For big or growing families, a shared kids’ bedroom might be necessary – especially when you’re living in a small home.
And don’t worry. Sharing a bedroom is not bad. In fact, it’s a good thing!
It helps strengthen the kids’ bond with each other and chances are they can grow up to be really close. The opportunities for sibling bonding can be endless!
But of course, there are times when they need their own space. In a shared bedroom, this can be difficult.
Hence, this post is packed with the best tips to help you set up a shared bedroom for your kids. They can still have their own space while having great bonding sharing a room together.
Check these out!
1. Give up the biggest room.
In most homes, the master bedroom always goes to the parents, right? But if you have more than two kids and you expect them to share a room, you should make the sacrifice and let them have the biggest room in the house.
This way, there will be enough space for everyone’s things and for everyone to move around. Putting everyone in a cramped small space would just make them cranky later on because of the limited space.
2. The youngest child should be nearest to the door.
If there is a considerable age gap between the kids – especially when the youngest is still a toddler or a baby, then consider this rule.
The youngest child should be the one closest to the bedroom door.
It is the best way to make sure that everyone gets their sleep. If the baby gets fussy or cries in the night, you can get to him/her quicker. This lessens the risks of waking up the other sleeping children.
3. Forget about bed frames for toddlers.
If your kids are still toddlers, you do not have to buy toddler-sized bed frames that they can easily outgrow. Save up money simply by putting a bed mattress on a carpeted area of the room!
Just get a bed frame when they are nearing their early teens. This way, you can get a bed that they can use until they move out of the house.
This is the setup that we did with our kiddo and yes, it’s fun! Plus, you do not have to worry about your kids falling off their bed, which is a real big help!
4. The older child gets the top bunk bed.
If you’re using a bunk bed, the older child should get the top spot for obvious reasons – they are bigger and are less fussy when sleeping. You do not have to worry about them falling off.
5. Try using loft beds.
Loft beds are great furniture for small spaces. They are like double bunks. Only you get the top bunk for your bed and the space below can be turned into anything you want like a study area, a closet, a reading nook, or a playroom.
6. Follow the L-setup for beds.
If your space can accommodate it, do the L-setup for the beds. This allows more floor space to move around.
Put each bed on the sides of the walls, forming an L-shape. Then, place a table on the corner between the beds. This serves as a nightstand. Lastly, install shelves above for additional space.
7. Give one window for each bed.
If the bedroom is big enough, and with windows on a wall, you may set it up in a way that the kids will have one window each.
Put a shelf in between the beds for storage, and this also acts as a mini divider. With everything on one side, the kids get larger floor space for playing, which is awesome!
8. Set up folding wall desks for each child.
Every child needs a desk for doing homework and other projects. Save space with folding wall desks like this!
9. Designate a space for everything.
This is the secret to keeping a shared kids’ bedroom organized. Make sure that there is a designated space for every stuff.
Create zones for clothes, books, toys, and other stuff in the room. Your kids should know where to set things aside even without you around. A simple organization system will also teach them to be neat and responsible at an early age.
10. Buy grown-up furniture.
Skip furniture especially made for kids when you go shopping. Instead, go for grown-up furniture that they can use even when they are teenagers.
This should be considered especially for major items like shelves and cabinets. Get something that is timeless and would still be used as they grow up through the years. It will save you a lot of money, time and effort!
11. Choose a neutral color for the walls.
For shared bedrooms, it is always best to paint the walls with neutral colors like white, grey, or tan. These go well with other colors, allowing the bedroom to grow with your kids.
When they grow up with different favorite colors, it is easier to express their preferences because the walls have a neutral color.
12. Keep it simple.
A shared bedroom can easily get cluttered since there are two or more occupants, especially when it comes to kids. They can have lots of toys and books. It’s very easy for the clutter to be out of control.
To avoid this, keep things simple. For example, move the play area to the living room. Then create storage spaces for the toys so it’s easier to put them away when not being used. Do a decluttering session from time to time too – for example once a month.
13. Set up a room divider.
Kids do fight sometimes, and yes, it’s natural. After all, they are their own individual personalities. This can make it a little chaotic inside their room.
Hence, a room divider gives them their own sense of privacy.
So, if you want a setup that your kids can easily grow with until their teenage years, invest in a wall divider like this one.
You can clearly see how this setup clearly marks their own zones. There’s also enough space for them to design their part of the room however they want to.
Here are more ways to create a room divider!
Use a shelf as a room divider.
This will give your kids privacy when they need it and add more storage space to help organize their bedroom!
Choose an open shelf like this. It can be used on both sides of the room so both kids can share the storage space.
Use different colors to divide the room.
Apart from setting up a separator in between the beds, you may also use different colors to further highlight each separate zone in a shared bedroom.
As you can see, the colors were used on the bed and on the floor, so the difference is very obvious.
Use a curtain as a room divider.
This is probably the simplest, and yes, the cheapest solution to divide a shared kids’ bedroom into their own personal zones!
If one wants privacy, simply let the curtains down.
Use curtains even in bunk beds.
It can be really difficult to create a personal zone in a shared bedroom when you’re using a bunk bed. But as you will see here, curtains again, can make the difference!
Create curtains for the bunk beds – one curtain for each. This way, your kiddo can give signal to the others that he/she needs some space simply by drawing the curtains down around him/her.
Use a breathable fabric for the curtains so that they won’t feel too cooped up.
A shared bedroom for kids can be challenging, but it’s totally worth it!
Sharing a bedroom creates countless opportunities to form a special bond between siblings. It also makes the most of the space that you have at home.
Any of these setup ideas can help you build a shared bedroom for your kids. Simply choose which ones you find most appropriate for your home.
Looking for more tips for your kids’ rooms? Check these out!
- How to Declutter Your Kids’ Room
- 20 Simple Ideas to Organize Kids Room
- 20 Simple and Pretty Kids Room Decor Ideas and Designs
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