What You Need to Consider For Your Teenager’s Den

20th February 2020

A garden room makes a perfect teenager’s den. You don’t need to worry about any noise or mess inside your home, you don’t have to vacate a room to make way for a large group of friends and you can feel happy in the knowledge that they are somewhere safe. But what factors do you need to consider for this room in order for it to be fully functional and beneficial for yourself as well as to them?

Soundproofing 

Not only for you and your children but also for your neighbours too! Soundproofing a garden room can be easily done during construction and will ensure that loud music, instruments, raucous laughter and shouting will be kept within the teenager’s den. This is probably one of the most important steps to take when considering using a garden room for this.

Heating

If you want your child/children to be able to use their den all year round, you will want to add heating to the garden room too. Most companies will provide this as standard in the form of wall heaters but you could also look into the possibility of adding a small log burner, underfloor heating, infrared heaters or oil-filled radiators. 

Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting is important in two ways. 1). It will allow your teenager’s den to be used safely in the evening and the winter. 2). It will allow you to be able to see inside the bi-fold doors from your home to check on them. You may also want to consider solar lights up the garden path to be able to lead them back easily, fairy lights to create a pretty decking space for the summer or security lights which will turn on and off with movement which is perfect if you don’t want to leave an outdoor light on all the time.

Refreshments

To save your home from constantly being invaded by hungry and thirsty teenagers (as well as muddy floors!) why not think about adding a kitchenette area to the garden room? This could consist of a worktop, sink, access to a kettle/microwave/toaster plus a mini-fridge. It could be their responsibility to stock it up and keep an eye on what they need and, if you are lucky, they may even be persuaded to clean it for you too!

Sofa Space

Let’s face it, a teenager’s den is going to have a huge focus on socialising with friends which will require a large seating area for everybody. A corner sofa would be a sensible option as it will maximise on the space. Add a few beanbags or even fold-down chairs and they should be set with their entertaining space.

WorkSpace

Your teenager may want to use this space for more than just socialising. It would make a lovely environment in which to work on coursework or study for exams as it will be away from their usual homely distractions, it will be quiet and they could set up a dedicated workspace for all of their needs which will make them far more productive. A simple desk, shelving, space for a laptop, filing boxes etc would easily fit into an area of the garden room without taking up too much room.

Funky Accessories

And finally, as it is their den, they will most definitely want to make their stamp on the room so encourage them to choose items that they will love and will make the garden room feel like their own special space. Getting them involved can help them to take on responsibility for this space and will hopefully mean they will also respect it too.

As your children develop new hobbies, grow up and their needs change, as can the garden room, making it a versatile and an investment for your home.