Home Style with Cheryl Johnston: Transforming a teenager's bedroom

Cheryl Johnston is on Instagram - @myhomeismyhaven

I WAS going into unchartered waters designing my teenage son’s bedroom.

My mind was full of ideas but in the end l realised the best way to get started was to brainstorm with him. His contribution was fairly straightforward – as long as he had a double bed and his TV on the wall, he would be happy.

For a teenager, the bedroom is like a fort. It protects from the outside world, provides breathing space away from the rest of the household and gives them a place in which to carve out their own identity.

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l knew l needed to respect this and try to cover all bases. l decided it would be best to create zones – for example, the sleep zone - a comfy bed from Wayfair to relax in, with handy Scandinavian-style bedside table from eBay; the gaming zone – a large wall-mounted TV (Curry’s) to play video games; and the study zone – desk, lamp and chair (all from IKEA) as teenagers’ lives are dominated by exams.

The colour palette was in keeping with the rest of the house but with added pops of colour to suit his tastes. I went for a contemporary geometric wallpaper (from B&Q) to add some bold drama. The blinds came from Blinds 2 Go, the bedding from Primark, cushions from Next and TK Maxx and the throw from Zara Home.

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Usually, I aim for one or two shades to create balance, and by keeping the design scheme neutral, it’s easy to introduce bolder shades as accents. Those accents can be easily changed too, as tastes are ever-changing for teens.

He likes his new room – it’s cool, modern and has all the gadgets he needs.

MUST HAVE: Sneaker Balls, £11, from Amazon

What comes with a teenage bedroom? Unwanted odours from discarded footwear. Sneaker balls shoe deodorizer and freshener balls are a stroke of genius – perfect for shoes, gym bags and cupboards. The balls feature quick-twist action, which opens the vents that release a specially formulated fresh and clean scent and the scent lasts up to six months depending on how often they are used.

TOP TIP: Teenagers don’t clean, mainly, so I regularly go in with the steam cleaner. It’s a hand-held one, ideal for the mattress and a simple chemical-free way of deodorising, sanitising and killing dust mites. After steaming the mattress I leave it to dry, then sprinkle a topical detergent of baking soda all over the top and vacuum it up after one hour, If it's possible, once I have washed the duvet and pillowcases I hand them out on the washing line to get that fresh air smell you just can't beat.