shared siblings space

With one of our recent design clients, a sweet gal named Jen was looking for some simple solutions for a shared sibling space. She and her family are frequent movers as a part of the military, so she had quite a few needs for a high functioning space with three of her children.

For two girls and a boy, Jen wanted to make sure they each felt like they had their own space, just for them.

This is a space we personally, really related to, since all three of our own children will be sharing a room for at least the next year in our new-to-us home. It needed to be gender neutral, fun and inviting. Another big need, is making sure these ideas are some that they can move with them, as well as addressing some of the temporary storage issues within the space.

So we were more than happy to put our heads together for some ideas in this space. We always believe that there are major budget savers, and practical pieces, along with investments for a room. {But we always try to provide an alternative to the investment pieces, as well.}

Moving as often as they do, there’s a lot to be said for strong pieces that hold up and last and still have a ton of character to express who their children are in a fun space. It’s wise to invest in that. We also tried to think carefully about each child’s space within the room that expresses them and the things she told us about them. We know that’s important in a shared space for each child to feel like they still have their own area. So without further ado…

 1. The Rug 

Starting with a colorful rug, I adore these geometric shapes which give the floor a little personality and really pull the whole room together. It should work in future rooms as well, because the colors are soft and versatile The 8 x 5 is 70% off at checkout, so we thought it was a great option to tie everything together, and perk up the space.

2. Lantern

We spied this and thought it would be so fun to put in the space. It adds a lot of character, would glow in a fun way for the kiddos at night, and folds up nicely to pack away when not in use or moving. That saves on needed space for a lamp. She could do a cluster in the corner if you want in various colors. And it’s a little bit of a tribute to that Texas star, from whence they hail. {I have no idea why I just went medieval but let’s just roll with it} They’re adorable for kids rooms.

3. Shelving

When she mentioned her oldest son on the top bunk, he sounds just like our oldest. He likes to put things in his own space in his bed, and we joke that he’s our little architect. We thought this may help him feel like he has his own space, if they include a few of these shelves on the wall next to his bed. He can even arrange them any way he likes to store whatever he wants, and they shouldn’t be too intrusive for his sleeping space. A nice compromise, maybe, for all the little things he loves to take with him to that top bunk.

4. Bunkbed {+ see linen in 12}

Just a photo of a white bunk for inspiration, she mentioned they didn’t mean for the stain to be so dark, and that they didn’t want to take on any painting projects at the moment. We TOTALLY get it. This is just a proposal for the future, to tie the space  together: when they relocate again, it may be worth their time to take it outside, sand it down, and give it some fresh coats of white. Bunks are big and bulky by nature, and they will seem less so if painted a light color.

I’d love to see a curtain underneath for her daughter who sleeps on the lower bunk, for her own space, and big imaginations ;} we have the how to for our curtain at the bottom of this post here {linen, attached with a copper pipe} We did this with our loft, and the kids have loved it for years.

If they feel like doing simple long panels for the windows that they can take with them, I’d love to see that same linen. It would really open up the space and lengthen that area, but again… it all depends on what they feel up to, or to file away for future reference depending on the layout of the next space.

5. Window Seats

This is a great way to utilize seating in the space, but when they move, they can definitely take it with them and still have them as extra floor cushions in the next home. We say grab a few of these, + some of these for some shots of color + This yellow one because yellow. ;} They may not fit this space perfectly right now, as I see those windows have some different angles. But this way they can stack them when not in use, too. I love these punches of color for a space shared by siblings. It really ties their bedding together, too.

6. Old books

If you check out our Ronald McDonald House pics, we used old children’s books as accessories for shelving. We’re dorks and like to have them in every room. Just something to consider later for timeless colorful accessories.

7. Accessories

We love everything she sent over for ideas. That elephant is so cute and would look adorable on that bookshelf as a bookend, and the letters would be great clustered on the wall for art. Another idea for the Texas Star she mentioned, would be this project here. It is a little DIY, so it all depends on what she wants to take on… maybe just for future reference, and maybe even in another space. ;}

8. Jenny Lind Bed + 9. Bed tent

She mentioned that her younger daughter’s toddler bed is still working. This is just for the future. I love this one but know it’s pricey. We found Emerson’s old one at the flea market, and it was a genuine vintage. Then we sold it a few years ago, and still totally regret that choice now that we’re moving again :/ But at least it went to a good home. So it just helps to know ahead of time, but you never know what you’ll find. We found a headboard and footboard and built rails for it. The how to is here for future reference.

I love the idea of defining her own space with this sweet little bed tent. It hangs easily from a hook, and helps her feel special with her own space. I also found this image for inspiration {attached – source linked here} if you wanted to hang it differently, or DIY your own. Just for reference, again.

10. Bedding 

To tie everything together, but still give them their own defined spaces, these twin duvets are adorable and unbelievably cheap. I also adore these quilts that you can reverse for the girls if she wanted + a fun color for their little boy. This way they can ‘pick their own colors’. She could also pair these nicely with the pillows above. Our kiddos are about to all three be sharing a space for a while – I’m so tempted to do something like this and then evolve from there over time. The colors are so fun.

11. Storage

They decided to make that built in desk work for in the meantime. And we’d love to see them grab up some practical storage pieces to use it for storage and actually utilize it while they live there. We would put this basket underneath the desk to store the bigger things, These bins on the desktop, to help store items and stay organized + the wire baskets for the cabinets.

12. Shelf

We think your shelf is adorable and would love to see it displayed with some of your meaningful accessories and fun old children’s books. If she doesn’t want to paint it {it sure is pretty just as is} something that would lighten it up without ever taking a paintbrush to it, would be putting a back on it. We are biased, we know… but our fabric here would be pretty fun. We have a discount for our design clients to use if they want to utilize our fabrics. Anything similar to that would be fun, too.

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We hope this helps spark some ideas, and that it addresses their concerns for each child. Or inspires some of you out there who are in the same shared space/maybe moving adventure as all of us in the future! It’s so much fun and will be a part of their fondest memories, for sure.

What are some of your favorite tips for shared sibling spaces? We would love to hear your ideas – Have an inspired day!

Please note out of respect for our clients, we no longer share the sources here, unless they are from our studio or that of an independent artist. Please feel free to check out our spring specials, here!