Ten Tips To Organize Your Teens Room

Our teens live in a world over loaded with social media, homework and after school activities.  There is very little time for relaxation so it is important to simplify their living space.

When parents hire me to help their teens get organized I not only clear the clutter but simplify the space as well. The less they have in their room the easier it is to keep organized.

Kids no matter the age do not function well when they are living in a room full of clutter. Motivation is key when it comes to teenagers getting rid of “their stuff”.

1. Communication is the best way to start any project with your teen. They have their own opinions on how they want their room to look and what they want to keep and toss. Listen!

2. Take a before photo before you begin. When they are done they will be amazed what it looked like before.

3. Hire a professional or favorite family member or friend to help them reach their goal. Most of the time they will get more accomplished if you are not there. sorry but true

4. Do not have unrealistic expectations. Three hour increments are probably all you will get. Take advantage of those three hours by getting rid of everything they no longer want, use or love.

5. Start at one end of the room and work your way around. Just cleaning out a closet will not make a dent if their room is full of clutter.

6. Gather all memorabilia throughout the room. That includes second grade trophies, yearbooks etc. and place in a clear container with a lid. Store the container under their bed so they have easy access and can add to it.

7. Clean the Space. Now that the clutter is gone so should the dust bunnies! 

8. Clear the wall clutter. People often think that clutter is just in closets. Simplify what hangs on the walls. Too much is visual clutter.

9. Fix what needs fixed or get rid of it. 

10. Make a list. Keep an ongoing list of what you need to purchase. You will be happy you did when you are standing in Target and you can’t remember the size of something.

Simplifying your teens living space and clearing the clutter will minimize daily stress and give them a place to unwind.

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Want To Make A Small Change With Big Impact?

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Changing your closet door is a simple solution that can transform a room. My number one choice would be a mirrored door.

  • They make a room appear larger
  • Double as a full length mirror
  • Bring reflective light into a room
  • They look better than a basic bifold or closet door

There are so many different types of mirrored doors to choose from. You can get creative or keep it simple. If you are replacing a door make sure to measure because you might have to make some minor adjustments.

You can also add a full length mirror on the inside of a door pictured above if you are not ready to commit to a total redo.

Changing your closet doors can be simple but with a big impact.

Images via Neatly Designed | Decor Pad | Decor Pad | Little Green Notebook

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This Week’s Before & After…Teens Closet

This week’s before and after is a closet that was extremely tight on space and had to be shared by two teenage girls.

This was challenging but sometimes you just have to work with what you have and that is what we did.

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As you can see, in the before photos the difficulty we faced fitting the wardrobe of two teenagers in one closet.

The space was not being used to its potential and it just needed another set of eyes to see it in a different way.

With the girls helping every step of the way the process began by clearing the clutter. These are the steps we followed.

Removed everything out of the closet. Yes…everything!

Purged the clothes they did not wear or love. They were wonderful to work with because they were both ready to keep what was necessary and donate the rest. This is the biggest step in the whole process when you are dealing with small closets.

Cleaned the space. Simple but often overlooked.

Changed all of the hangers. This is one thing I am constantly preaching because it makes such a difference without spending a lot of money.

Talked about how to divide the space. In this closet I thought it was essential that they each had their own space. After they purged their clothes we were able to designate one girl on the bottom hanging and one on the top. The maxi dresses were  folded over a hanger so they could fit nicely in the space.

Removed seldom worn shoes and put them under the bed in a container. The shoes that remained were hung in an over the door shoe rack.

Moved all winter coats to a coat closet in the foyer. We live in Florida so keeping heavy coats or sweaters in your closet is not practical.

Labeled containers for the shelves. They both dance so I wanted them to have easy access to their dance clothes.
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IMG_2291IMG_2314In less than half a day the clutter was gone and they were organized and ready to start a new school year.

The items used for this project were new hangers and containers. Inexpensive way to get big results!

Remember it’s not the size of the closet it’s the way you organize it.