Painting Teen Bedrooms & What Colors Work Best

By Sherrie Le Masurier

My son’s teen room needs a fresh coat of paint. He says he doesn’t have a color in mind. Do you have any color suggestions for painting teen bedrooms he won’t tire of?

Since color is a really personal thing it’s hard for me to advise what particular color or shade should be used when painting teen bedrooms. That said they are a few things you may want to consider when freshening up your son’s teen bedroom with a paint color.

There’s no doubt about it - painting is the one of the fastest, easiest and cheapest ways for a teen to make his bedroom his own. With a little paint your son cannot only freshen up his teen bedroom but with the right colors he can also open up small spaces and highlight cool features like mouldings and built-in shelving. Warm colors will also give your son’s personal space a cosier feel.

It’s also important to give some thought into the color he will be surrounding himself with. Also, how often are you planning on redecorating his teen bedroom and changing the main color scheme? If it’s every five years then you’ll want to make sure he selects a color he won’t tire of during this time. Also if he doesn’t plan on making over his teen bedroom again for another five years – avoid trendy colors.

Classic shades of a favorite color are best for painting teen bedrooms if you’re going to be maintaining the teen bedroom decor for 3 to 5 years. If you plan on redecorating and repainting the room every year or every other year then by all means go trendy but keep in mind that certain shades especially dark ones are harder to cover up. It’s always wise to consult with the sales clerk at your local paint shop to get an estimate as to how many coats you’ll need to update your son’s teen bedroom with a fresh paint color.

Also what does your son want his teen bedroom to say about him? Have him consider the feeling or mood he wants to evoke. What color(s) express it best? Suggest he spend some time in his teen room just thinking about how different colors and shades will look. Does he want to create a greater sense of space with a lighter color or does he desire a space that’s more intimate and cosy? If he prefers the latter, I suggest selecting a warm hue.

Another thing to consider when painting teen bedrooms is what color works best with your son’s prized possessions? Does his comforter or a piece of artwork he loves complement the color you’re both considering for his walls?

The best advice I can give you when it comes to painting teen bedrooms is to select a color or colors you’re naturally drawn to. The color of your son’s teen bedroom should make him feel good not only about his physical space but also enhance his emotional well being. You can’t go wrong with a color that makes you positive, secure and comfortable in your teen bedroom surroundings.

Following are some general tips for painting teen bedrooms:

• Draw inspiration from what you already have. Look at your surroundings – your furniture, bedding, window treatments, rug etc. and see what colors are present. Target a color you like and then select a wall color that will complement it.
  
• Don’t aim for a perfect match. The best way to select a paint color is to look for a color that is close but not exact. In order to add interest to your teen bedroom your main paint color should be a slight variation from what you’re trying to match. It can be overpowering and somewhat boring to have everything in your room exactly the same shade.
  
• If you’re looking to create a room that is relaxing and soothing to your soul consider colors with similar values. An easy way to determine whether two colors have similar values is to put them next to each other and then squint – if the colors blend together then they share a similar value if not, they don’t.
  
• Interested in creating a room that is bold, vibrant and speaks volumes of your cheery and positive outlook on life?  Consider painting your walls a bright color like neon orange and contrasting it with stark white trim. Accessory items can be a toned down version of your selected wall color or another color that coordinates nicely.
  
• To open up your teen bedroom and make it feel more spacious and less cluttered opt for cool tones like blue or green.
  
• One of the most valuable painting teen bedrooms tips I can offer is that when selecting a color from a variety of paint chips always go a shade lighter than you’re initially drawn to. The reason I advise this is because color intensifies once it’s on your walls.
  
• If you’re still unsure of how a color will look on your teen bedroom walls you can do one of two things. First purchase a sample size of paint in a selected color and then paint it on an old piece of shelving, plywood, foam core, drywall etc. and take it around your teen room and see how well it coordinates with your furniture, bedding, window treatments, rug, and accessory items. Or you can take that same pint of paint and paint one wall to see if you like it.

Finally, when it comes to painting teen bedrooms it’s important you not only use a quality brand of paint but it’s wise to invest in the proper tools. There’s a big difference between a quality paint brush that won’t lose it bristles and one that does. Plus having the right brushes and rollers makes the job much more fun and will actually save you time and energy in the long run.