Decorating a Shared Bedroom For Siblings
If the thought of your children sharing a bedroom fills you with dread, it’s a completely understandable reaction to have. Can brothers and sisters under a certain age ever be amicable when it comes to communal living space? Probably not. Will World War III kick off the minute they enter the bedroom and discover the other has ‘borrowed’ their favourite cuddly toy? Probably yes.
Whilst the answers to the questions above are usually correct, there are some ingenious ways to make a shared bedroom an exciting space to share that will encourage children to play nicely and enjoy each others company.
Start With Colour Scheme and Wall Decor
Start off with the colour scheme of the room before choosing interior pieces, look to your children’s personalities for inspiration. If your children are the same sex and have similar interests, a bold colour that emphasises these traits could work. If they are polar opposites, a neutral base layer may work best and then look to soft furnishings or bed linen to bring colour and interest to the room.
There are a vast amount of designs on offer when it comes to children’s wallpaper so it’ll be easy to find a pattern suitable for both kids. Pick a design featuring their favourite sports, animals or cartoon characters so they will enjoy spending time in the bedroom. If an agreement cannot be made, opt for neutral designs such as stars, stripes and shapes. Adding a chalkboard wall is a great way to bring creativity to the room and will allow siblings to draw their own designs in their room and start all over again when they change their minds.
Divide and Conquer
In terms of siblings sharing a room, divide and conquer does not mean tear them apart to win the battle. What this actually means is to think about ways to divide the room up fairly to avoid arguments when children haven’t learned to share. The simplest way to do this is to use a symmetrical design with twin beds and matching furniture where everything is fair and square.
Alternatively, there may be space to add a partition stud wall to create a partial divide. Most handyman services will be able to complete this home improvement for you and can add an interesting design element to the room. A cheaper, less permanent option is to place a floor to ceiling bookshelf in between twin beds so each child has some kind of private time before they go to bed.
Use Bunk Beds to Save Space
Now, bunk beds can be problematic if your children tend to bicker and the obvious ‘who gets the top bunk?’ row could go on for months, but if your children get along well then bunk beds are a great way to make more space in a room that is bound to become cluttered. Again there are plenty of innovative designs to spark their imaginations so shop around before you buy. From tree houses to double-decker buses, stairs and ladders to slides, you children will be bounding up to their bedrooms to enjoy these whimsical features.
Some bunk beds also incorporate desk space underneath, which might be a great option for siblings. Having their own designated beds with desk for homework and creativity will keep the peace and help avoid conflicts, so long as they respect each other’s space.
Incorporate Storage Into the Design
Having two children in one bedroom means one thing is certainly guaranteed: an awful lot of belongings. Whether it’s clothes, toys, or general clutter, you must have functional storage solutions to keep the room as tidy and spacious as possible. Find beds with storage space underneath the mattress and add as much shelving and wardrobe space as can appropriately fit. It will prevent siblings from getting irritated with each other and stop personal items from getting mixed up between the two.
Incorporate Storage Into the Design
Having two children in one bedroom means one thing is certainly guaranteed, an awful lot of belongings. Whether its clothes, toys or general clutter, you must have functional storage solutions to keep the room as tidy and spacious as possible. Find beds with storage space underneath the mattress and add as much shelving and wardrobe space that can appropriately fit. It will prevent siblings from getting irritated with each other and stop personal items getting mixed up between the two.
Let Your Children have an Input in the Design
Don’t disregard your children’s ideas when it comes to decorating the bedroom, it’s actually better to get them involved as much as possible. That way they’ll feel a part of the process and should love the design when it’s complete. They’ll be the ones using the room the most so listen to what they have to say, yes some of their ideas might be a little too creative but see what you can do to incorporate ideas. You’ll want your children to grow up in a room they love and this is the best way to create it.
