The bedroom of Stephanie Leake, a home-schooled 17-year-old in west Little Rock, couldn't be more different from the persistent image of a stereotypical teenager's bedroom.
The image: A mass of cluttered chaos consisting of carelessly strewn clothes, half-eaten pizza and haphazardly hung pop-star posters surrounding something that might be a bed.
Leake's reality: A sophisticated but playful space, an expansive gabled area where a bold combination of orange and pink is accented with touches of green. Floral, paisley and geometric patterns are juxtaposed with rugs in solid colors. Mirrored touches -- an initial on the wall, a jewelry armoire -- literally reflect it all. Pale blue walls, white furniture and white sheer window treatments complete the space that includes a five-piece sitting area, a makeup table ... and a walk-in closet that serves as her office.
Pine Cone Hill bedding -- featuring a multicolored, reversible quilt, floral on one side and striped on the other -- was the inspiration for the room's color scheme and feel. "Pink is probably my favorite color," Leake says. She has always had pink in her room in some form or fashion, but it's the "brightest and most cohesive now."
Family friend Jana Hunter of Jana Hunter Interiors was the force behind Leake's first professionally done room. "We were in the process of changing my room for a while," Leake says. "My mom and I both love decorating here and there, but we're not professionals. So we thought it'd be great to have someone [who] knew my personality and could really bring that to life in my room."
It's personal
Teens these days are more interested in how their spaces look, and want their rooms to reflect their
personalities, say several Arkansas home interior professionals.
"In today's world, where we're bombarded by social media and the prevalence of the celebrity lifestyle, teenagers are more aware of what's available and want it for themselves," says designer Sandy Sutton of Hot Springs.
"Also, friendly competition ... has made teens more aware of how to push the design limits. Their rooms are as much of a fashion statement as their wardrobe."
Shayla Copas, of Shayla Copas Interiors in Little Rock, agrees. "Teens are becoming more involved than ever in their spaces," she says. And they're "very open to fun and innovative ideas."
The difference between teen bedrooms and adult bedrooms lies in the function. Copas says teen rooms are not as structured. Adolescents, she says, "are open to fun and innovative ideas and love to explore with pattern and color."
While adult bedrooms are decorated more like sanctuaries or oases, teen bedrooms tend to display more personal items, highlighting activities, interests or accomplishments. "A teen's room is their life. It's where they live, work and play," Sutton says.
She cites the "glamorous, celebrity style" room she did for 13-year-old Bailey Gibson of Hot Springs. Bailey just completed seventh grade at Lakeside Middle School. The room's color scheme is black, white and gold, with a canopied bed as its focal point. An accent wall is covered in York wall covering; and there are touches of vintage as well as whimsy -- including a wall-mounted unicorn head and three-dimensional star bursts. In Bailey's work area is a white lacquered desk with a faux fur-covered chair.
Bailey loves to sing. "I love being onstage, and so my room has that glamorous look to it -- because when you're up on stage you've got to be glamorous," she says. "That's what I went for, not ... the pop-star kind of thing."
With Leake, the theme is golf. A golfer who has excelled at a number of youth tournaments, Leake keeps her trophies and other golf mementos in her office area and atop a large white armoire in the main room. Leake is also a beauty and health blogger who posts videos. She wanted a space that would provide "a cool background" to film these videos, she says.
'Big girl' room
Copas' client, Tori McDuffie, loves shopping and fashion. "We used high-fashion books in the room," showcasing such design icons as Jimmy Choo and Chanel, Copas says.
McDuffie recently turned 17, and will be a junior in the fall at Little Rock Christian Academy. This is the first time she has had a space designed for her. The room is reminiscent of an elegant silver-screen actress. Its focal color is coral, one of McDuffie's favorites, accented with a tranquil sky blue. Walls bear a subtle, yet dramatic, textured damask covering with architectural design. Here, as in Leake's room, can be found white furniture as well as mirrored pieces ... there's even a mirrored Chanel lamp. McDuffie says she "wanted a 'big girl' room" for her birthday.
Not surprisingly, teenage girls' bedroom decor preferences differ from those of teenage boys, these experts say.
Teen girls go for what's trending ... and go for color, such as black/white combinations; gold as well as mixed metals and other elements of sparkle; and big, bold patterns on upholstered pieces and pillows. Boys are more low-key and "tend to be more minimalistic and gravitate toward neutral colors," Hunter says.
But these are teenagers, after all. Surely, even the most well-appointed teenager's room could become a casualty of a hectic, carefree lifestyle.
Right? Not for teens like Bailey. "I try to keep my room very clean and have great storage in it," she says. "Everything has its place, so it doesn't need to be messy."
Hunter says she encourages her young clients "to not only take ownership of their space, but to take pride in their space as well."
HomeStyle on 07/04/2015