Shared Bedrooms-

Are you short a bedroom or two in your home?  I'm right there with you.  I live in a two bedroom townhouse so my kids have to share a bedroom.  Not a big deal - but when you have a boy and a girl at some point it becomes a problem.  That will soon change with our pending move.

I know a few people whose kids have to share rooms and so I thought I would share with you some great ideas for shared bedrooms - whether it's for boys, girls or both.  I've also included a picture of my kids room, however this picture is 5 years old so the room has gone some minor changes since (like the bedding and paint).  Nonetheless I thought I'd share with you how I made it work.

I have compiled a group of images that I feel are great examples of what you can do with little space.  But first let me give you a few pointers that should make the process a lot easier.

• take accurate measurements of the space you are working with (measure 2-3 times or have someone else double check your measurements) - you are measuring everything from wall height, wall width, windows, doors, ceiling fan height, and any wall bump-outs or niches 
• if you already have mattresses make sure you measure them too (some twin mattresses come in xl) if you're considering buying new furniture
• if you have furniture measure these too
• if you don't have furniture take a measuring tape with you when you are purchasing so that you know if it will fit in the space
• draw out a plan of the room (use those measurements you took)
• if you have furniture you are working with, use painters tape to mark on the floor the space of the furniture you are working with so that you can determine if it will fit BEFORE you start moving things around
• if you don't have furniture do the same tape exercise so that you can determine if the furniture you WANT will fit
• consider all the space in the room: if you have really low ceilings or a ceiling fan, a bunk bed or loft bed may not work; if you have super high ceilings you can "build up" (you'll see what I mean from the images)
• consider all your options: a bed with a trundle, a bunk bed and a loft bed are all great options for maximizing space - bed with storage frees up floorspace in lieu of  dressers
• maximize space by using storage bins or baskets under the bed or a bed with built-in storage

This is my kids room 5 yrs ago

 

Built-in closet, drawers and shelves.  I'm going to
miss this when we move!  

If you'd like to see a couple more images of their room click on the link below.

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Bedrooms/Boy--Girl-Bedroom/detail.esi?oid=1467418

Use neutral bedding if you're afraid of clashing colors.

Use bedding with similar colors and mix-match to coordinate
but still have individualized spaces.

Make use of the space underneath by adding
storage bins with labels.

A neutral wall color makes it easy to switch bedding and
accessories as they grow and their tastes change.

Loft bed with desk area and tons of storage.

Get creative and make a useful space of
high ceilings.

Create identifying spaces by using the same bedding
in opposing colors.

I love this room for teens!  If they have to share, at least
make it fun and cool!

You just might be the coolest parents for
creating such a fun space like this!

This is great for shared room or simply just for sleepovers.

I absolutely love this!!

Amazing space!  All inclusive - bed, storage, desk and cool!

Tons of storage!

Great hangout space.

I love that there are separate desks in separate areas.

I LOVE the sliding door for privacy!!

Use tape to mark where your furniture is going to be placed,
make sure you use the measurements of the furniture.

I hope you like some of these ideas and tips and hopefully if you need to you can find a way to implement them in to your kids spaces.

Stop by my Pinterest board to see what else I like.  http://www.pinterest.com/designdreamer/kids/

Laundry Room Happiness

Let's talk dirty...dirty laundry that is!  (wink)  Now that I have your attention, let's talk about the dreaded, never-ending dirty laundry and where it gets done.

I am blessed to be a stay-at-home Mom so I have more time on my hands than most people I know, and a lot of it is spent doing laundry.  I have two kids, one of whom likes to change HER clothes constantly.  Fortunately I have a washer and dryer at home so I can do laundry any time of the day.  I do it sporadically throughout the week so it doesn't pile up too much, although by the time I think I'm done, the hamper is full again!  At home or not it can become dreadful.  Also, I don't have much of a laundry room - it's more like a laundry closet, and it's all white....boring!  Can't really do anything to it cause the space is tight and it's in my dining room.  Nonetheless it is strictly dedicated to the laundry and I'm happy to have one.

With a big move pending I am determined to be more organized in my new home.  No room shall be left unorganized or unfinished.  I am even making a list of every room, what I need to do and need to get it organized.  I have no idea what the space will look like and how big it will be but here are some ideas I would consider.

Take a look at some inspiration laundry rooms I thought I would share with you in case you feel like sprucing up your space.

  

 

 

 

 

Stop by my Pinterest page to get more inspiration!

http://www.pinterest.com/designdreamer/laundry-rooms/