Gone are the days where you could just go out and buy your kid a bedding set and say “Here, I’ve redecorated your room.” Nowadays, you had better have some time stored up along with a few dollars to get that project even halfway done.

Here are some teenage bedroom decorating ideas that will surely leave your young adult singing your praises for a while (that is until you have to ground them again!)

Let Them Pick the Accessories

Teenagers are fickle creatures. When it makes sense to put a poster on the wall, they want to leave it blank. When there’s too much stuff in the room, they‘re right at home. If you try to force your logic on them when it comes to decorating their bedrooms, I promise you, you will lose, even if you’re right.

When it comes to accessories, including bedding, wall art, rugs and “dresser junk”, let them select what they want. Give them the budget and step aside. You may be surprised at what your teen likes. Just be sure to lay some ground rules, like no Playboy pinups or Hott Firemen calendars!

Get Rid of the Bed

I know. That sounds silly right? But there are some pretty cool looking futons that your teen would die to have! This is one of those teenage bedroom decorating ideas that always gets the second look. Here’s the logic behind it. Teens want their bedrooms to be a place to hang out, not sleep. They want style, functionality and grooviness (well, I don’t quite think they actually call it that anymore, but you get the point)

Create A few Custom Pieces

Working with your teen on a custom bedroom piece is sure to be a Kodak moment! Help them paint the dresser in that creepy green color that you absolutely despise. You could also use paint and wood blocks to make some super cool wall art. This part just requires creativity, but adds some sentimental value to your teen’s new space.

Pack Plenty of Patience

You may go through several teenage bedroom decorating ideas before you find the style that your teen agrees on. Don’t stop looking and introducing them to new ideas. This means that you have to be actively looking as well.

Once you find a basic style that they can live with, the hard part is over. Now, all there is to do is buy stuff to make it pop. So, are you ready to tackle your teens bedroom?

What’s that?

Yes. You will definitely need the Scotch!