Storage Solutions For Kids Bedrooms

Space is often limited when you have small children and it is not uncommon for many brothers and sisters to share a bedroom. Sharing a room can be a fun childhood experience, but it can also be difficult as children grow and develop their own personalities and tastes. It can also be hard to keep a shared bedroom clean and organized. There are a number of decorating and children's storage ideas and tips to help you create a bedroom both children will love.

Before decorating your children's shared bedroom, talk to each child individually about their favorite colors, decorating ideas, and plans for the room. Discuss various kid’s storage options and let your children help decide ways to store their things to make cleaning up easy. Also find out from each child what they think their sibling will want the room to look like and discuss compromises they may both like.

The most important thing to remember for children sharing a bedroom is to give each child enough personal space and room for personal things. Bunk beds are a great space-saving way to give both kids a personal sleeping area, or two beds can be used, if space allows, for a more separated feeling. Let each child choose their own bedding and try to incorporate their preferred decorating colors near their bed.

Divide your child's shared bedroom into three obvious sections. You may choose to decorate each area in your child’s chosen theme or divide the room with folding screen dividers. Each child should have a personal area with plenty of children's storage for toys, clothing, and other items. The remaining area should be a shared section of the room. The shared area may include an activity table or desk if there is not enough space in the separate areas, and should have kid's storage for shared toys and games.

If space allows, give each child her own dresser or other children's storage option for clothing. If your children share a dresser, consider giving each child individual drawers in the dresser and maybe even paint the drawers in fun themes each child likes to avoid confusion. Other ways to incorporate each child's favorite colors and decorating ideas into their shared bedroom is to use colored kid’s storage bins for toys or even stamp colored handprints along the wall in their personal area.

Provide each child with their own personal kid's storage for treasures and items they want to keep private. Night tables with a drawer and shelf are great for notebooks, journals, favorite toys, and books. A personal shelf beside each bed will work just as well for children sharing bunk beds or a room with limited space. Locking boxes for each child will allow privacy for their individual treasures. Children’s storage bins that hide away beneath the bed are also a great way to give each child their own storage space.

An organized shared bedroom can help separate each child's personal things and give them each more privacy, but it may not end the cleaning difficulties. Be sure your children's shared bedroom has a convenient waste basket and plenty of kid's storage. At least once a day, have both children do a quick cleanup of their section of the room, as well as the shared section. Help them learn how to clean quickly and to go through their toys on a regular basis to get rid of broken things and items they no longer play with.

Gary Clay is an authority on kids storage, and owner of storage solutions shop, Monkeyshine.