| Ah, youth... What would the teen years be | | | | months of watching design shows or sketching |
| without rebellion and angst? Even teens who | | | | her own ideas before a plan comes together. |
| are generally good-spirited go through this | | | | Have your teen present the room as a project |
| to one degree or another. Whether their | | | | of sorts, giving you an overall idea of how |
| melancholy mood is part of their normal | | | | she wants the room to look. But what do you |
| personality, or they are dealing with their | | | | do if you end up faced with a teen who wants |
| first broken heart, being able to express | | | | to paint their room black, with black bedding |
| their feelings in a creative way is an | | | | and black furniture, practically daring you |
| important part of processing their feelings | | | | to say no? Well, you buy a lot of black |
| and moving through them. We all remember | | | | fabric. A cheap way to do this is to buy |
| what these years were like. They're | | | | several black king-size flat sheets. Put |
| difficult. You've got feelings and hormones | | | | grommets in the four corners of the sheets |
| that you don't understand, you bicker with | | | | and you can attach them to the walls, and |
| your friends one day and confide everything | | | | even the ceiling, with hooks. Use more sheets |
| in them the next, your parents and siblings | | | | and drape the furniture with black fabric. Be |
| don't understand you and your teachers are | | | | creative with fastening the fabric around the |
| always on your case. The only place you have | | | | furniture. Extra-large, heavy-duty safety |
| to yourself is your room, which would be | | | | pins, grommets hooked together with chain or |
| enough if only it reflected your true self | | | | rope or rough hand stitching can work in |
| and your true feelings. The pink wallpaper | | | | reflecting your teen's current frame of mind |
| with the smiling cartoon butterflies that you | | | | without harming the furniture underneath. |
| swore you would love forever when you were | | | | You may be wondering if a black room isn't |
| seven, are now just a reminder of how happy | | | | where the line should be drawn. Not at all. |
| you were then, and how unhappy you are now. | | | | It may be hard to believe when you have a |
| Rather than cheering you up like your mum | | | | surly teenager starting you down, but your |
| thinks it should, it just makes you feel like | | | | teen wants your acceptance more than |
| crawling under a rock. You may not have known | | | | anything. By agreeing to something dramatic |
| what you wanted your room to look like during | | | | such as this, you are doing more than |
| your teen years, but it certainly wasn't | | | | agreeing to something you may not like, you |
| smiling cartoon butterflies. So how do you | | | | are showing her that you love her and you |
| help your teenager find a style that reflects | | | | accept her no matter how differently the two |
| their current mood and taste? Talk to your | | | | of you may see the world. |
| teen and let them know that you understand | | | | |
| they're not a kid anymore and you want them | | | | Decorating your home? Need designer furniture |
| to decorate their room in a style that she | | | | that is as unique as it is stylish? Have a |
| likes. Rather than try to direct the process, | | | | look at the Beyond Furniture range and I am |
| let her be the guide. Your teen may know | | | | sure you will have a hard time choosing which |
| exactly what she wants or it may take a few | | | | piece of furniture you like the most. |