Room Tour: An Inspiring Bedroom for a Tween

About the Author

Nadia Hasan is an aspiring writer and an introvert by nature.  She is often found buried inside a book, because quite frankly, books can take you places! She loves to bake, but needs to cook wholesome meals every day, because apparently her family cannot thrive on cupcakes alone. Parenting a tween daughter and teen son is what keeps her going and guessing. She strives to raise her children with a love of reading and a heart filled with kindness.

Nadia is currently an expat in Doha, Qatar and you can follow her on Instagram.

She blogs flash fiction, book reviews and other personal reflections on her blog at https://anintrovertedblogger.com/

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Room Tour: Holding Her Head High

As my daughter moves from her tween into her teenage years, she is spending more time in her room. It is often because she has homework, or when her friends come over, and sometimes she just wants to relax by herself away from her brother! With that in mind, I wanted to create a space for her that was inspirational and comforting. If she picked up a book, it would uplift her. If she wanted to reminisce, she had pictures of her friends and family from around the world. When she felt down after the results of a race, she could look at how far she has come. Most importantly, it would be her space.

Room Inspiration: Books! 

Everything in this inspiring room is centered around books. Whether it is the artwork on the wall, or the quotes on canvas – it is taken from books my daughter has read or authors she admires. Often, those inspirational figures are women making a difference in this world!

The focal point of the room are the bookshelves. They are moderately high and are placed in an L-shape for added visual impact. The bookcase also holds some pictures, plants, and other small accessories to break the straight lines and add a personal touch. These books are treasured by her, and she will often pick a book she has read and reread her favorite parts. I am keen to impart the love of reading in her, and she has taken it up quite beautifully.

Inspirational Wall Art

The main ledge displays pictures of women in history. My daughter picked them out herself from one of the books she read. She was most inspired by their lives and stories. This was entirely a DIY project. I got the white frames from IKEA and took print outs at home of the women along with one of their famous quotes. I placed the ledges on two levels for added visual interest.
The ones she chose were Malala Yousafzai, Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo, Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart and Rosa Parks.

“Feet, what do I need you for, when I have wings to fly” – Frida Kahlo

Functional & Fun 

A room must be functional first. With that in mind, any element that was incorporated had to be practical. My daughter works on her desk for a portion of the time and then moves onto the floor. So, we needed a decent size rug that was somewhat plush. When her friends come over the sofa and rug are very functional and make for a fun hangout. There is enough space for any mattresses if a sleepover is to happen!

A tween girls’ room needs some seating. This sofa is from IKEA and is one of our oldest pieces. If memory serves me right, we probably bought it in 2003! It has travelled with us and is beyond durable. The slip-on cover has been changed a few times and I just added cushions for color and comfort.

Furniture: Restful Sleep & Thoughts Before Bed

The bed that we chose has ample storage with its side drawers. This allows her to keep things organized and clean. Plus, when mom screams to clean the room, the drawers are best for an‘open and shove in everything ’ strategy.  But perhaps the best part of the bed is that little section where she can pull out her diary and write before going to bed. It is right there within her reach. With teens, expressing their feelings is part of the growing up process and writing them out has been a huge help for my daughter. 

Motivation: Desk and Beyond

The desk is one we’ve had for many years. But to keep up with the growing demands of middle school, I have her important notes and schedules up on the magnetic board. She prints out her schedule on the weekend and adds in what she must do for the week. I think one of the biggest challenges of middle school is keeping projects organized and this helps immensely! Truth be told the desk isn’t as clean when it’s being worked on, but I guess that is a good thing.

Above her desk, hangs a canvas that is an excerpt from the letter Gelnnon Doyle Melton wrote to her children. She gave permission for anyone to use it. This letter enforces the need to be kind over cool – one of the many attributes we hope our children will have. This was a DIY project at home. We made the graphic design at home and had it printed on glossy paper. We then took Mod Podge glue and stuck it on the canvas. Inexpensive and yet impactful.

Onwards and Upwards

I think with rooms for tweens and teens, you want something they can grow into. At the same time, it should be functional, inspirational and conducive to studying those long hours! A place for friends to come hang out yet make it a comfortable personal space for the times they want to be alone. 

My daughters’ room, is one with books to read, pictures she loves, a display of her accomplishments, and inspiration all around so she can hold her head high and conquer the world!