Teen time

From the Resene colour inspiration – latest looks gallery

As your kids get older, it’s understandable that they’ll start to crave more independence from you.

While most may have a private bedroom of their own, it’s also a good idea to give them some living space where they can relax, study or play that’s apart from mum and dad. If you have an extra room that’s currently being under-utilised – a spare bedroom that’s seldom slept in, a home office you never go in or a formal dining room you never entertain in – why not put it to better use by converting it into a chill pad for your teens to watch movies, play games and hang out with their friends?

Add funk to a simple and casual off-the-shelf couch with a hand-painted cushion using your favourite Resene testpots. We started with a plain linen cushion and added three simple brushstrokes in Resene Yowza, Resene Tomorrow and Resene Dreamtime, but you and your kids can mask off different shapes to create an endless variety of cool patterns that reflect their personalities, interests and colour preferences. If you are particularly crafty and have a sewing machine, you could even stitch up your own covers in any fabric that suits. Be sure to put a thick piece of cardboard inside your cushion before you start painting it so that the colours don’t bleed through to the other side, but make sure you loosen it afterwards before letting it dry completely so that it doesn’t get stuck.

Make space to display artwork, souvenirs and other knick-knacks your kids like with a series of floating shelves while also incorporating a few fun pops of colour. These shelves were painted Resene Tomorrow, Resene Yowza, Resene Wishing Well and Resene Bi Hoki and a number of plant pots and vases on top of them have been painted Resene FOMO, Resene Bi Hoki, Resene Yowza and Resene Wishing Well to coordinate. After the kids move out, they can be quickly and easily repainted in ‘more adult’ colour choices when you and your partner reclaim the space as your own.

This coffee table is a primo choice for a space like this, echoing the horizontal lines of the floating shelves while offering up extra storage for books and game controllers. It is painted Resene Yowza to make it really ‘pop’ against the neutral sofa. Raising up plants on coloured stools or low side tables to keep them away from pets, make it easier to water them and protect your flooring from accidental moisture damage. The rattan table is painted Resene Wishing Well and the shorter stool is in Resene Bi Hoki with contrasting plants pots on top in Resene Alabaster and Resene Wishing Well.

Layering several rugs is a practical and affordable way to cover larger floor areas using standard sized rugs and it gives the room its own unique vibe while jazzing up the plywood floor, which has been protected in Resene Aquaclear waterborne finish. The windows have been dressed Resene Harmony Voile Blonde, which features wide, modern stripes with a fine herringbone detail and will protect furnishings with its 'sunfilter' ability.

Styling by Kate Alexander. Photography by Bryce Carleton. 2019