Should you decorate a child's room as the child asks, or "scientifically"? And what if it's not a child's room at all anymore, and the child isn't a child at all anymore?
In reality, there are no special sciences on how to furnish a room for a teenager. There are marketing ploys by trading companies and furniture factories that, in one way or another, suggest what exactly needs to be bought to "make it good" — and they readily enlist science for this purpose too.
But there's another side to the coin — the great science of loving your children. Loving them not with a blind love that ruins them, but with one that leads them to self-awareness and responsibility for their actions. It may sound high-flown, but it's the pure truth.
When creating an interior for children, we enter the realm of their upbringing. After all, what surrounds a child affects them: the ticking clock on the wall, the view from the window, the color of the wallpaper, a painting. Everything matters.
I remember how my art historian mother changed reproductions of famous paintings on my wall almost every year – that's how she tried to influence me with great artworks. It might seem naive, but I am one hundred percent sure: she succeeded in influencing my taste.
But a teenage interior is a special zone. A zone of turbulence, if you know what I mean. Your influence doesn't matter here – it's more about whether you managed to "influence" them earlier or not.
And yet: can we help in any way? And should we interfere?
If you maintain a good relationship by adolescence, you can offer advice, express an opinion, help with the room. But on one condition – if you are asked. If not – it's best not to interfere. In such a situation, it's far more important to show that their opinion matters to you, and that you respect their decisions. This is the perspective from which to approach furnishing.
Another important nuance: you are paying for the furnishing. Make it beneficial for both you and your child:
- Discuss the amount you are willing to allocate for the room. Let the teenager choose everything they need for it themselves, including finishing materials.
- If the shopping list goes over budget, suggest they sell some of the items they no longer need.
This way, the child will engage not only in the most interesting part — the decorating — but also in the financial side of the matter. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly they start making decisions.
But also be prepared for your tastes to completely diverge — it might be a different planet. And here I suggest looking at it differently: the more vividly a child can express themselves, the more charismatic they are. Don't be upset if they copy peers or look for solutions in fashion magazines — that will pass. This is how self-discovery happens.
Don't be afraid to hand over the interior "for destruction" to your child — but within a clear budget and reasonable rules.
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