Shared bedrooms for kids can often be the perfect compromise for growing families, and in fact for those younger siblings that just love the idea of sharing!
Striking the right balance between design and practicality becomes even more important to ensure the needs and age are satisfied appropriately by the design.
No matter your budget, there are lots of tips and tricks to follow to create both a beautiful, and practical space that both kids can enjoy. Keep on reading as I share my tips on how to design the perfect shared bedroom for kids, along with plenty of inspiration to kickstart your project.
How to Design the Perfect Shared Bedroom for Kids
There are lots of elements to consider when designing both a kids bedroom, and one that is shared. Firstly you need to consider the ages of the two kids, as pairing a toddler with a ten year old is going to mean big differences in what they both like, and how they spend their free time etc.
Good design all comes down to how the room meets the needs of who lives there, so writing a list of how the room is used will help with styling details, are reading nooks needed? As well as the type of lighting options the room needs.
The below list is everything you should consider before starting to design and plan a shared bedroom for kids;
- What ages are sharing? – This identifies what needs have to be fulfilled, bigger age gaps are possible to accommodate, but it will make the design slightly trickier to tackle
- How is the room used throughout the course of the day – sleeping, watching TV, homework, reading, crafts etc
- This will influence the type of lighting required, e.g task lighting required for homework and reading
- Colour palette – take inspiration from your kids taste, but consider muted tones that won’t stimulate those little minds before bed
- Key details – are there specific themes or ideas you could centre some of the theme around that both kids love?
- Sleeping arrangements – the size of the room will very much dictate your options here as to whether bunk beds or individual beds are an option, choosing the beds will allow you to anchor the design around this as it’s generally the largest item in a kids bedroom
1.Soothing Colour Palette
No matter whether it’s a little girls bedroom or a shared bedroom for twins, a soothing colour palette is something I always recommend.
Harsh, bold colours can be over stimulating, specifically at the times you don’t want them to be, hello bedtime! Leaning into softer, more muted colours creates a more relaxed, soothing environment.
Soft greens, blues, greys, off-whites, pinks, yellows and even reds in certain doses are just a few that will help to create a soothing colour palette for any kids bedroom.
2. Grown Up Bunk Beds
Bunk beds have been seeing quite the resurgence over the last few years, no longer considered outdated, they really are a super cool addition to a shared bedroom space.
Bunk beds can feel grown up and elevated with the right design. Instead of bog standard, off the shelf bunk beds, bespoke joinery to create them is quite the trend at the moment. The benefit of this approach is that it will fit the space you have perfectly, and it can be custom made to fit your requirements.
Take example of the bunk beds below, with custom steps, a cosy built in feel and added space underneath for toys, storage and beyond.
3. Clever Dividers
As kids get older they quite rightfully want to have a little bit of extra privacy and you can be creative with adding some clever dividers to give them their own dedicated space. But you can think outside the box on this one.
Slatted panels are a really simple way to add instant privacy to a bunk bed, yet still allowing light to pass through seamlessly.
In the bedroom below, I adore the wooden divide with moon shaped cut outs, it keeps things social if the kids want it, but also allows privacy when it comes to bed time.
4. Modern & Elevated
How chic does the below shared room look? As kids get older, giving them a more grown up, elevated space is really important.
Use a couple of their favourite colours as a starting point to create something really beautiful. Using a good off-white or warm neutral on the walls creates a perfect backdrop, allowing you to add colour to bedding and textiles which is really easy to update over the years as they grow older, and their tastes mature.
5. Combining Different Ages
As your family grows, bunking kids in together can be a much easier and more affordable option than moving house, and sometimes this may mean that there is a bigger gap between ages.
This works perfectly in the room below with a crib and kids bed setup. The walls are neutral with colourful styling which can easily be updated as both kids grow, designing a bedroom for kids needs today and with a view as they grow is key to longevity and minimising design/decorating work every couple of years.
6. Bunk Beds Maximise Space In Small Rooms
Small room? Bunk beds are the saving grace, getting more bang for your bunk in the same space.
Tiered style beds like the one below are super for getting additional storage into the room whilst allowing for a small double on the bottom half. This is a great option if you’re bunking kids with a greater age gap.
7. Bed Reading Nooks
I adore this shared bedroom below, there’s some really fun details along with a dedicated reading nook for each kid.
It brings a sense of personality to each bed for the kid, as well as a quiet place for each of them to read their own books and relax. This built in wall shelving is a fab way to elevate the books without eating into precious floor space.
8. Coastal Themed
A coastal inspired scheme for a shared boys or girls bedroom is perfect for creating a soothing and relaxing space. If they love trips to the beach and summer holidays, this relaxing room scheme will help to transport them back to those memories.
It’s one of the easiest design schemes to nail too with a neutral backdrop and soft neutrals and blues for accent colours. Plus, there are plenty of fun coastal accessories you can add in here such as nautical animal teddies, boats and beachside bunting for some colour on the walls.
9. Plush Little Girls Bedroom
For slightly older girls, this pre-teen styled bedroom really is fit for a pair of princesses!
As kids get older, they really do value a more elevated, grown up design, especially one that they can share and show off to their friends. Tasteful pattern and elevated lighting creates a really plush feeling, especially paired with the quilted bed frame.
