One Question: Boy & Girl's Shared Bedroom

'One Question' is a series I started to answer reader's decorating questions with a hope to inspire others who have a similar dilemma.  My cousin recently asked me how I would style a shared bedroom for her little boy and girl.  Her son currently has a little bit of a western style in his room and her daughter has a lot of pink.... now that the kid's bedrooms are going to be combined, she's willing to makeover the new space they'll be sharing for a short time, but without spending a fortune.

My cousin describes her style as classic with a few modern accessories, especially anything with a chevron or ikat print.  She'd love for the kid's room to have a school-type feel and is willing to take on some DIY work to keep within her limited budget.  I think she's very creative and will have fun putting the room together (with some hands-on work).

Mood board for a little boy and girl's shared bedroom:

The details:

1.  Paint Colors:  I thought a light and dark teal color combined with orange would be the perfect colors for a boy and girl's shared space.  To make the room more feminine for the girl's area, I also threw in a bit of pink....my favorite color!  To balance these bold colors, I chose Moonlight White for the wall color and Simply White for the trim, both by Benjamin Moore.  The paint colors are both a creamy white and with light colored walls, it'll really open up the space and give a clean feel (I know how fast a kid's room can turn messy!).  It will also help to emphasize the furniture, fabric and pattern colors!  To add a bit softness and dreaminess to the room, I chose a very light teal color for the ceiling, Adanna Aire by Mythic Paints.  (That's all DIY project #1- paint walls, trim, ceiling).

2.  Girls Bedding:  The girl's bedding has a little more pink than the rest of the room.... I'd start with a simple set of white sheets and a comforter or quilt.  Then to dress it up, add a few girly pillows..... I rested a pink and orange smiley face Hold Me Tight Pillow by Land of Nod in front of a larger orange, pink and white chevron pillow made from Anette Tatum Bohemian fabric (that's DIY project #2- make pink chevron pillow).  The green throw draped over the edge of the bed is from West Elm... it adds more color to the room and ties in with the green chevron on the boy's bed.

3.  Toddler Bed:  The girl's (or boy's) white, toddler bed shown above is the Cataline Toddler Bed from Pottery Barn Kids (it also comes in other finishes).

4.  Nightstand:  The carved wooden table from World Market brings texture to the room and is the perfect place to set a drink, book, doll or even crayons.  The round shape is more playful than a traditional straight-edged nightstand and most importantly, it has no low sharp corners.  I topped the table with a pink, orange and green Pumpkin Girl Doll and a Color It In Art Set, both from Land of Nod.

5.  ABC Cards:  These ABC cards are an awesome free printable from Design*Sponge.... the entire alphabet is available for print (4 letters/page)!  It was intended to be used as a birthday card (cute idea), but I'd print, cut and glue each card onto twine and drape it across the room, from wall to wall.... kinda like a banner.  (DIY project #3- make ABC banner).

6.  Curtains:  The white curtains are from Ikea, Ritva Curtains.  They're affordable and can be easily hacked..... since orange is one of the main colors in the room and my cousin is swooning over ikat prints, I chose a small orange ikat fabric for trim on the curtains.  The fabric is made by Michael Miller and available thru Tonic Living.  The fabric would need to be cut and sewed (or glued onto the curtain), but what a difference..... quick update and beautiful outcome.  Janell, from Isabella & Max Rooms has an amazing tutorial on adding trim to curtain panels.  (DIY project #4- add trim to curtains).

7.  Map:  Anthropolgie's vintage map wall calendar is adorable... I'd tear out a page (or maybe more), frame it and hang the map on the wall.  On the board it's hung above the twin bed, but if more maps were framed, I'd group them together.  (DIY project #5- turn calendar maps into framed artwork).

8.  Boy's Headboard & Bedding:  My cousin is grounded in the classic style, so I opted for an upholstered, nailhead trimmed headboard.... the Kate Headboard from Z Gallerie.  The design is simple and would work well as the kids get older (or if it needs to be moved into another room).  An upholstered headboard is actually an easy DIY project and could be done for a much cheaper price than purchasing a finished product.... Centsational Girl has two awesome headboard tutorials here and here, she uses a curved headboard but the tutorials could also be adapted for a straight headboard.  (DIY project #6- make headboard).  To stay with the classic look, I added a Blue Oxford sheet set by Ralph Lauren.  They're so perfect for a boy's bed... the blue and white pin stripes can be coordinated with a variety of prints, classic or modern.  A white comforter or quilt would look great folded over at the bottom of the bed with a white bedskirt and a green throw (same as the toddler bed) laid on top.  To finish the bed, I'd set a few bold pillows at the top using two fabrics: Annette Tatum Bohemian Chevron Teal and Sunny Side Orange Crush.  (DIY project #7- make teal chevron pillow and orange pillow).  Lastly, to make reading in bed more enjoyable a floor lamp is always a great addition.

9.  Print:  To give a personalized touch to the room, the I Am A Child of God print from Persimmon & Pink would look great hung on a wall in the bedroom (maybe above the toddler bed).  The colors in the print help to bring the room together..... teal, yellow, orange, pink.  Perfect!

10.  Painting:  The abstract expressionist painting, from Robert Bangert available tthru Etsy, is absolutely beautiful.  It's a stretch on the budget, so I'd recommend letting the kids create their own artwork together on a large size canvas.  Let them use the same colors shown throughout the room.... and to keep the masterpeice from turning brown after all their paint colors have been mixed and swirled around together, paint one color at a time and let it dry before getting out another color.  This could be a week long art project.... I know it's something my kids would love to do.  (DIY project #8- let kids create large painting masterpiece).

11.  Dresser:  The orange dresser, by Sydney Barton, is amazing!  I love the bold color and I think it's a great piece to add in a shared bedroom.  Of course this another DIY project.... (project #9- paint dresser).  To paint the dresser, Sydney used an orange color called Corlsbud Canyon (076) by Benjamin Moore.  Whether you have a dresser or purchase one at a consignment store, this project could be really fun.... you could also change the look of an outdated dresser by updating the hardware!  On top of the dresser, there's a few things I thought necessary in a kid's bedroom.... books (Clothbound Penguin Classics available at Anthropologie), lighting (Stacked Geo table lamp available at Target) and since I placed a doll next to the toddler bed, the dresser has a turquoise dinosaur.  On the floor is another must-have, Alphabet wagon and blocks available at Anthropologie.

So there you have it.  A shared space for a little boy and girl that's classic, yet modern and full of DIY projects!  I can't wait to see how the bedroom turns out!