Moodboard Monday: Shared Bedroom

Sammy and Abby are two children I haven't had the privilege of meeting, but I've seen their pictures over the years on Facebook. Their mom, Lisa, is a friend of mine from camp and college. She contacted me recently about putting together a shared bedroom for her two children. This presented several challenges: Sammy is quite a bit older than his baby sister Abby, they live in a rental and can't paint the room, and the children have different bedding and colors in their current spaces! They do have a sage green color in common, so that's where we headed.

Let me break it down by the number.

1. Anyone who reads my blog knows I love maps! I think a big blue one would look great by Sammy's bed and it has Sammy's existing blue and the shared green. Maps also look more "school boy" and less "baby".
2. I'm not sure if Lisa plans to get Sammy new bedding, but you can't go wrong with a navy duvet or bedspread. Notice the green pillow too!
3. Most children like looking at books in their rooms, and these shelves would look great near Sammy's bed.
4. Name plaques or initials or monograms give ownership to each child's space.
5. An easy way to add color, drama and whimsy to a space is to hang colored paper globes from the ceiling! If Sammy isn't thrilled with the idea, they can just go over Abby's crib. 
6. The children have a tall white dresser that will be in their room. One child's clothes will go in there while the rest of the clothes will go on shelves (existing) in the closet. Lisa didn't tell me much about the layout, but the dresser could act as a division between the beds and each child's "side" of the room. It's also a great surface to display photographs of the children or favorite trinkets of Sammy's that Abby shouldn't get into. 
7. Another easy way to distinguish between the two spaces is different area rugs for beside each bed. I chose a bold green and white striped rug for Sammy and a whimsical pink one for Abby. Lisa could choose two similar ones in different colors or two exactly the same, depending on what looks best to her.
8. Since sage is the common color and the room will be white, colorful curtains would be a great choice for the window. Lisa could find some light-blocking pre-made curtains, or make some with fabric she likes. The ones in the example even have contrasting trim and a different color at the bottom. So fun! 
9. Abby's white crib has pink, brown and sage bedding that she could continue to use.
10. The children have a toy storage shelf that will be in the room as well. I had to include this one because it's a great example of something colorful and very full of toys, bins and books, yet it's not cluttered. 
11. The closet in the room currently has mirrored glass doors. Lisa said their landlord wouldn't mind if they replaced the doors, but my suggestion would be to add corkboard (which you can get by the roll) to the top section and chalkboard paint to the bottom. Chalkboard paint is available in many colors too! Lisa could also put a layer of magnetic paint under the custom-colored chalkboard paint and skip the cork board. Just a thought!

So there you have it, a shared boy-girl bedroom that accommodates a school-age boy and a toddler girl. Do you have any thoughts, ideas or solutions to add?

For some reason I can't access Polyvore anymore! Does anyone know why? I used Olioboard instead and liked several things about it! Most of the inspiration pieces for the room come from the Land of Nod.

Good luck, Lisa!