The teenage years can be difficult as children begin to draw away from parents and develop their own personality and style. One important and positive way to encourage this process is by letting teens decorate their rooms to match their current mood and taste.

Because this is such a time of change, chances are good that the rooms will go through an evolution. You can help this process along by starting with a room that is neutral enough to support all the changes to come. Here are some suggestions:

Keep it simple. A room with a strong personality will overwhelm any changes your teens want to make. In this photo, the carpeted floor is a crisp white, along with the walls. The white on white design supports virtually any color scheme. The pink/orange colors come from the bed linens and hanging lamp – both inexpensive and easy to change as your child’s tastes shift.

Choose plain furniture. This bed is interesting and yet its minimal lines open it to the possibility of many styles and colors. The four-poster provides opportunities for additional decorating touches by hanging fabric or accessories such as the fabric lamp cover to the right in the photo.

Look for temporary decor. The pattern to the left is actually a set of temporary decals. These are available in many colors and styles. You daughter can arrange and rearrange those to suit her mood. Shop the Internet to find these – there are many companies producing them. The other wall color comes from a large canvas. This piece is significant enough to command attention, but easily replaced later. You can find prints or just stretch fabric over a canvas frame to add color and style quickly and inexpensively.

Decorating their rooms provides a good way for teenagers to express themselves. And remember if they choose dark purple or black for the walls, it’s only paint. With luck you may get a room that looks as cute as this one does.