Question for those with young adult children still living at home

[Bookgrrrl]

I’m writing a book and trying to make description of a character’s bedroom seem authentic. I’m wondering what kinds of things women in their early 20s still living with their parents have in their rooms – on the walls, on the shelves, etc? All ideas welcome!

TIA

Shelves - Chick lit books and uni and maybe even school text books. Photo albums from teen years

On wall - collages of photos from prom. Fancy dress stuff like a cowboy hat hanging on hook on wall.

Teddies from childhood.

Tray with lots of nice make up on.

Selection of perfumes, jewellery maybe some small ornaments from childhood or gifts. Random craft project or college work maybe or work uniform?

My daughter has a whole collection of instant photos on her chimney breast wall. Other than those, it's pretty clean and serene- make up on the dressing table, two plants and a pile of books on the nightstand.

and ten tonnes of shoes and crap under the bed

Selfie ring light, make up box and brushes, colourful wigs, false nails, other tiktok paraphernalia

Desk covered in massive Uni Law tomes and a spare screen to play the Switch.

Various Pride flags and postcards from her travels.

Salt lamp
Record player and pile of vinyls
Bath & body works candles - never lit
A bowl of crystals
Photos of the cat
Fairy lights

christmas tree lights
salt lamp
books
lava lamp
”tapestries” (not sure what they are but large colorful pieces of cloth!)

If you really want to know what 19 year old DD’s room is like right now… imagine an entire wardrobe’s worth of clothes thrown on the floor as she couldn’t decide what to wear earlier plus a few cups and plates that she hasn’t been bothered to take down to the kitchen yet…

On a nicer note.
She has a memory wall of photos along with important train tickets, concert tickets, match tickets etc. Medals, her old school tie and years of horse riding rosettes are also pinned to the wall. On her shelf she has her jewellery box along with perfumes and the carrier bags of things she’s got from designer stores like Tiffany’s & Jo Malone carefully displayed. Framed photos with friends that have been given to her over the years sit on her desk along with her laptop. She kept the empty bottle of her favourite champagne that she got for her 18th birthday and filled it with fairy lights, there are more strung around her mirror as well. Old schoolwork and textbooks hide in nooks and crannies, under her desk, in corners, busting out of drawers.. realistically she will never look at them again but doesn’t want to part with all the years of effort yet. Her childhood teddy (a lion) still often sits on her bed.

This has made me unexpectedly emotional!!

My older dd is 25 and doesn't have any of her childhood stuff left in her room. She has a huge mirror on her wall but no pictures, lots of books, make up, a full length mirror with fairy lights around it, a large plant, candles, a desk with a fan on it, a laptop, a switch with various games and controls, huge TV. Dd 20 is similar, but she also has a large jewellery stand with lots of jewellery on it, and lots of photos of friends stuck around the walls. She also has a huge picture of Marilyn Monroe on her wall, a clock, a bean bag, and colour change led rope lights at the top of her walls.

And of course lots of clothes thrown around. 🙄

Pride flag
Reed diffuser
Lots of squishmallows and pillows
Lots of clothes on the floor
Books about space

Dd 26 still has her fairy lights. Not much on shelves.. she has a "Floordrobe".

Loads of books, manga, vinyl, makeup, booze, Lego. Piles of computing & gaming “stuff”. (Dd1 23)

Fairy lights, make up, lots of photos on the walls, loads of books and clothes

Coffee jars with pencils and pens and paintbrushes in.
Old teapots with pens and paintbrushes in.
Drawers with pens and paintbrushes in...
Pen and ink drawings.
Stuffed owls and creepy modelling clay figurines.
Computer.
Photos of her childhood dog.

And a floordrobe. Glad to see that seems normal.

Young adults DD has mirror with lots of memorabilia round it, tickets to shows, little photos stuck all round it.
shoe racks… with 15 pairs of shoes that all look the same.
Desk with some uni work spread across it.
Old teddy on the bed.
Few photos on wall of friends/family.
bedside table with make up and perfume bottles on it.
She actually keeps her clothes in a wardrobe which seems to buck the trend!

My dd 23 has a huge corkboard type thing with photos, cinema tickets, old concert tickets ect pinned to it. Fairy lights hanging over a canvas picture of a flower, a ladder book shelf with white candles, books and a linen room spray on, and 8 cushions on her bed. Very tidy and organised (all her clutter is boxed up in the garage)

Mine is a little younger (18), on one wall she has a huge piece of cloth with a mendala style pattern on it, surrounded by fairy lights. Other wall has a large canvas photo of her cat. Her shelves are filled with artificial plants, a huge collection of perfumes and a jewellery holder with necklaces and bracelets hanging on it. Next to the shelves is a full length mirror with a 3 drawer unit next to it filled with make up and hair products.

How could I forget the crystals 😂

Looking at similar aged friends' kids, a common theme at the moment seems to be some very individually decorated walls - murals, manga, sort of paper collage, painted triangle patterns, giant foliage. Not remotely restful to a migraine-prone adult eye!

Plants, art supplies everywhere, paintings either complete or in progress, walls are covered with her art work painted directly on. Bookshelves with books, fiction related objects (daggers / figurines) various nail suppliers. More art stuff. Clothes in piles as well as in drawers. Candles and incense. More art stuff - I'm sure there is a carpet under it all :)

Pinboard of photos but nothing else on the walls
Fairy lights
Loads of plants
Lots of bits of knitting/crochet/embroidery and materials lying around
Chest of drawers covered in bits of make up, jewellery etc
Lots of blankets and cushions on the bed
Loads of clothes on the floor

DD has refused to allow her early teen bedroom be decorated...so well faded wallpaper with horses. Big pinboard with curling certificates for this and that, photos, posters etc. Masses of rosettes on hangers. Lots of horse crap - big pile of bits. Saddles on stands. Neat bags with her competition hats. Pile of numnahs. Desk with laptop. Big trinkets and special things box inherited from grandma. Lots of pens, pencils, rubbers, stationery. Electric guitar on wall with amp under. Bags of outgrown clothes on floor (I refuse to tip run, she can drive)
Soft toys from v young, all on end of bed

I have two girls still at home -22 and almost 21.

Full length mirrors
Bottles of perfume on shelf
Tin of makeup brushes
Plants (real) inc Orchids
Flat screen tvs on wall
One has a fish tank by her bed (small with one fish)
Vintage looking bedside lamps
Fluffy rugs
Books, journals and diaries piled up
Black and white photos pinned up
Silk scarves
Variety of Candles
Makeup and Jewellery in cute dishes
Elephant collection on shelf