giving this room various options for seating and "work spaces" - that can provide flexibility was key and the right technology can also work into that seamlessly.  I wanted him to be able to pick up what he was working on in one area - and have the freedom to work in another area...That is why portable technology works so well in our lives.  

Lighting is key...Saw this Shine-on Clip Light as you know and just loved it instantly... I like that you can pick it up and clamp somewhere else.  Great for a desk, an artist's easel, a book shelf...You can see how I used another one in the image below.  Adjustable and easy.  I also like how this room has subtle accents of stainless steel in various places.  

Check out Apple for some great holiday gifts...I know a big thing in my house will be some iTunes Gift Cards...

Wires are always such a big issue in any home office or place where you have technology in most cases.  I love that this new iMac does not have the regular tower that sits on the floor near your desk (the hard drive)- so fewer wires already.   Instead, everything is streamlined into the monitor.  Then, the whole thing is nicely finished off with a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse...How easy is that!?

As I said, my new art collection - which features many looks and styles as well as this collection of graphic images... The Stephen Saint-Onge Canvas Collection is something that I want you to use as creative inspiration as you are planning your own spaces and redesigns...Makeovers can inspire as can Art...

One last word about tech in the room and creativity in the room - I do think it is important to give our kids things that they can use creatively.  They may be bombarded with homework and school projects - but the down time too to explore their creative side with such programs as GarageBand, iMovie, iPhoto, etc.  I keep thinking back to what I had to work with as a kid - can you say sketch pad and pencil!  

As a photographer and artist - iPad2 is key in anything that I do...a great way to share some visual projects but also easy to take with you on the road.  For Teens, it is a great gift idea because it is portable and easy to integrate into their lives... For this young, inspired filmmaker it is a way for him to showcase his short films and creative projects easily....

I have used this great creative product from PBteen before  Cable Wire Systems - as room dividers.  I love that they give you flexibility and style...Great for an apartment or a room where you want to create zones like in this bedroom...

I went back and forth with the drape panels that I wanted for this room divider.  In looking at the final shots of this room - I am so pleased that I went with PBteen's "Derby Stripe Drape" - they tie in perfectly with the bedding and, like the rug, add another layer of softness and texture to the room...For this boy's room I think the look is perfect.  If you were designing a girl's room - you could go with something sheer and lighter...

Storage is very key in any room - especially in this kind of room because it's transitional - so you may have some toys or kid's stuff (Legos, cars, etc.) but you may not want to have them out in the open...So these fantastic metal Locker Bins are so cool...In fact, I had seen these in the NYC PBteen store and wanted to bring them into the room somewhere.  Here they are!  Worked well into the existing bookshelves the room already had.  Add some labels into the slots and you can stay organized.  

Simple accents gathered from things I found around their house...

The bathroom was the simple part of the makeover...New paint, PBteen Classic Organic Bath Towels and new accessories...

In the end, the project was a very enjoyable one for me.  I loved that I was creating a room for someone transitioning to the exciting chapter of their lives...but also I was able to illustrate how any room in our homes can get a new look.  It changes how you feel about your environment - whether you make big or small changes...The time has come to make change happen...

Remember - it's all in the details and mood you are trying to create...One last suggestion on details and great gift idea for the movie-lover Popcorn Bowls!  I couldn't resist one last tie-in to my film-inspired design...

Go be creative!