With the luxury of modern family housing comes the ever troublesome question of how to redecorate your teen's room without a fight. They see it as their room, you see it as another room in your house. Finding a compromise that allows them to express their individuality, and one that keeps your sense of decorum intact, can be difficult. Here are some useful tips to help the process go a little more smoothly.

If you are constantly telling your teen to clear their floor, have a think about whether this is actually possible and practical in their room as it is right now. Do they have adequate storage space, and areas to display their keepsakes? Are you using all the available space in their room to the best advantage? Chances are the answer is no, so before you mention any changes of colour or style to your teen, offer to buy or construct some new shelving or storage for them. This is an ideal opportunity to approach the subject of redecorating their room in general and get a feeling for what they like that you may also be able to live with.

Getting your teen to spend a couple of hours in Home Depo may not be easy, so tempting them with a promise of pizza afterwards. Once they are in the home improvement store, you may be surprised at the interest they will take in the ranges of bedroom furniture available. Girls are often easier to please here than boys; most girls have a favourite colour or an idea of a colour scheme that they would be happy to show their friends. Boys may need some extra encouragement. It is possible that when asked what colour they want the walls, the answer will be "black". Anticipate this response, but suggest that perhaps a completely black room may make things even harder to find, and perhaps one black wall with other black accessories is the way to go.

If you cannot afford to replace the flooring in your teen's room, consider whether taking up the carpet and staining or varnishing the floor would be an option. Although this takes a lot longer than laying a new carpet, it can work out cheaper and is something you can get your teen involved with. The disadvantage with removing carpet is that it acts as a sound barrier, so if your teen's room is upstairs, this option may not be suitable, even if you add a rug or two.

Redecorating a room is the ideal time to throw out any old or broken items. Try not to get too involved in this and let your teenager work their way through their own possessions in their own time, but within a given time frame of perhaps a week. Letting your childhood go can be an emotional experience, so give your teen plenty of room to organize their feelings as well as their possessions. Old toys and games that are not broken can be donated to a charity, and this may help your teen deal with the changes.

Finally, when you are ready to start decorating the room, make up a bed for your teen elsewhere in the house as no one likes to sleep in a room smelling of wet paint or varnish. Get them involved with the painting and as much of the assembly of new furniture as possible to give them a sense of ownership of their room. Allow yourselves plenty of time to do the job properly - do not try and get it all done in one Saturday afternoon. Then when the furnishings are all back in place, the room should be a space where your teen wants to spend time, and hopefully one where you will have a clear path to the curtains occasionally.

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