How to Style a Teen Bedroom, According to Designers (2025)

In creating an Old Hollywood, nostalgia-themed bedroom, interior designer and founder of Button Atelier, Brittny Button, points to one overarching goal: to create Bohemian, feminine fragility. Button recommends splashes of pink and green throughout the room’s color palette. “Providing guard rails with design and styling is one way to make sure the end result feels cohesive with the rest of the house,” she adds.

Simple, solid bedding adds softness to the space and avoids competing with the rest of the decor. “Choosing a muted mint duvet cover with tassel detailing allows for a bohemian and youthful feeling,” says Button. White sheets are classic, and they effortlessly elevate a teen room. A growing teen needs a bigger bed, and Button opted to include a queen-sized bed in the soft, glamorous space pictured above. She chose a memory foam hybrid mattress, which blends classic innerspring design with contouring foam for proper spinal alignment.

“The aim was to foster a kind of intimacy within the space,” says Button, who took natural light into consideration when choosing the rattan headboard, which allows light to pass through. She chose elegant wall sconces to serve as bedside lamps and sheer curtains to allow more of that natural light to shine through. She also chose a floral-inspired textured fan with a pendant for overhead lighting.

To achieve the glamorous, Old Hollywood aesthetic, keep the furniture light and breezy. “I picked a rattan headboard, as it lends a kind of fragility to the space,” says Button. Poufs at the foot of the bed can allow for extra seating, and they can easily be moved around the space when friends come over to hang out. Glass and gold nightstands add a luxe touch without taking up a lot of visual space, and a retro rotary phone can offer a nostalgic finishing touch.

Sports-Inspired

Design: Jenny Slingerland; Photo: John Woodcock

Calling all football lovers: It is possible to design a space that is inspired by a teen’s love for sports while the room grows right alongside them. “We chose black walls and a neutral color palette to keep things timeless, then incorporated his love of the game through artwork and decor,” says Jenny Slingerland, interior designer and founder of Black Ink Interiors, of the space she styled. When thinking through this design style in your home, she recommends playing with accent colors and accessories to reflect the teen’s personal style, while rooting the foundation of the room to complement the rest of the home’s decor style.

Classic bedding with colorful accents in the spirit of a favorite team is far more mature and understated than themed bedding, which might make a room skew younger. For teens who are heavily involved in athletics, a mattress that provides adequate recovery is key. Look for a mattress that supports your teen’s preferred sleep position—like side sleeping—and provides plenty of support.

Furniture often long outlives your teen’s tastes and interests, so Slingerland recommends investing in foundational pieces that can grow along with them. She opted for natural wood finishes and a neutral upholstered bed frame that suit just about any color palette for when your teen inevitably wants to switch things up.

Decor is the one place a teen can truly express their personal style, favorite sports team, or current interests, so make it fun and personal. “Look for ways to layer in their hobbies and preferences through things like artwork, accessories, and bedding,” says Slingerland. Plus, add a bedside lamp to help them relax and wind down as well as a desk lamp for late-night studying. These types of decor items are inexpensive to change out when the time comes, too.

Moody and Refined

Interior Design | YDC DesignDesign: Rose Praino, YDC Design; Photo: Mike Van Tassell