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5 Teen and Tween Girls' Rooms With Fresh-Faced Style

Youthful and light, these girls' bedrooms show an age-appropriate mix of playful spirit and design-savvy sophistication

Houzz November 8, 2012

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In a sage moment, a prebreakdown, pre–X Factor judge Britney Spears sang about no longer being a girl but not yet being a woman. This between-worlds dilemma extends itself into the design world, where tween and teen girls often want to leave behind childhood tokens while yearning for a more sophisticated taste.

Interior designer Jane Hamilton says it's not about letting girls this age have too much of a grown-up, adult room. "It's about taking the time to understand what's important to them and listening to how they feel, asking them what accessories and colors and prints they want to surround themselves with and then going from there," she says.

Parents may not always understand their tween and teen girls, but the rooms below show that when they work together as a team, designers, parents and young clients can do a great job showcasing a young person's unique taste.

Katie Rosenfeld Design

This college-bound teen asked designer Katie Rosenfeld for a soothing environment. "She needed a place where she could decompress. Simplicity and no clutter were a priority for her, so the room had to make her feel relaxed after a long day of academics and athletics," says Rosenfeld.

Yellow floral wallpaper, an Oriental rug, twin beds and a cement-block bookcase had given the room a hodgepodge feel. Now the chesterfield sofa, a four-poster bed and an overstuffed Lee Industries bench, together with accents from Lee Jofa, Sister Parish and Serena & Lily, mix traditional forms with a fresh, young palette of color and pattern.

Katie Rosenfeld Design

"I loved working with this young lady," Rosenfeld says. "She gave me full input, and there was minimal intervention from the parents."

Bed, nightstands: Somerset Bay; sofa: Century Furniture; bench: Lee Industries; Biedermeier chair: client's own; carpet: Stark Carpet

Ana Donohue Interiors

Fashion, sewing and photography rule this tween girl's world. "I worked closely with the young client and her mother for this room," says designer Ana Donohue. "The teen is quite the creative but was on the shy side, so it was nice to have her mom there as the bridge of communication."

An accent wall in Sherwin-Williams' Eros Pink creates a sweet-as-candy association and adds more punch and energy to the room. "Clients request this color all the time," says Donohue. "It's popular across all ages."

The designer paired subdued grays with the splashier pinks for contrast. A womb-like swivel chair sits in the corner, perfect for journal writing and hours perusing fashion magazines.

In the same house, the previous client's tween sister got a fresh update for her room before her bat mitzvah. Sherwin-Williams' Cooled Blue gives the space a relaxed vibe. "She preferred blues, blacks and grays. Pops of magenta and pink show up in the accessories, but not in the same way as in her sister's room — which makes sense, since they have completely different personalities," says Donohue.

Chair, lamp, throw pillows: Ikea; zebra rug: Overstock; drapery fabric: Kravet; duvet fabric: Duralee

JAC Interiors

Schumacher's Birds and Butterflies wallpaper adds plenty of whimsy and movement to this teen girl's room. "The space was a collaboration between the young lady, her mom and me," says designer Jane Hamilton.

A chic tufted headboard with white piping takes the twin bed from girly to sophisticated teen, and a faux sheepskin rug has a luxurious, touchable quality.

JAC Interiors

A fuchsia pouf from Shabby Chic brings out a rosebud's pink hue, and a potted plant on the bedside table mimics the wallpaper's foliage.

JAC Interiors

Hamilton's design studio mixed her signature blue paint for a different teen girl's bedroom. "It's where she stays when she's at her dad's," Hamilton says. "She wanted a beachy style, and I think the blue really brings out the carefree coastal look she was going for."

JAC Interiors

A white maple dresser from Room & Board throws the new-traditional room a modern touch. The piece is built to last well into the young client's adult years.

JAC Interiors

Hamilton updated a vintage wingback chair and paired it with a white pouf, creating a cozy reading nook in one corner of the room.

JAC Interiors

A parson's desk and Tulip Chair lend a cool, modern touch to the teen's homework area, and a custom raffia bulletin board adds an organic feel.

"My young client loves this cool blue room. I think it makes her feel more understood," says Hamilton.

More:
Teens' Rooms: The Haven Grows Up

Design Ideas for a Teen Boy's Room