Teen Bedroom Furniture Essentials

By Sherrie Le Masurier

My teenaged son just moved from a shared bedroom into a teen bedroom of his own. His former furnishings will be left behind for a younger sibling so his new room needs to be outfitted with new teen bedroom furniture and accessories. What are the essentials of a good teen bedroom?

When it comes to teen bedroom essentials it’s important to consider teen bedroom furniture that will usher your child into adulthood. You also need to provide accessory pieces like a bedside table, extra seating for friends, enough storage for clothing and personal items, shelving or a bookcase for textbooks and personal reading material, a study desk and chair, proper lighting, practical flooring and a telephone.

Bed: Single or double, it depends on your space and budget as well as your teen’s individual preferences. If you’re purchasing new, consider your teen’s future needs. Both a futon and a lightweight easy-to-assemble double bed would be great for a first apartment.

Bedside table: A nightstand or a bedside table that houses books is perfect for bedtime reading. Whether your teen just needs one or one on both sides of his bed depends on both his lifestyle and whether he has the available space. Sometimes the space for a second nightstand is better used by a comfy chair.

Extra seating: Speaking of a comfy chair, it’s a wise idea to include as much extra seating as possible into your teen’s bedroom so he has the space for when he wants to hang with his friends.

Dresser or armoire: Your closed storage options include a single, double or triple width dresser, a tall chest of drawers or an armoire. Depending on your teen’s individual storage needs and whether he has a closet you may opt for one or more of the above.

Bookcase or shelving: Open storage units like a bookcase or adjustable shelves are ideal provided they’re large enough to display cherished keepsakes, books, and other belongings stored in decorative baskets or storage bins.

Desk and chair: Today’s teens need a workstation that is equipped for both handwritten and computer homework. (That is assuming your teen’s computer and printer is not housed elsewhere in your home and shared by other family members). Adjustable desk chairs help maximize your teen’s comfort especially if he spends hours at a time sitting.

Lighting fixtures: When it comes to lighting you want to make sure that your teen has the right light. This includes main ambient lighting as well as task lighting for bedtime reading or doing homework. Depending on the decorating scheme of his teen bedroom you may also wish to incorporate some funky lamps and use accent lighting to highlight custom room elements like special displays or a cosy corner.

Flooring: Since teens are likely to both sit and sprawl out on their floors when reading or doing homework it’s important that flooring be comfortable. While wall-to-wall carpeting is cosy, a warm room can also be created by adding a colorful area rug that ties the whole teen bedroom together.

Telephone: Whether your teen has a cell phone or simply has or wants a phone in his teen bedroom you should give some thought to his need to communicate with his friends in private. Many parents find installing a separate phone line is the way to go. The few extra dollars a month can be a good trade-off from using up valuable cell phone minutes.