#55 01/04/14

DECORATING A TEENAGER'S BEDROOM

     In the past, the children of the household had very little choice in the way their bedrooms were decorated. The fact that families had many more children than they do now was an important consideration. this meant that there was not much money available to pay for more than the basics - paint or wallpaper. Add to this the fact that children of differing ages - and tastes - had to share a room and it is easy to see why, when it came to decorating, not much thought was put into the job.

    Times change, however, and now the amount spent on home decorating and DIY is estimated at over $8 billion a year. Families have acquired greater spending power  and children have more of a voice; in other words, parents have to take notice of  what they want. What has become very clear is that most teenagers are aware of the latest trends and they really do have a very good idea of the way they want their personla space decorated. It is then up to their parents to help them achieve the look they want.

    Money is still going to be a consideration - unless of course, you have recently come into a fortune. But there is a wide range of materials to choose from and it really does pay to shop around. There are bargains available throughout the year, so it can be done quite economically. Parents may argue that their child's choices are not appropriate, but it is the teenager who has to live with it, not them. After all, if the teenager goes for a colour or a material that the parent considers impractical, this can always be discussed.