Photography: Lisa Cohen | Styling: Madeline McFarlane
As our lives change, it goes without saying that our home will also continue to evolve to keep up. Welcoming a child (or two) to the family is a major change that can have a herculean impact on your home and the way the space works within it. Some families may choose to upgrade their lodges altogether, while others will knuckle down and reassess how they can work with and maximise the space they already have.
Whether you opt for two twin beds that can be moved to separate rooms later on or go all-in on a bunk bed, there are plenty of space-saving options for shared kids’ rooms out there. And remember, shared bedrooms are not only for kids. They’re also great for guest rooms, and hosting adults that may not mind sharing a space, but would rather not be in the same bed!
How do I give privacy to a shared bedroom?
It may seem like an impossible ask, but a shared bedroom is still a bedroom after all. And, it’s likely, its inhabitants will still want some privacy while in the space. So, what are some ways you can design a shared space and still provide an element of privacy? Well, you can consider things like screens and room dividers or the typical – but fan-favourite – bunk bed.
The way you choose to position the beds can also help with privacy. For example, you can position them back to back so they’re not looking at each other while in bed. Where you position other items in the room can also help, such as curtains, bookcases, and desks that can block any direct lines of sight.
17 shared bedroom ideas you’ll want to steal
Conceived as a generous, flexible space to accommodate visiting friends or cousins for overnight stays, this bunkroom by Kimpton Interiors presents a crisp, white foundation layered with classic fabrics, artworks and gentle lighting. “This restrained approach allowed the room to feel calm, timeless and adaptable as the children grow,” says studio founder Lucinda Kimpton.
The owner of this home in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, lives and breathes in her sunsoaked, cosseting courtyard draped in bougainvillea. Here, the basement level houses a rumpus for young children, lacquered in a light blue coloured paint. Here, custom beds adopting a scalloped bed head are complemented by pinstripe bedding, ‘Tolomeo’ lamps and frivolous artworks from Wallify.
Lucinda Kimpton, a Melbourne-based interior designer, was charged with revamping this provincial family home. The result is what she describes as “a beautiful blend of rural charm and convenience, with a timeless character and rich sense of Australian history.” Here, the guest room features two singles beds, an abundance of texture and pattern fabrics, and continues the halcyon interiors used throughout the home.
When they’re not juggling the footy, kids, social events, work and the hectic to-and-fro of weekday appointments, this young family is decompressing at their holiday home on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, where the brief was “all about warm, clay-based tones with peach hues,” shares interior designer Bree Banfield. Behind the living room is the kids’ wing, where pink lacquers the walls, and an eclectic loft bed features allows for additional sleep space above a double bed.
Interior designer Kate Walker was tasked with filling this lovely Lakehouse-style home with a sense of romance and nostalgia. The upstairs bunk room sleeps four people, and features patterned fabrics, stools from Etsy and striped carpets.
This sweet shared bedroom of two sisters, in their renovated farmhouse home set amongst the vineyards, looks twice as good, with matching bedheads, valances and cushions made by Lady Chatterley’s Affair in Brisbane.
Having shared bedrooms in guest accommodation is a hugely popular option to make space for as many people as possible. The second bedroom at The Barn at Rangeview, fit with two comfortable twin beds, can be enjoyed by kids, couples, and friends, alike.
Josh and Jenna, former contestants on The Block, have been restoring a crumbling cottage in rural Victoria, and have recently shared their daughter’s sweet shared bedroom. While the girls will eventually move into separate bedrooms, they currently love sleeping next to each other, and looking at this pretty pink space, awash in Dulux Mornington paint, we don’t blame them!
The shared kids’ bedroom in this modern farmhouse property expresses the same style DNA as the rest of the home – dark stained oak floors from Tongue N Groove, V-groove walls in Dulux Antique White USA Quarter, the same beam ceiling and layers of white, grey and beige.
The attic bedroom in this stately French-inspired country home fits two single beds perfectly and looks like a snug little space to settle down into after exploring the misty Southern Highlands during the day. It’s also proof that shared bedrooms needn’t be reserved for kids.
The sweet bedroom of interior designer Charlotte Coote’s daughter is primed and prepped for friends to come and stay over. Charlotte was inspired by the work of late British designer David Hicks, and included details like handmade scalloped canopies and soft pastel pinks.
The shared children’s bedroom in this colourful Federation home in Sydney, with interiors by Arent&Pyke, has custom bedheads that pick up the colours in the space, including the dusty pink walls and vibrant yellow carpet. It’s such a pretty space we can’t imagine they’d ever want to move out!
Charming antique twin beds in the guest bedroom of this country cottage in the Upper Hunter Valley in NSW make quite a statement in this shared bedroom.
One clever couple turned this old steam train into an atmospheric holiday home, and all the kids love to stay in the converted twin room. Because aren’t adventures always best when shared?
The old stables near a historic bungalow in Blackbutt, Queensland have been converted into guest accommodation. To be able to share the space with as many people as possible, the restored rooms have been fitted out with multiple beds, creating cosy shared rooms.
A shared room for kids both little and big alike! This cosy country farmhouse features a mezzanine level that’s designed to host guests at any time with multiple beds, ample bedding and cushions filling the floor.
“Being a little out of town, we had a bunk room constructed, making it easier to accommodate extra friends after evenings of entertaining,” homeowner Sally McGarry says of the fun shared bedroom at her Byron Bay home.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
.jpg?resize=380%2C285&format=auto)
