Building Your Future … With Teenagers!

If you fall into a certain age bracket, you may remember having to share a bedroom with your siblings.  There was usually an imaginary (or masking tape) line drawn down the middle of the room with clear instructions not to “step onto my side” as well as ongoing disputes about how and when to access the wardrobe or doorway on common property.  These days, most families design their new homes with their growing family in mind.  For many teenagers, their bedroom becomes their ‘home within their home’ and usually the place where weeks worth of plates and cups can be found if you dare to enter.  So, what do you need to consider when it comes to designing bedrooms for teenagers?

Size is usually the number one concern when designing minor bedrooms.  A general rule of thumb is to have at least 1m clearance around both sides and the end of the bed with the built in robes added on.  For a single bed, this would mean dimensions of approximately 3m wide by 3m long.  You could get away with less width if you pushed the bed up against a wall.  For a queen size bedroom, you would be looking at approximately 3.5m wide by 3m deep.  Keep in mind that these dimensions allow for the bed and walking space only.  There would be no room for shelving, study spaces, dirty clothes on the floor etc and you may find your teenager coming out of their room and into the main house.

Location is the other consideration.  Do you want your teenagers to have their own ‘wing’ of the house?  Maybe a rumpus or activity room where they can hang out with their friends. On the other hand, making the kitchen the hub of the house, where your teenagers have to walk past to get to their bedrooms, may be a way of ensuring that you at least see them when they are hungry!

If you plan in staying in your new home throughout the teenage years, their comfort, as well as yours, is well worth planning for!