How to Decorate a Modern Room for a Teen Girl

If your daughter is outgrowing the pink walls, lace curtains, flowers, butterflies and fairies that currently decorate her room, then it's probably time for a modern update for your teen girl. While individual style, color choices and preferences may vary, there are some basic guidelines you can follow to decorate a fabulous, up-to-date room for your young lady.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Work from top to bottom. Start with the ceiling of your teen's room, which is often the most overlooked "wall" in a space. Choose a color that coordinates with the walls in a high gloss or even metallic finish for added drama.

2. Paint the walls. This is perhaps the most important step in decorating a modern teenager's room, even though it follows the ceiling, because it provides the backdrop and mood for the whole room. Go with the teen's favorite bold colors and don't be afraid to mix it up by painting each wall a different color, giving the room that eclectic, modern feel.

3. Choose an original headboard. Since the focal point of any girl's room is the bed, her headboard needs to be eye-catching and fun. To keep the look modern, skip the four-posters and pick something with clean lines, creating your own and adorning it with funky fabric or paint if you can't find the one you want in stores.

4. Add other furnishings. A modern teen girl's room needs a decent workspace where she can do homework and use her computer. In addition, a dresser or armoire and a bedside table are necessities. Again, stick with clean lines, maybe some Lucite toppers and definitely nothing ornate.

5. Decorate with bedding and window treatments. The fabrics you choose to decorate the room should be durable but also coordinate with the paint colors and each other. Teen girls love glamour, so splurge a bit on fun patterns in gauzy sheers or rich velvet.

6. Provide storage solutions. Gone are the wicker baskets, tubs and toy chests; in their places are colorful storage bins and drawers on rollers. They come in a variety of sizes and the chrome gives the units a modern edge.

7. Accessorize with your teen's needs in mind. This last step is the most fun because it involves a lot of shopping for cool stuff like mirrors, bulletin boards, lamps, chairs, area rugs, throw pillows, artwork and maybe a candle or two. Here's where you can make a huge modern impact by choosing bold colors and silver or chrome finishes, steering clear of warm woods and floral patterns.