How to Make Your Room Look More Grown Up

As you grow up, your surroundings should grow up, too. You can easily transform your room into a more mature space by making some simple tweaks to the room’s color scheme, moving and updating the furniture, and doing a little reorganization. Many modifications can be made on a tight budget, and some of them won’t even cost you a dime.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Updating Color Scheme and Design

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    Choose the right color scheme. Since your color choices for the walls, bed, and curtains are going to create the main vibe of your room, stay away from pastel colors like pink and yellow. Pastels sometimes give the room a "nursery" atmosphere, but can work if used properly.[1] Avoid colors that are very dark or neon.
    • Gender neutral colors to consider are purple, orange and green.[2]
    • Choose contrasting colors that look trendy, youthful and really pop, like rich dark purple with yellow.
    • Bright red also goes great with purple, and so does black.
    • Stick with neutrals if you like to change your color scheme often. This makes it easier to switch your accent colors.
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    Work with the color scheme you have. Instead of a full color revamp, you could instead try playing off the color scheme that's there already. By updating and accenting the current color scheme, you can vastly change the appearance of your room.[3]
    • For instance, if your room currently features a lot of pastel pink, update it by adding accent colors like fuchsia, hot pink and chocolate brown.[4]
    • If your room currently features a lot of pastel blue, update it by adding some royal blue accents and maybe even hunter green.
    • Whatever you end up going with, strive to choose colors that contrast and play off one another.
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    Paint an accent wall. Since you’re going darker with your color theme, paint only a single “accent” wall in your newly chosen shade. Dark paint on all four walls can make your room feel much smaller and more cramped than it is.
    • Streamlining in any way that makes your room look bigger and less cluttered will make it appear more adult.
    • If your parents are reluctant to let you paint your walls, they will be a lot more willing to allow you to paint just one.
    • Make sure that the paint job is done neatly so that everything looks nice and crisp.
    • If you don’t want to paint a wall, then try using peel and stick wall paper, a wall decal or stencil, or a tapestry to accent the wall.
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    Add a pop culture flair.[5] As a teenager, pop culture is around you all the time and you probably have evidence of it all over your room already. Use that to your advantage! For example, if you’re really into music, collect all of your past concert ticket stubs and display them in a mountable case on the wall. Get rid of band posters unless they are nice enough to frame, then get nice frames for them.
    • You could also use a guitar rack to neatly display your instruments, and maybe even put a keyboard somewhere in your room as a final dash of style.
    • Check out your garage for cool items that you can re-purpose and display in your room.
    • Cut out images and advertisements from magazines to accent the colors in your room in a unique way.
    • Display old license plates on the wall for a colorful, masculine touch.
    • Paint, hang, or display old surfboards, sporting equipment, and typewriters for a mature, vintage style.[6]
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    Acquire some adult items. Get nice frames for anything hanging on the wall. If your walls look bare, try buying some art prints and putting them in matching frames. If you don't own a desk or bookshelf and there's enough room, get one or both of them.
    • Add a throw rug that matches your new color scheme. Throw rugs pull the look of a room together and look very adult.
    • Get a plant for your window sill. Choose something low maintenance, like a fern or potted aloe vera plant.[7]
    • Arrange ore adult-like items on bookshelves, such as pictures and trinkets, and eliminate more juvenile items, such as stuffed animals and toys.
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    Choose a comforter and curtains with a mature pattern.[8] Get rid of the teddy bears and firetrucks and go with patterns like bold stripes, simple plaids, or tasteful polka dots.
    • If you aren’t sure what kind of design works best, choose bedding and trimmings that are solid colors.
    • Add a dust ruffle to your bed that matches your new color scheme, which will hide any storage and clutter you might have underneath it.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Modifying the Layout

