11 Before and After Teen Room Makeovers

By
Laura Mueller
Laura Mueller and Reggie
Laura Mueller
Laura Mueller is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience. She covers lifestyle for The Spruce and has also written for The Muse, Moving.com, and Huffington Post.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 10/09/20
White-themed bedroom

Cavan Images / Getty Images

As kids turn into teens, they tend to outgrow their rooms just as quickly as they outgrow their clothes. But as these savvy bloggers show us, some creativity is all that you need to turn a kid space into a teen space—and some good DIY skills.

If your teen is feeling too old for their room, get inspired for a makeover with these impressive before and after teen room transformations. 

  • 01 of 22

    Before: Basic Basement

    Cluttered basement with tv and couch

    Home With Keki

    When Keki Cannon of Home With Keki decided to update her basement as part of the One Room Challenge, she knew that she wanted to include a designated area where her teens could hang out and relax. 

  • 02 of 22

    After: Epic Hangout Space

    Teen hangout space in basement with bean bag chairs and green walls.

    Home With Keki

    Six weeks and lots of green paint later, Cannon's teens have a space that’s all theirs for hanging out, watching TV, and relaxing with their friends. She included some basic hockey-inspired decor to align the pace with her kids’ interests—plus an homage to her alma mater, where her growing teens will soon be heading. 

  • 03 of 22

    Before: Fun Play Room

    Little girl's room with lofted bed with quilt on it and lots of toys and pillows.

    We Are Scout

    Lisa Tilse of We Are Scout says her daughter Roxy’s tastes changed pretty dramatically over the course of a year—and that her bedroom was no longer a good fit as a result. 

  • 04 of 22

    After: Comfy Teen Retreat

    Teen girl's bed with lots of colorful pillows and banana print on the wall.

    We Are Scout

    Roxy wanted her new room to be “grown up but still cool,” and Tilse did a great job achieving that. We love the artsy, visually-inviting touches throughout the space, especially that textured headboard and the banana print above her daughter's new double bed. 

    Continue to 5 of 22 below.
  • 05 of 22

    Before: Pretty and Pink

    Girl's bedroom with pink walls and floral bedspread on twin bed.

    Tidbits&Twine

    Over at Tidbits&Twine, mom Kim Morgan knew it was time to give her tween daughter’s bedroom a new, more teen-appropriate look. 

  • 06 of 22

    After: All Grown Up

    Teen girl's room with gold polka dot decals on white walls, double bed, and built-in desk and storage around window.

    Tidbits&Twine

    Morgan's daughter isn’t afraid of bold, modern, or glamorous design, and that’s clear in her room transformation. The changes to the room were both style-oriented (new wall paint, new bedding, and a more contemporary headboard) as well as functional (tons of built-in storage and a desk area for homework and art), all coming together for a room that’s as stylish as it teen-friendly. 

  • 07 of 22

    Before: Plain and Basic

    Boy's bedroom with white walls and twin bed on the floor.

    The Merrythought

    Manda and Caitlin McGrath are relatives (Manda is Caitlin’s step-mom), DIY designers, and founders of lifestyle blog The Merrythought, where they shared an impressive makeover of Manda’s son Lincoln’s bedroom. 

  • 08 of 22

    After: Modern and Bold

    Teen boy's bedroom with geometrically paneled wall i dark green and rustic farmhouse touches.

    The Merrythought

    Her son's new bedroom is officially cool enough for a teen, with an eye-catching paneled wall and modern fixtures throughout that lend a totally updated look to the space. Lots of the details were DIY-ed for a simple, cost-effective, and slightly rustic result that we’re sure any teen would love.  

    Continue to 9 of 22 below.
  • 09 of 22

    Before: Dark and Dated

    Empty bedroom with brown carpet and gray walls.

    Wildflower Home

    Marynn Udvarhelyi of the Wildflower Home had big plans for her daughter Hannah’s bedroom, which included getting rid of its dark gray walls. 

  • 10 of 22

    After: Timeless and Cozy

    Teen girl's bedroom with white paneled walls and double bed with wine red headboard.

    Wildflower Home

    Udvarhelyi made sure that everything in this new room was tailored to her daughter's personality and interests, from the paneled walls inspired by much-loved family vacations to Monterey to a desk in front of the window so she had inspiration (and lots of natural light) for working on her art. The end result is a room that’s completely timeless while celebrating the best parts of her teenage years. 

