How to create a beautiful shared bedroom

When it comes to designing bedrooms for sharing siblings, there’s a lot to consider.

From adding in extra storage, and fitting in 2 beds, to allowing for a little personal space and privacy too, and then also how to finish it all off and make the décor look great; it’s no mean feat.

Here are a few tips on how to create shared bedroom spaces that both pack a punch and that are perfectly practical, to boot!

Zone it up

When designing sharing bedrooms for kids, it becomes even more important to create separate areas of the room in which to sleep, study and store. We’d recommend planning the bedroom layout before investing in beds and furniture.

Try to first of all measure the room and then draw out to scale on a piece of graph paper. You can then test out different sizes of beds, storage and desks to see what will fit in the space.

graph paper and pencils

Top tips! >> When measuring, remember to take the dimensions from skirting board to skirting board, and also allow for any eaves or restricted head height as this will influence the type of bed you can consider. At the research stage, draw out the foot print of any beds and furniture that you’re considering in the same scale as the floor plan. Cut them out and move them around within the room space. Instead of sticking them down, take a phone snap so that you can revisit and talk through which layouts you all prefer.

For a long and narrow room, you could try laying out two beds foot to foot, this frees up floor space in the rest of the room for storage or desks.

Compact bedrooms that are quite square shaped tend to lend themselves well to bunk beds.

Perhaps your children are quite different in age and would prefer their own privacy?

Partition walls have become quite a popular way of zoning living spaces of late, and so they are now making their way into bedrooms too. Just a small, narrow ‘wall’ between beds or in a corner of a room may be enough to create a dressing area or a little personal space within a shared bedroom.

The wall needn’t be solid either, consider slatted freestanding walls to add interest to a space.

Extra walls also mean extra décor – consider allowing each child to design one side of the wall, which can help them feel ownership of the space too.

For something a little more temporary, the use of flexible free standing wooden screens can work well in older children’s rooms.

Clobber the clutter

storage unit cubby holes

Great storage comes in very handy when it comes to finding an answer to two kids’ ‘stuff’. From housing growing sticks and stone collections, to study notes, dolls and construction sets, for a look that is seamless and modern you’ll want to seek out storage that has doors to it, for example chests of drawers. If storage with drawers isn’t your preference, a good alternative that is also really versatile, is to use totes that fit within the storage holes, enabling toys to be kept neat and tidy. By using removable storage totes, it also means that you can change the storage usage later on down the line.

grey traditional kids chest of drawers

Large wardrobes with drawers included are endlessly useful, since they offer hanging space for items such as shirts, dresses and those all-important dressing up outfits, as well as very practical roomy drawers for smaller clothing items that can be folded neatly(!) If neat folding isn’t exactly top of your children’s list of priorities right now, then investing in some drawer dividers that are clearly labelled could well be a game-changer when it comes to getting things put away nicely.

white wardrobe with doors and drawers

Long shelves that run the full length of walls can be super handy if floor space is at a premium, and by dedicating one shelf per child, you can help create personal spaces that they’re more likely to feel responsible for when it comes to getting their bedroom ship-shape!

Bunk beds – double the fun!

white bunk bed kids room with trundle bed pulled out, brown gender neutral wall

When it comes to selecting a bed for a shared bedroom, bunk beds will always win, hands down. They help save on precious floor space, and you can also create more storage by selecting a roll out trundle drawer to sit underneath.

dark blue bunk bed with sleepover trundle, in traditional bedroom

When researching bunk beds with trundles, be sure to look for those where the drawer doubles up as an extra sleepover space – perfect for summer sleepovers and also for parents too!

Top tip! >> Find trundles that don’t need any fiddly conversion kits to swap from drawer to bed. – You’ll just need to pop in a trundle mattress to create an extra cosy bed for the night.

Another thing to look out for with bunk beds, are those that convert into two full size single beds once the bunk bed phase has finished. Lots of parents and grandparents invest in bunk beds as a failsafe, versatile solution for any age child. – You can even start with the bunk bed separated as single beds for younger kids, and then build it up once you’re happy that they’re mature enough to cope with a ladder.

shared twin bedroom with grey beds, green and brown panelling on walls

Top tip! >> If you have the space, by selecting full size single beds, you can ensure longevity for the future, as they’re also ideal candidates for guest rooms once the kids have flown the nest! 

Embrace a neutral scheme

With varying tastes in styles and colour, the simplest way to create a shared space that will cater for all is to keep the décor neutral. Choose warm greige tones and layer on whites for a Scandi vibe that is also gender neutral. To add interesting texture, pull in accessories in warm woods and rattans.

white beds in neutral bedroom with wicker accessories

For children who’d like to inject some of their own personality and perhaps a bold colour or two, let them select a few colours and pull them through accessories such as desk lamps, storage, and cushions and blankets. This can create a refreshing scheme with just a few pops of colour to keep it all looking fresh and also personal. – It’s also an affordable way of sprucing up a space!

retro colours in kids mid sleeper bedroom

Prepare for compromise

Lastly, unless a bedroom is huge, then it almost goes without saying that there will need to be some element of compromise. If it’s a lack of space, then this could be in terms of toys or desks – are there other rooms in the house that could home these items? Or perhaps the décor tastes are wildly different between siblings? If this is the case, we’d recommend choosing furniture or shelving that can be personalised for each child. - Washi tape can create really interesting refreshes and is a low cost option that can easily be removed without any drama later on down the line! 

colourful cushions, yellow and pink

Happy planning! x

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