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    Move or revamp the less mature furniture. For instance, if you have a very childish looking dresser, position it somewhere in the room that hides or deemphasizes it. Consider revamping childish furniture, as well. A new coat of paint in a different color can make a world of difference on even the most insignificant of items.
    • Always get permission before you permanently alter any furniture in your room.
    • If possible, try to get pieces of furniture that match each other or are part of the same set.[9]
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    Create texture and layers.[10] Add vibrant accent rugs and well-constructed bean bag chairs to your floor to provide an additional pop of color and to give the space a little more texture. Stack a few bright throw pillows on your bed and nestle a few into the bean bag chairs.
    • Stack a few warm colored blankets on your bed in the wintertime for a cozy look.
    • Try hanging colored lights (like Christmas tree lights or Chinese lanterns) around a window, your bed or a bookcase. This can add a fun dimension to your room.
    • Fold blankets and place them into a basket for a neat way to store and display them.
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    Make a nice desk or bookcase the focal point of the room. If you have a nice piece of furniture, such as a bookshelf or desk, move them around into the more visible areas of your room. Clean up and organize your desk or bookcase so that it looks its very best. This will give your room a much more mature vibe.
    • Make sure to declutter the dresser and bookshelf and only display your nicest items on it to make it seem more grown up.
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    Reposition your bed. While it usually depends on the size of your room, your bed is probably the current focal point.[11] The traditional place for a bed is on the wall opposite the door, so this would be the most mature looking choice.[12] If you have a nice bed frame and headboard but your bed can't be seen from the door, move it so that it becomes the focal point.
    • If you aren't sure, go with the arrangement that makes your room look the least cluttered. Open spaces are streamlined and more adult-looking than a cramped room.
    • If at all possible, don’t put your headboard against the same wall as your bedroom door, since this can have a disorienting effect on anyone who enters.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Organizing and Maintaining the Room

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    Move or remove your stuffed animal collection. Put your stuffed animals out of sight in your closet, gift them to a younger sibling or store them in the attic. The last thing a mature-looking bedroom would ever have is a pile of plush dolls on the bed or lined up on the window sill.
    • Also remove any dolls and put visible toys out of sight. Store them in your closet or give them away. The same goes for childish books.
    • In order to make your room look more grown up, you have to be willing to put away some of your favorite childhood things.
    • However, you don't have to get rid of everything! Keep a favorite item out and store the rest away.
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    Eliminate extra clutter. If you have too many chairs, too many photos on the wall, or too many clothes bursting out of your closet, sort through them and get rid of some things. Consider donating the items that are in good condition to a local shelter or Goodwill.
    • Simplifying and organizing your room will lend it a sleeker, more mature vibe.
    • Use brightly colored storage boxes to organize your loose items. You can organize your room and add a pop of additional color at the same time.[13]
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    Tidy your closet. Hang up all of your clothes neatly instead of leaving them in a pile on the floor. Get a hamper (bonus points for getting one that matches your room’s color scheme) and always put your dirty clothes in it. Keep the hamper in your closet unless you’re doing laundry.
    • Sort through your closet and get rid of any clothing and items that you’ve outgrown.
    • Get a new set of clothes hangers that are sturdy and identical. Get rid of any mismatched or broken hangers.
    • If you want to go a step further, organize your clothing on the rack by color or by function.
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    Vacuum and dust at least once a week. Keep everything clean and put away any loose items on the floor. Store your backpack, school items and sporting equipment in the closet and vacuum in there as well. Remove any loose trash and empty your trash can.[14]
    • Keeping your room tidy definitely gives your bedroom a much more mature vibe.
    • You may also want to get a nice looking hamper to throw dirty laundry into so you will not be tempted to throw it onto the floor.
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    Make your bed every day. Incorporate this into your daily routine and do it every morning. It's a simple act, but also a very adult one. Making your bed will instantly give your room an orderly and more mature atmosphere.[15]
    • If you've moved your bed to be the focal point of the room, making it every day is a must.
    • You may also want to arrange a few throw pillows and blankets on the bed to make it look appealing. This may even help you to feel less stressed when you enter the room.
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Expert Q&A
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  • Question
    How can I decorate my bed so that it looks more grown up?
    Suzanne Lasky, ASID
    Suzanne Lasky, ASID
    Interior Design Consultant
    Suzanne Lasky is an Interior Designer and the Founder of S Interior Design, a design consulting company based in Scottsdale, Arizona specializing in new home builds, home remodels, and all related design options for residential and small business clients. Suzanne has over 19 years of interior design and consulting experience. She is an Allied Member of the ASID (American Society of Interior Designers). She earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Indiana University and an AAS in Interior Design from Scottsdale Community College.
    Suzanne Lasky, ASID
    Suzanne Lasky, ASID
    Interior Design Consultant
    Expert Answer

    Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

    Honestly, I'd go with whatever decorations seem the easiest for you to arrange and stick with. A lot of people go overboard with duvets and throw pillows, but if you never take the time to make the bed and set them up, it's just really not worth the energy.
  • Question
    Do plants make a space feel more mature?
    Suzanne Lasky, ASID
    Suzanne Lasky, ASID
    Interior Design Consultant
    Suzanne Lasky is an Interior Designer and the Founder of S Interior Design, a design consulting company based in Scottsdale, Arizona specializing in new home builds, home remodels, and all related design options for residential and small business clients. Suzanne has over 19 years of interior design and consulting experience. She is an Allied Member of the ASID (American Society of Interior Designers). She earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Indiana University and an AAS in Interior Design from Scottsdale Community College.
    Suzanne Lasky, ASID
    Suzanne Lasky, ASID
    Interior Design Consultant
    Expert Answer

    Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

    They do, but you really want to make sure that you're getting a plant you know how how to take care of. Nothing is going to make a space feel worse than a dying or dead plant.
  • Question
    I'm in secondary school and my room looks like a 4 year old's room! I've got loads of toys from my elder siblings and I have pink butterfly wallpaper that is actually really childish. I'm not allowed to do anything with the wallpaper though because my parents can't afford it. What can I do?
    Katherine Tlapa
    Katherine Tlapa
    Interior Designer
    Katherine Tlapa is an interior designer, currently working as a Design Specialist for Modsy, a design service based in San Francisco. She also runs her own DIY Home Design blog, My Eclectic Grace. She received her BFA in Interior Architecture from Ohio University in 2016.
    Katherine Tlapa
    Katherine Tlapa
    Interior Designer
    Expert Answer

    Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

    You can start by decluttering your room! Take the toys out or anything that looks too childish. If your parents won’t let you sell or donate them, pack them away in a closet or under your bed. You can hang items on the wall, like artwork and picture frames - this will help distract from the butterfly wallpaper.
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References

  1. ↑ Suzanne Lasky, ASID. Interior Designer. Expert Interview. 31 March 2020.
  2. ↑ http://www.decoist.com/2012-09-09/how-to-add-life-to-your-teenagers-outgrown-room/
  3. ↑ Suzanne Lasky, ASID. Interior Designer. Expert Interview. 31 March 2020.
  4. ↑ http://www.decoist.com/2012-09-09/how-to-add-life-to-your-teenagers-outgrown-room/
  5. ↑ http://www.decoist.com/2012-09-09/how-to-add-life-to-your-teenagers-outgrown-room/
  6. ↑ http://www.decoist.com/2012-09-09/how-to-add-life-to-your-teenagers-outgrown-room/
  7. ↑ Suzanne Lasky, ASID. Interior Designer. Expert Interview. 31 March 2020.
  8. ↑ Suzanne Lasky, ASID. Interior Designer. Expert Interview. 31 March 2020.
  9. ↑ http://www.hercampus.com/diy/decorating/how-decorate-your-first-grown-apartment
  1. ↑ Suzanne Lasky, ASID. Interior Designer. Expert Interview. 31 March 2020.
  2. ↑ http://freshome.com/2010/09/07/10-tips-to-make-a-small-bedroom-feel-larger/
  3. ↑ http://www.womansday.com/home/decorating/a1537/10-commandments-of-furniture-arranging-106885/
  4. ↑ http://www.hercampus.com/diy/decorating/how-decorate-your-first-grown-apartment
  5. ↑ Suzanne Lasky, ASID. Interior Designer. Expert Interview. 31 March 2020.
  6. ↑ Suzanne Lasky, ASID. Interior Designer. Expert Interview. 31 March 2020.

About This Article

Suzanne Lasky, ASID
Co-authored by:
Suzanne Lasky, ASID
Interior Design Consultant
This article was co-authored by Suzanne Lasky, ASID and by wikiHow staff writer, Amber Crain. Suzanne Lasky is an Interior Designer and the Founder of S Interior Design, a design consulting company based in Scottsdale, Arizona specializing in new home builds, home remodels, and all related design options for residential and small business clients. Suzanne has over 19 years of interior design and consulting experience. She is an Allied Member of the ASID (American Society of Interior Designers). She earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Indiana University and an AAS in Interior Design from Scottsdale Community College. This article has been viewed 139,386 times.
14 votes - 90%
Co-authors: 17
Updated: March 8, 2022
Views: 139,386
Categories: Featured Articles | Home Decorating
Article SummaryX

If you’re starting to outgrow your room, there are many ways you can decorate it to look more grown up. Display cool things like fairy lights, candles, musical instruments, and adult books. If you have old bedding from when you were younger, replace it with a comforter in a solid color or with a mature-looking pattern, like simple stripes or plaid. You can also repaint your walls for a more grown-up look. Try dark colors like brown, purple, and royal blue, or neutral colors, like beige, cream, and light brown. If you're not allowed to paint your room, you can hang up artwork or posters of things you like to make it look more grown up. For more tips from our Interior Design co-author, including how to keep your room organized and tidy, read on!

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