From a boy’s bedroom into a teen’s room

Charlie will soon be 13 years old and doesn’t want a little boy’s bedroom any longer. He’s too grown up to play with toys any more. He likes to hang out with friends and play computer games. He’s also become more interested in clothes, which means good storage space is essential. Charlie and his mum Jannice, who runs an Instagram account called Addsimplicity, together figured out what was needed and created a teen room with a more efficient storage system that makes it easy to see items at a glance.

This is where we live!

Jannice Wistrand is a Feng Shui consultant and certified interior designer. She is the founder of the consultancy firm Add Simplicity and her blog Simplicity is one of the leading interior design blogs in the Nordics.

She and her husband and two children live in an eighteenth-century house in the fishing village of Råå, just outside of Helsingborg.

Time for a change

Why did Charlie’s room get a makeover?

– It began when we decided to install new flooring in all the upstairs rooms. Apart from the walls, nothing had been done since 2011 when we moved in. His room already had a wardrobe then, with storage space and brass mirrored doors. Aiming for a fresh, modern look, we removed the mirrored doors and hung a curtain instead to create a softer aesthetic and make it more of a child’s room. That was 13 years ago.

Improved storage options

– While renovating the upstairs of our home last autumn, we decided to tackle the storage challenge too. The space needed to be better planned and transformed to create room for Charlie’s clothes and desk, and provide the storage solutions a teenage boy needs.

– He has become interested in clothes and is pleased to have such a nicely organised unit for them and his other belongings.

Layout image from Elfa’s planning tool. Charlie’s storage solution has been visualised in graphite grey.

Space for clothes, games and hanging out with friends

What are Charlie’s needs, wishes and interests?

– Charlie wanted a wardrobe that would look good and be easy to keep neat and tidy. He needed desk space too. Since he’s not one for clutter, he only required space for his clothes, books, desk items, football stuff and trophies. Charlie’s interests are football, handball, reading books, playing PS5 and clothes.

How is Charlie’s room used?

– Charlie’s friends often come visit and stay over. They like playing PS5 together and just chilling out in his room. They have space there for gaming and the bed doubles as a sofa. Enough room on the floor for mattresses when friends sleep over and a desk area where they sit and swap football cards and plan FIFA tournaments.

Organising the room

How did you plan the room layout?

– I asked him if we could make a gaming area and hang the TV on one side of the room. And set up a desk area inside the wardrobe, where he used to have his TV. That would create seating space for several friends. He liked the idea so we went with that.

– He also wanted to create a more grown-up feel with no “childish” things in the room. So we sorted through all the drawers and boxes properly and took out everything that wasn’t going back into his room. We created a memory box of special items that Charlie wanted to save, and the rest were things to keep because he uses them. Next we made space for relaxing with friends.

– The last step was setting up the storage and desk area along the wall where he does his homework, keeps his clothes and, most important, has a charging station for all his electronic equipment. There is a lovely cosy feel to it, we think. The ceiling is painted in the same colour as the walls. We went for a greyish-blue, beige, black and brass colour scheme.

“He loves it”

What does Charlie think of his room now after a few weeks?

– He loves it. Spends a lot of time in his room. It has been fun to hear the complimentary things his friends have said about it too. Best of all (or so his mum thinks) is that he keeps everything neat and tidy and folds his clothes up. Keeping the room tidy is fun now that it’s easy.

– All that’s left now is a football picture. The room has a lot of sloping walls, so there isn’t a great deal of space for pictures. So it is going to be a large and really beautiful picture, which Charlie is in the process of choosing now and will be made by a photo artist.

Keeping the wardrobe tidy and organised: what is Charlie’s recipe for success?

It is easier than ever before. Everything has its own place and there is even some space for new items of clothing. It feels good to know that what’s there gets used and is easy to keep organised. Whereas in the past everything had to be crammed in. For that reason, it was easy to simply dump stuff on a chair. Now he actually enjoys keeping his room looking spick and span. All he has to do is make the bed in the morning, so that after school he and his friends come back to an orderly, clutter-free room. A cosy space where they can hang out and relax.

Clothes storage tips

Jannice’s top five tips:

Sit down together to analyse what your child needs from their room. What do they need? Storage space, homework station, chilling with friends, etc. Ask them how they want their room to feel and what colours they like.
Then make a mood board that reflects the look your child wants and select a palette and the furniture for the room. Show your child the mood board and talk about it.
Sort through things together. I explained the importance of keeping a room organised. This is a big investment in time and money that we’re making in your room. In return, you sort out what you don’t want or no longer need. For example, toys that you’ve grown out of. Creating a room that you are happy with is about surrounding yourself with things you like. Sorting through thing together can be a pleasurable experience because you’re looking at drawings, pictures and reliving memories. It took an entire day. But it was worth every moment. At the end of the day, reward yourselves with a tasty treat for all your hard work.
Make a memory box. One box that should never become more than just one box. Decide together with your child what goes into their memory box. Do we need 10 scribble drawings from when they were 1 year old? The answer is no. One is probably enough. Involve your child in the decision making. Then when the time comes for your child to leave home, that box of keepsakes is there – holding cherished memories from their childhood.
Help your child set rules for keeping their space organised. The one-minute rule is simple to follow; if a task takes less than a minute to do, do it now. Fold your sweater and put it away, put a book back on the shelf. Easy to remember. Make your bed when you get up in the morning so when you come home later with friends after school, your room looks tidy and is nothing to be ashamed of. Now each item has a space of its own, put things back where they belong. The tidier and more organised your room is, the happier you’ll feel there. And it will be even more fun and inviting for you and your friends to spend time hanging out in your space!

Clothes storage tips