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Make Way for Siblings

Creating a Room to Share

By Sarah Van Arsdale

Next, consider the mood of the room. Any child's room should have a playful, childlike quality, and this is especially true with two kids. Bunk beds instantly help with this mood: They serve not only as a place to sleep, but also as the frame for a fort or a gymnasium from which to hang over. In a shared room you do want to make it as easy as possible for the kids to keep the room organized, so a couple of brightly colored toy bins and laundry hampers are in order. Again, these don't have to be fancy; oversized plastic boxes do just fine as toy chests and have the advantage of being available in different colors.

Finally, you want everything to harmonize in the room as much as possible – a tall order with two individuals trying to exert their identities as they form them and then grow and evolve. Try to get the kids to agree on a color scheme for the room, so that even if Lisa wants floral prints and Lauren wants plaid, they'll go together more if they're in the same colors. The colors don't have to be identical, but should be in the same range, such as blue and green, or red and orange.

And just make sure you get that bigger place before going ahead with kid No. 3.

Want to see more?

• Cost-efficient Decorating: How to Jazz up Your Preschooler's Room and Stay Under Budget
• Harmony at Home: Feng Shui in Children's Rooms
• Decorating a Baby Nursery: No Need to Break the Bank
• Talk about it!