Home visit: ideas for a shared kids’ bedroom

In their bedroom built into the eaves, Sydney (9) and Neo (6) have their own personalised areas, with a partition wall dividing their beds, colourful bedding and curtains they can close for privacy.

To give each bunk its own character, the children picked out a mix of cushions and chose their own design for a washi-tape motif on the wall. By pushing the cushions up against the wall, they can use their beds as mini sofas during the day.

Different rugs on the floor help zone each child’s bedroom space using pattern and colour. Add small stools to provide a handy bedside surface for night lights.

Each child’s stool is initialled – try washi tape to personalise simple furniture and make it feel unique. It’s easy to remove and change whenever Neo and Sydney want to try out a new design.

Use hooks and shelves to display kids’ favourite toys and drawings around their room – and keep clutter off the desktop. Neo and Sydney share their desk, but they each have a desk chair in their own choice of colour.

Make it easy for kids to get creative, with individual drawers for their art materials and a colour-coded sticker system for each child. Neo and Sydney wrote their names on stickers so their things don’t get mixed up.

"The children love nothing more than relaxing in their bunks and pulling the curtains closed so they feel like they have their own space," says mum Sylke. "But I’m more likely to find them playing together on the bedroom floor!"