• Decorate your teen's bedroom with a beach theme.beach image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
  
  Beach and ocean themes are very popular among teens; there are many variations on these themes and parents can easily modify them to match their children's age as they grow. Plus, there's plenty of room for both parents and teen to compromise and discuss options.
  
  

Walls

• The right wall color or treatment can make a beach-themed room. It sets the stage for the rest of the room. Gray, blue, beige and cream work best because they are fairly neutral and go with many other colors and patterns.
  For a teen who loves bright colors and excitement, an aqua color would go well on the walls with a darker shade of the same hue on the trim. A teen who likes a quieter, serene feel might like a periwinkle blue on the walls with a cream or beige trim. Teens who want a clean palate for lots of changes in the future might choose a warm cream color for the walls and a blue-gray or brighter color for the trim. Dry brushing several shades of the same hue together for any of these combinations could give the illusion of waves or sand on the walls.
  
  

Furniture

• There is no need to purchase new furniture for a beach-themed room. A teen can paint the old furniture to match the trim color, gluing starfish and shells to chair backs and headboards to renew old furniture. Replace drawer pulls with ivory or brushed silver pulls in the shape of fish, mermaids or octopi. Glue shells over bare-bulb nightlights to create whimsy along with glass fish and stucco lamps. If the budget includes new furniture, light woods and wicker are the way to go; scrolling patterns in the wood mimic waves while natural-colored wicker gives the room an organic feel.
  Bedding and pillows may be a purchase worth making; complementary colors work best rather than trying to match the walls. This helps the furniture pop against the wall color instead of disappearing. The patterns need not be overtly beach-themed; stripes, soft marbling, tie-dye and rattan pillows give that impression without being gimmicky.
  
  

Accessories

• Accessories can make or break a beach-themed room. The decorations should stay young while not becoming tacky. A small cord fishing net can add an air of whimsy when slung over a footboard or hung in the corner to hold stuffed animals or a collection of brightly colored flip-flops. Sand-colored Berber area rugs create the illusion of sand and give the teen a place to "maroon" herself while daydreaming. Things like miniature surfboards and boar oars could decorate the walls. Or, for super-cheap decorations, the teen could hang her collection of bathing suits and sarongs artfully on the walls instead of keeping them in the closets. Add a few pictures and posters of gorgeous tropical scenes, some tropical silk flowers and a few brightly colored scarves wound around lampshades and curtain rods and the room is done.