Help me future-proof eleven year old son's room

[pollycazalet]

Hoping for a bit of help from mothers of older kids.

Am planning some changes to DS's room. It's fairly small - even more so as he has a drum kit in there. He has bunk beds bought when he and his younger sister shared a room which he thinks are now a bit babyish. He wants a high bed with desk underneath. This would help with the space thing.

If you were doing a room from scratch for a pre-teen boy what would you include? I am struggling because we seem to be at a funny stage where he spends less time in his room than when he was younger - he does a lot of hanging out downstairs with us. But I imagine he'll want to retreat to his own space more as he gets older/ when friends come round.

We did the DSSs4 rooms four years ago, when they were 9 and 11, and they are absolutely fine and will see them out, IYSWIM, though we have added a larger wardrobe as they are now adult-sized and their clothing takes a lot more space.

You need a desk, preferably one that grows with the child - we bought Ikea desks on trestles which are cheap and can be set higher as children grow, and a screw-stool from Habitat that also grows with the child.

You need bookshelves, a desk lamp, hooks on the wall for random clothes (hoodies, jackets), a small cupboard for junk (we bought those red metal Ikea sports lockers) and a large wardrobe.

Thanks Bonsoir - am worried about the bed/desk combo as I wonder how well it will adapt as he grows. Also that the desk will be dark and not pleasant to work at.

At the moment he doesn't have much homework and does it mostly at the kitchen table with us all buzzing around and available to help. But this will change at secondary and wonder when they start needing to work quietly upstairs.

They grow very fast - my DSSs have gone from being little children to adult-size (and weight!) in four years, and the furniture that was on the big side then is now perfect.

I wouldn't buy a high bed at all at this age.
It won't be long before he is a teenager and if he's anything like my lot (well from around 16 maybe), won't want 'the gang' coming round to see a 'kids' high bed.

Bugger greenshadow - that's what I think, but would be so handy re: the space thing. The room is small - we have already had to move his chest of drawers out to fit the blooming drum kit in.

If you have no other realistic option, then fair enough - but if you had the space, I would avoid one.

If you do end up looking for one, I would ensure it has not only the desk, but also a pull out bed convertable to sofa so it has a teenage den sort of feel.

I bought DS one of those bunk/desk/sofabed combo things from Tesco when he was 8. They don't seem to do the exact one any more, but it is very like this one but in pine and royal blue (and was much cheaper).

It has been quite useful, though the desk is a bit dark (solved with a couple of clip-on mini spotlight things from Ikea), and the sofa-bed is not very comfortable to sit on. Now DS is 12 and taller than me, it all seems to be a bit flimsy and childish for him. Maybe the Tesco ones aren't as solid as the more expensive kind, but I can see us having to get a proper bed and desk for him within a year or two.

DS has a high sleeper with a 3 seater sofa bed underneath (bought separately). This works v well as he and his mates spend a lot of time in his room watching films and playing on the PS3, so they'll all sprawl out on the sofa then one can sleep on it if necessary.

He doesn't have a desk as tends to use the desk in my study for his homework.

A big chest of drawers and a wardrobe are essential, I'd say.

Ooh, hooks on the wall are a really good idea! Am going to do that in DS's room asap!

(Also, those high sleepers do tend to be flimsy and aren't v comfortable once kids reach a certain height - my boys had outgrown them by the age of about 11. How about a single bed with drawers underneath for storage?)

The DSSs have a fab row of hooks that looks like a row of unpainted football players from a table football game - got them at the Conran Shop.

Ds is 15 today

We have just redone his room. He was happy to keep his high bed. He does want a sofa under his bed. He has room for a seperate desk. He has metal blinds rather than curtains. He also wanted canvas prints. He has a banksie and a big biffy cliro for his birthday