Recently, my article got published in the UNIVERSITY ISSUE magazine. The article is given below, you can also go onto the university issue page and read it- http://issuu.com/karstarkprasad/docs/10th_edition
TEENAGER'S
DEN
Designing an adolescent's room can be a challenging task, because of their
change in behavior and identity. A teenager's room is their getaway to
study, think, dream, relax, spend time friends, and just be themselves;
therefore, its interiors must be selected by the teen himself.
GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT-
Selecting the right wall covering, flooring, and ceiling color is extremely
important, as these make up the 4 walls of any room. The range of wall
coverings available today is unimaginable, but necessary for the choosy teen.
Wallpapers, paints, fabric, murals and soft metal are some of the many choices
in the market today. Every teenagers room must have a
theme, be it contemporary, classic, rustic, country, floral, music,
or even recently seen food-theme. Do not leave an opportunity to experiment
with colors too.
The flooring on the other hand, must be warm, comfortable, durable and
relaxing and this can be achieved by using high pile and tightly looped
carpets, or shaggy carpets, or hard flooring like vinyl/wood, preferably the
carpet must be wall to wall leaving a 6" border all around.
In a rare scenario, if the 4 walls of the room are subtle, the designer has
luck of experimenting with the ceiling, with either a skylight which would make
the room look perfectly aesthetic, or a loud color/wallpaper ceiling.
FURNITURE AND FURNISHINGS-
The furniture selected must be-
-MULTI FUNCTIONAL.
-In tune with the theme of the room.
-Modular instead of built-in to provide flexibility of movement.
-Furniture with storage.
-Large and well-divided wardrobes.
-Constructed with good and durable quality wood, DuPont, metal or plastic.
-The bed in a teenager’s room is usually preferred to be lower in height
than usual; its height ranges from 10’-1’3”.
Space, often becomes a nerve-wrecking issue in a teenagers bedroom, when the
endless comments about lack of storage for books, stationary, collections and
shoes do not stop. Modular multi functional furniture like beds with storage below,
a study table with a hidden shoe rack or a bucket chair with book shelves can
solve the problem of space and still look classy.
ILLUMINATION-
Lighting in a teenager’s room must be in the form of;
-Natural lighting through windows, skylights.
-Task lighting is used for activities which require detailed attention; this
can be in the form of table lamps, floor lamps, and focus lights.
- Ambient lighting is for basic illumination through wall scones, recessed
lights, and, pendant lights.
-Accent lighting is used to highlight favorite spots in the room, like an
armchair for reading, or a mural on a wall.
LED lights are usually preferred today, although CFL are common too.
FOCAL POINT-
Every
teenager’s room must have a focal point, or a space which is very dear to them.
This not only gives a sense of belonging, but also gives an impression of a
complete look. This focal point could be a guitar on the wall, a mural of a
favorite sportsperson, a full height, wide mirror, a shoe-wall for the
shoe-lover, or even a full height book-shelf. This focal point describes the
teenager’s personality and should be of his desire.
Therefore,
the next time you’re designing your teenager’s room, or your own room, keep
these pointers in mind.
Image
courtesy-Class Canada House
