Boy and girl shared small room ideas: How to create separate spaces

When siblings share a room, it can be an amazing bonding experiencing that brings them closer together. But as a parent, you know that anytime you walk by the door of that shared kids’ bedroom, you’re just as likely to hear stubborn bickering as peals of laughter.

While all siblings have their differences, when it comes to a boy-girl pair, the differences can be more dramatic. Even if your son and daughter are a super-close dynamic duo, they probably have different tastes. Maybe one gravitates toward unicorns and rainbows while the other wants all things planes, trains, and automobiles.

So, how can you come up with boy and girl shared small room ideas that will keep the peace? The key is to carve out separate spaces even within your small space. These five shared bedroom ideas will help you do just that.

5 boy and girl shared small room ideas

These shared kids’ room ideas go way beyond choosing a gender neutral color scheme. With these tips, you can create a shared space that gives both kids a little personal space and some room for self expression.

1. Loft beds

Beds take up a lot of space in a small room, so a loft bed is the ultimate space-saving solution. By lifting your kids’ mattresses high into the sky, you leave all the floor space open for other uses.

For little kids, you can use the floor space as a play area. For older kids, you can add a desk or bean bag to create the ultimate hangout zone.

Because each child in the shared room will have their own loft bed, they can also claim the space underneath — giving them their own side of the room. You can even add a curtain around the bottom of the bed as a fun DIY project. This will give each child a private escape and make them feel like they have their own bedroom.

Here are a few of our favorite loft beds for a shared kids’ room:

• Jenner Twin Futon Workstation Loft Bed: This bed has everything a kids’ bedroom needs. There’s a bed, a desk, and a futon where your youngster can hang out with their friends. And with all that, it still doesn’t take up any more space than a twin bed.
• Hyde Twin Workstation Loft Bed: This sophisticated design is great for slightly older kids. It has an extra large desktop underneath where your child can work on school projects or play video games.
• Timber House-Designed Twin Loft Bed: This adorable bed will spark your little ones’ imaginations as they fall asleep in their own house each night. It’s perfect for a toddler room — the space underneath is just high enough for a toddler’s reading nook or play area.

2. A bunk bed

As long as your little ones can agree on who gets the top bunk, then a bunk bed is another ideal piece of furniture for a small space. It uses up half as much room as giving your kids separate twin beds. And if you put the bunk bed along one wall, it will leave the opposite wall free for storage furniture, like dressers and chests.

While a bunk bed may seem like it gives your kids less private space since they literally share a bed frame, this option can be a great opportunity to create individual areas within a shared bedroom. Just like with a loft bed, you can add curtains around each level of the bunk to give your son and daughter some privacy.

These are some of the best bunk beds for a boy-girl bedroom:

• Wenco Twin/Twin Bunk Bed with 3-Drawer Storage: With the bottom bunk resting close to the floor, this bunk bed design provides plenty of headroom for the child on the bottom bunk. Plus, with three drawers built-in, your kids will have extra room for clothes or toy storage.
• Atkin Twin Extra Long Over Queen 3-Drawer Bunk Bed: With storage galore, this option has a twin size top bunk, a queen size bottom bunk, and an option to add a trundle for sleepovers and storage drawers underneath. It’s a great choice for tall kids since the extra long design will keep them from outgrowing the bed frame.
• Belton House-Themed Twin Over Twin Bunk Bed: Not to be outdone by loft beds, you can get that adorable house theme in a bunk bed too. It’s a fun, gender-neutral room decor idea that can inspire the rest of your interior design theme.

3. Twin beds with built-in drawers

In any shared kids bedroom, storage is important, and in a small shared room, it’s critical. One of our favorite storage ideas to help streamline your bedroom design is to choose a kids’ bed frame that can also serve as a dresser.

A small room usually has a small closet, which makes it difficult to do without a dresser — your kids’ clothes would be bursting out of the closet doors. But it’s also difficult to fit a dresser into an already small bedroom. By utilizing the space under your kids’ bed, you’ll find room for all their belongings.

Here are a couple stylish kids’ beds with storage:

• Wrangle Hill Twin Storage Bed: This bed frame uses every inch of space available to add extra storage. With four drawers, a cabinet, and a bookcase headboard, each of your kids will have room for clothes, toys, books, and knick knacks.
• Phoenix Twin Bookcase Bed With Underbed Storage: This bed also offers the maximum amount of storage. It has four drawers, a cabinet, and multiple open shelves where your kiddos can store their stuff.

4. A bookcase room divider

If you divide your boy and girl shared small room into two separate sides, you can make the room feel like it’s two separate bedrooms. Plus, you can decorate like they each have their own room.

Treat one side like it’s your boy’s room and the other like it’s your girl’s room. Let them pick out completely different decor to match their different design ideas. Forgo a gender neutral color scheme and paint half your children’s bedroom pink and half of it blue if that’s what your kids prefer.

To pull this look off, you’ll need a clear room divider. One of our favorite shared room ideas is to use an oversized bookcase as a room divider. Instead of having the bookcase line the walls as they so often do, place it so that it juts out into the room, splitting the space in half. Not only will you create separate boy and girl spaces, you’ll also add a lot of storage to a small room.

Add one of theses large bookcases to your kids’ bedroom to get the look:

• 3-Tier Geometric Bookcase in Salvaged Cabin: The open bookshelves on this large bookcase allow both of your kiddos to access the storage space. Add baskets to the shelves to give your children an easy way to organize their clothes or toys.
• Asher 7-Shelf Geometric Bookcase: Another open shelf design, this bookcase adds visual interest with asymmetrical tiers. Its tall bookshelves leave plenty of room for oddly shaped toys and knick knacks.
• Emelle 4-Tier Bookcase: This modern design comes in a beautiful glossy white color that matches lots of kids’ bedroom furniture. Make this the neutral piece that separates your two kids’ spaces.

5. Storage benches

Every bedroom should have a storage bench. Place one at the foot of the beds and it will instantly make your kids’ bedroom makeover feel complete. Because storage benches fit right at the end of the bed, they’re easy to squeeze into small spaces and they add more of that essential storage.

In a kids’ bedroom, a storage bench can hold off-season clothes or serve as a toy chest to instantly transform the space into a playroom. Look for a bench with a top that opens or with cubbies underneath.

These options look great in a boy-girl bedroom:

• Upholstered Storage Bench in Orange and Beige: The bright colors on this bench make it a fun addition to any kids’ room — it may even inspire your entire bedroom color scheme. The top comes off to provide interior storage, and it makes a perfect toy chest.
• 3-Drawer Storage Bench in White and Weathered Grey: For more organization, this bench has three drawers and three baskets. It will keep your kids’ gear neat and tidy.

Sharing is caring

With a little creativity, you can come up with boy and girl shared small room ideas that help your son and daughter enjoy their time together while still finding space to be apart. Our five kid’s room ideas will help you create personal space, even in a shared room, and they’ll help you carve out storage space, even in a small room.

To start your kids’ room makeover, head to a local Coaster Furniture store where you can shop in person. When you look for furniture in person, you can be sure that the look and quality are exactly what you want. Bring your kids along and let them test out their future furniture so you know the whole family will be happy with your room design.

You’ll be hearing lots of laughter coming from that shared bedroom in no time!

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