Decorating a shared children’s room can be tricky as those sharing the room are bound to have different ideas about how it should look.
Search for some common ground between the two – a theme, colour or object that both kids love – and use this as your starting point. It might be something as simple as doughnuts, used in the room on the left in the bedlinen and accessories.
The wall by the door is painted in a diamond pattern to echo the bedlinen
How to achieve harmony
Give each child a separate area of the room
to decorate, so they both get a say in how the
room will look.
For a cohesive feel, consider getting two of
the same item for key furniture pieces, such as
beds, desks and chests of drawers.
Reversible duvet covers can be flipped to a
different side on each bed so that each has a
different pattern but the overall colour palette
of the room stays the same.
Add cushions and patterned pillowcases to
mix up the bedding.
Use toy boxes to keep a shared room tidy and
paint them in a pattern that echoes the theme
of the room.
Use a paint effect to give each child their
own ‘zone’, like this diagonal device, or just
straight up and down between the beds.
Yellow and blue room: Divide up the space with a wall painted in Resene Frozen and Resene Sunkissed (try Resene Tulip Tree). The side wall is in Resene Foundry and the floor is in Resene Quarter Alabaster. A diamond pattern was created on the door to echo the bedlinen by painting the whole surface in Resene Quarter Alabaster and then masking it before painting sections in Resene Sunkissed and Resene Tussock. The toy box is painted Resene Quarter Alabaster with diamonds in Resene Frozen, Resene Tussock and Resene Sunkissed. › Learn more about this look
Grey room: If your kids will be sharing a colour scheme, look for other ways to create individuality between their personal spaces. Perhaps one would prefer a daybed over a traditional single or a patterned curtain to define their bed rather than a headboard? Even with these differences, a strong colour palette will make the space feel unified. Upper wall in Resene Half Athens Grey, lower wall in Resene Rakaia, timber floor in Resene Colorwood Mid Greywash, arch headboard and vase in Resene Cinnamon, skirting board and curtain pattern in Resene Eighth Masala, curtain rail, hook rack and stool top in Resene Ebony Clay and small plant pot in Resene Crail.
Just because your children share a bedroom doesn’t mean they necessarily need to share a colour scheme. And using colour to clearly – and fairly – divide the space could serve as a way of keeping the peace between older children. The wall and floor on the left side of this room are painted in Resene Finch while the right side is in Resene Thor. To make the scheme feel cohesive, paint all the furniture in the same colour, such as Resene All Black, and choose artwork that shares a similar vibe or colours in common.
Note: Use a stencil to trace shapes on to paintable wallpaper from the Resene Wallpaper Collection, available at your local Resene ColorShop. Paint them with Resene testpots, cut them out and tack them up to take your wall mural from two to three dimensions.
Green and blue room: Divide a space harmoniously with two complementary greens. The wall to the left is Resene Finch and the right wall is Resene Thor. Beds and bedside table in Resene All Black. Creme room: It’s hard to argue over what belongs to who if each child has their own. The walls and floor of this twin room are painted in Resene Island Spice, the bedheads are in Resene Scandal, the cabinet is in Resene Wax Flower, the lightshade and basket are in Resene Splash and the plant pot is in Resene Scandal. You don’t have to spend a lot to create a stunning room. These bedheads and cabinet were bought secondhand and revived with paint.
One child is crazy for dinosaurs, the other is obsessed with butterflies. When decorating a kids’ bedroom or play space, there is no need to play favourites if you use a cohesive colour palette to tie together two or more seemingly conflicting ideas. Shades of dusty pink and silvery sage blend beautifully on walls. Use fun stencils so you can make sure both kids’ interests are enjoyed in a shared space.
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Welcome to our World of Colour!™ Colours shown on this website are a representation only. Please refer to the actual paint or product sample. Resene colour charts, testpots and samples are available for ordering online. See measurements/conversions for more details on how electronic colour values are achieved.