Bedroom Furniture For Pre-Teens & Teens

What They Need

• A pre-teen or teen's bedroom needs certain furniture pieces to make it comfortable, especially if she does homework there. Besides a bed, items that make a bedroom more livable include a desk and chair, night stand, bookshelf and dresser.

  If you can get a complete set where everything matches, it brings the room together in an aesthetically pleasing way, but you can also design a room with nonmatching pieces for more of an eclectic feel.

  Children this age are probably ready for full-size or queen-size beds, but other options include a captain's bed, bunk beds or daybeds if you need to conserve space. Because a captain's bed includes drawer storage beneath it, you may be able to store clothing there instead of dresser drawers if the room is small.

  Optional furniture pieces you may consider include entertainment centers, armoires and computer desks.

Good Quality Pieces

• You may want to give this bedroom furniture to your child once she leaves for college or her first place. If the furniture is intended to last a while, you need to buy the best quality pieces you can afford. Cheap furniture may fall apart within a couple of years, so it's worth the investment if you know you'll hand the furniture down in several years.

Color and Accessories

• Wood is a popular choice of material for bedroom furniture, for everything from bookshelves to wardrobes. You can choose from light or white painted wood, or go for darker colors. Light colors will make the room look bigger, while dark colors make the room appear smaller. Also, keep the wall color in mind when choosing bedroom furniture; you don't want the colors to clash.

  Besides basic furniture, include accessories like beanbag chairs for extra seating, pillows for decor, lamps and rugs. Let your child help with decorating ideas and include some of his favorite colors on these accessories. It helps make the room feel more like his.