10. Colourful Styling
If you use a neutral soft backdrop, incorporate some colourful styling for a fun, fresh approach to your kids bedroom. Wall decals, prints, decor accessories and bedding are great opportunities to tie these colours together.
The beds are the perfect place to give some uniqueness to each child, let them have a hand in choosing their own bedding set and cushions with a similar colour tone for a cohesive, yet individual feel in the room.
11. Boys Monochromatic Feel
Leaning into a classic black and white decorating approach is a fail safe look for slightly older boys that are sharing.
It’s elevated, fresh, modern and will make your kids feel more grown up. Keep the styling similar on both sides to avoid any arguments!
12. Light & Bright
A good off-white on the walls and ceiling will help to pull any colour scheme together, allowing for simple, easy updates on bedding as your kids grow up.
A white room doesn’t have to be boring, it gives more opportunity to introduce colour and pattern through bedding, reading nooks and floor coverings. If you have a very sunny south facing room for kids, choose an off-white with a cool undertone such as Wevet by Farrow and Ball. It will balance the intensity of the sun and deliver a subtle softness throughout the room.
13. Transitional Space
Rather than leaning into one specific design trend, transitional design is a welcoming, cosy approach that allows you to incorporate both old and new elements into a space.
The combination of exposed wood and a shared trunk for a bedside table creates such a unique and fun look in this kids bedroom. How about taking your kids thrifting and getting them to choose something each that they can display in their side of the room?
14. Sweet, Elevated Palette With Pattern
Charming and sweet, if you are tackling an attic room or one with a sloped ceiling, wallpaper drenching is a fun and cohesive approach. It avoids making a focal feature out of the slope and can be a super cosy way to cocoon a room.
Don’t be afraid to play with pattern through the bedding, my one rule of pairing pattern successfully is to mix large scale with a smaller scale. Mixing a pattern such as on the wallpaper below with a stripe is a classic, timeless approach.
15. Boys Shelving
Add some individuality to each side of the room by installing a set of shelves above their bed. Let your kids add their favourite toys and bits and bobs here for their own unique element in the room.
You could do the same with a reading nook, bedside table or even with their bedding by allowing them to choose what they prefer.
16. Dedicated Reading Nook
A reading corner is always a fab idea in a kids room if you have the space, it gives them a space to calm down in, reflect and relax.
Installing some shelving like in the room below is a simple way to elevate the walls, without it eating into floor space. Add books that are age appropriate for your kids, all which can easily be swapped over, as and when required.
17. Earthy, Rustic Feel
If you have earthy design running throughout your house, it’s a good idea to try and tie it into the kids room in some way too as it helps to create a more cohesive pull throughout your entire house.
Natural elements are an easy way to achieve this, use elements such as wooden furniture, jute rugs and rattan baskets to start grounding a neutral colour scheme.
18. Keep It Minimal
You don’t need to go wild with colour and over the top with accessories that can end up creating chaos in a room scheme. A neutral colour scheme is one that won’t age, supporting your kids as they grow.
19. Retro Inspired
A fan of mid century modern design? Look no further than the below super cool, and retro shared kids bedroom.
Use wood for a grounding accent on the bed frames, using bold colour through artwork and bedding. It’s best to stick with a tasteful off-white on the walls to really nail this design scheme.
20. Inside Outside Feel
Perhaps one of my favourite shared bedroom ideas. This earthy inspired room has a definite inside outside feel, with an encompassing wall mural which ties colour into the rest of the room beautifully.
The exposed wooden panels create a camouflage feel on the upper bunk, giving a little bit of additional privacy, and safety too.
The colour green runs beautifully throughout, and there’s not one detail here which does feel intentional. The sweet reading nook up the stairs also creates a private, treehouse like feel that kids will love!
21. Fun, Tasteful Styling
Blue and red is possibly one of the greatest colour combinations, and mostly synonymous with coastal design. It has a really fun, almost beach house feel to it with wooden elements, fun frames and plenty of tasteful colours.
22. Let Them Choose Their Colours
For older kids, get them involved in the design choices, after all it’s their safe space!
Give them ideas, but ultimately let them choose the colours and style for their bedding/side of the room. It will be enjoyed even more and giving them a little bit of creative control will help them to feel trusted and more grown up.
23. Beautiful Bunk Beds With Privacy
Another example of how beautiful bespoke bunk beds can be. They are a shadow of the iron style bunk beds from 90’s past!
The upper bunk has a beautiful panelled detail for safety, but additional privacy. Painting the woodwork in a darker tone than the walls brings definition and colour into the bedroom.
If you can, designing bunks with lower storage helps the space work smarter for you.
24. Make It Fun!
We can all dream right, if budget is no object, you can seriously have some fun with a kids room!
A slide is always an exciting prospect for kids on the top bunk, and whether they’re 6 or 11 years old, it’s still a fun, novelty that they’ll enjoy for years to come.
25. Be Creative With Layout
It doesn’t always have to be bunk beds or two single beds next to each other, take lead from the layout and space you have, and be creative if needed!
The below is a prime example of this, it’s not the norm but the positioning of these two beds works whilst actually giving each little one slightly more privacy. The shared bed nook/bedside table between the two is a really lovely touch.
Which of these shared bedroom ideas takes your vote? If you have any questions about designing your own space, please leave me a question below!
