How to Design a Bedroom Layout Kids Have to Share

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Updated on July 6th, 2022

When it comes to designing a bedroom layout, there are many factors that contribute to your decisions. Where should your bed go, is the closet big enough or should you get dressers? But what if you have kids – and what about rooms that kids have to share? Whether it’s buying bunkbeds or creating separate spaces, we’ve reached out to experts from Seattle, WA all the way to Atlanta, GA. Read on to hear what they had to say.

Crib and toddler bed bedroom layout

Think of the space as a sleep sanctuary

If you want your children to sleep well in the same room, think of that space more as a sleep sanctuary and less as a play area: TVs, phones, tablets, and even loud toys aren’t conducive to good sleep, so leave them out of the room completely – opt for a cozy reading corner instead. Use warm-toned lights (especially if using nightlights) to support melatonin production and white noise to help your children from waking each other up. Allow natural daylight during wake time and then blackout dark for naps/night to help kick circadian rhythm into gear. – Little Star Sleep Solutions

Create a separate space for each child to retreat to

When children are sharing a room, it’s important to make sure each child has a separate space to which they can retreat when being together in the same space is too tricky. This might be a playroom or even a common space – or it can even be a creatively crafted area within the same room, like a closet or a play tent where the door can be closed to get space and alone time when needed. Include your children in the process of choosing their space and talk about it ahead of time when everyone is calm, not in the middle of a conflict or difficult moment. – Hilary Mandzik, PsyD, Licensed Psychologist, Raised Resilient 

Colorful Kids Room _ Moore House Design

Design: @moorehousedesign | Project: #TheColorfulTrainRoom | Photography: @zackdezon

Incorporate interactivity within the space

Over the last five years, our team has designed our fair share of kid’s rooms and one key element we always try to incorporate is interactivity within the space — this is especially true if the little residents are still quite young. Taking into consideration how a bedroom space will nurture your child, design elements that promote learning and growth are imperative. A few simple tricks we use to encourage imagination and create stylish safe havens include chalkboard paint, bedding drapes that feel like a fort, hidden passageways, and cheerful colors that you might not use elsewhere in your home. – Moore House Design

Think of the longevity of the room

Duplicate! When designing children’s rooms, I’m very careful to make things the same size, with the same features. There’s less arguing over who gets what when. What they can get is exactly the same. Think about your kids’ ages and how often you want to update their room.  You can design the room, so they’ll want to update it in five years, or you can make the overall room timeless, with easily replaceable and movable items that are in tune with your kids’ current ages. – Bryan Pravda, Founder and Principal Architect of PRAVDA ARCHITECTURE/ DESIGN, PLLC

Opt for efficient and functional storage solutions

The most crucial element of a children’s room is storage – efficient and functional storage solutions under the bed or a full storage wall will maintain a sense of calm and encourage the children to be tidy. We often create play features embedded into the design, such as a mini climbing wall, and ensure that the room has separate well-defined zones for sleeping, relaxing, and playing. Designing the space to be flexible so it can be partitioned into two when the children grow up, will also future proof the room. – Scenario Architecture

Bunk bed bedroom layout

Photo courtesy of CLB Architects, Caldera House – Photo: Tuck Fauntleroy

Utilize bunkbeds to maximize space

  1. Bunk rooms provide an opportunity to do something fun and push the design further. Throw blankets don’t have to be an afterthought or a color accent – they can be used as flexible bedding to be used for cozying up without unmaking the entire bed.
  2. Create an intentional space between beds or a divider wall between beds so occupants aren’t accidentally touching each other throughout the night – this creates a little privacy in a shared space.
  3. Provide an easily accessible and functional storage space – this eliminates belongings strewn about the room, especially in a shared space.

 Sarah Kennedy, Principal and Interior Design Director at CLB Architects

Dedicate space in the room for each child

My best tip for sharing a bedroom is to make sure each child still has a space of their own that is off-limits to the other sibling like a dresser, a shelf, a chest, etc., so that even though they share a room they still have their own things. – The Bradley Bunch

Ana is part of the content marketing team and enjoys writing about home improvement and life & style. Her dream house would be a Mediterranean style home featuring expansive windows.
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