February 12, 2021

Creating Cool Shared Bedrooms for Kids

Create Symmetry and Boundaries

Symmetry between furnishings and fixtures can make a room feel balanced, but also help kids understand that they have the same amount of space as each other.

Ways to achieve a sense of balance include:

One dresser or chest of drawers between two single beds. Make sure the chest has an even number of drawers, so both children have the same amount of storage.
Matching furniture, such as bedside tables, bed heads or closets. Make both the same size.
Personal shelves or display areas for artwork.

Boundaries can be important if kids fight over space. Depending on the amount of space available here are some ways to create boundaries for peaceful shared bedrooms.

– Colour coding – can be a simple as defining each child’s bed with their favourite colour bedding or decorating the room so each child has their preferred colour on their own sides. You can take it a step further, painting individual shelves or special colours for the tops of storage or toy boxes. It helps prevent arguments about who owns what.

– Personal spaces – everyone needs their own personal space, including kids. Try giving them a wall each to personalise with favourite pictures or art.

– Divide the room up – so many arguments spring up because someone is on ‘my side’ of the room. Dividers can be bookcases, desks, curtains, or screens.

Create Bigger Play Areas

Less is often more. Think about ways you could reduce the amount of furniture or possessions in the room if you’re trying to create more floor space for playing.

Ideas could include putting larger play items that aren’t currently being used into self storage until they’re wanted again. Big play items like ride-on toys, playhouses, pretend kitchens, doll houses or collections of items can all fall out of favour. Those bigger things take up space but might be wanted again in future. Storing them instead of getting rid means you don’t have to buy them again.

Do the same with furniture. Bunk beds take up less floor space than traditional single beds, but when the kids get a bit older, they might prefer individual beds again. If you want to make a switch from single beds, a self storage room helps to future proof a growing family’s needs.

When you’re keeping single beds, having beds with storage can help each child maintain their own personal space. Ottoman beds or divans for older children offer built-in storage, helping to keep the room looking less cluttered.

Bedroom Storage Ideas

If you can choose furniture that does more than one job, you’re winning. Multifunction furnishings can include toy chests which look great against the wall, at the foot of the bed, or by a window. A cushion on top turns it into a handy seat.

Use lots of shelves or shelving units. You can put them above beds or over desks, around corners for a reading nook, or use storage cubes for a fashionable, unique style. As mentioned before, you can colour code them for each child or leave them plain for shared spaces.

Hooks are good for storage too. They come in a range of styles and colours, including themes such as animals or transport for younger kids. You could personalise them with a name to create defined spaces for each child. Fix them underneath shelves to get the most out of wall space.

Shared rooms quickly become disorganised and cluttered. Paring down and having a purge every few months can help you keep on top of the space. Take good, favourite items to your self storage room for safe keeping and include outgrown but still-good clothes that you might want to hand down.

Keeping the room feeling as spacious as possible, balanced, uncluttered and with defined areas for each child, all help make it a cosy shared space with as few arguments as possible.

Thanks for reading xxx