  • 11 of 22

    Before: Little Kid

    Little girl's bedroom with purple and green walls

    Studio36 Interiors

    DIY interior designer Stephanie Handley, who runs Studio36 Interiors, was finally ready to tackle her daughter’s bedroom, which was no longer a good fit for her evolving interests and tastes. 

  • 12 of 22

    After: Little Adult

    Teen girl's bedroom with chandelier, white walls, and white double bed.

    Studio36 Interiors

    Can you believe it’s the same room? No detail was overlooked in this teen room transformation, which includes some fun chalkboard wall-panels and a super glam chandelier. Handley goal was to create “a more mature look that mixed formal traditional and casual modern elements,” and we think she made it happen in spades. 

    Continue to 13 of 22 below.
  • 13 of 22

    Before: Bare Walls

    Girl's bedroom with bare walls

    Made By Carli

    Carli Alves, founder of Made By Carli, had just 12 days to make over this basic bedroom while her teen daughter was away. 

  • 14 of 22

    After: Beautiful Refresh

    Teen girl's room with white walls and lots of family pictures in frames.

    Made By Carli

    This pretty bedroom is teen-friendly and super sophisticated, with tons of tasteful touches that elevate the space while keeping it special and unique. Some of Alves' smart DIYs include using lots of gold duct tape for surprise metallic accents, plus putting sentimental details—like family photos and mementos from grandparents—front and center. 

  • 15 of 22

    Before: Color Contrast

    Boy's bedroom with red stripe around wall.

    Simply 2 Moms

    AnnMarie and Anne of Simply 2 Moms share a love of DIY design. So when it came time to update one of their son’s bedrooms, they knew they were up for the challenge. 

  • 16 of 22

    After: Nice and Neutral

    Teen boy's bedroom with neutral light gray walls and double bed with striped bedding.

    Simply 2 Moms

    There’s nothing wrong with bold color, but this teen had outgrown his affinity for red and was looking for a more mature space. Neutral walls helped bring the space up to date, as did lots of interesting farmhouse touches that provide visual interest without completely overtaking the room. 

    Continue to 17 of 22 below.
  • 17 of 22

    Before: “Boy Cave”

    Teen boy's messy study area in bedroom.

    The Navage Patch

    Handan and Greg Navage of The Navage Patch thought the living area of their son Barish’s room was too dark, cluttered, and impractical for his needs.

  • 18 of 22

    After: Man Made

    Teen boy's bedroom with study area

    The Navage Patch

    Who wouldn’t want to hang out in this updated space, which features a much lighter and brighter color palette and everything a teen boy would want in his personal space—including a big screen TV that’s perfect for relaxing with friends and playing video games. The couple made some functional changes, too, such as adding in more storage and giving their son a more centered desk space for taking on all that high school homework. 

  • 19 of 22

    Before: Too Dark

    Teen girl's dark basement bedroom with red brick wall.

    Tatertots & Jello

    Because her daughter Hannah’s room is in the basement, Jen Hadfield of the blog Tatertots & Jello needed to ensure her makeover made up for the limited light in the space. 

  • 20 of 22

    After: Bright and Cheery

    Teen girl's bedroom with white brick walls and stringlights over bed.

    Tatertots & Jello

    The focal point of her daughter's room is that brick wall, which Hadfield painted white to create an illusion of way more light in the space. Adding in some string lights made the room instantly more welcoming, as did plenty of personal touches like family photos turned into throw pillows and lots of pictures of the family dogs. 

    Continue to 21 of 22 below.
  • 21 of 22

    Before: Wallpaper Woes

    Girl's bedroom with muted pink wallpaper and white bedding.

    A Pretty Happy Home

    The fading wallpaper in Annisa Jones’ teen daughter’s bedroom wasn’t quite the right fit anymore, so Jones, who is the founder of A Pretty Happy Home, set out for a dramatic change. 

  • 22 of 22

    After: Vintage Charm

    Teen girl's vintage bedroom with white wall panels and wood furniture.

    A Pretty Happy Home

    The wallpaper may be gone, but Jones maintained (and enhanced) the unique vintage feel of her daughter’s room, going with neutral tones and natural textures to create a styled look that also looks super homey. It’s a great fit in their colonial farmhouse home—built in the 1780s—and most of the changes were DIYed or thrifted for a luxury look on a budget.