Kids Bedroom
Executive summary: The kids wanted to continue sharing a bedroom, so I used what I’d learned about what kind of space works for them to optimize the design of this room.
While we were planning our move into the condo, I repeatedly asked my 6yo if he wanted his own room. In our “2.5-bedroom” condo, we have the option of giving each kid their own bedroom (which will happen someday anyway, when they reach the age of wanting privacy). But every time, he staunchly insisted that he wanted to continue sharing a bedroom with his 2yo sister. So be it, I have no objections. I had originally planned to give the kids the larger primary bedroom, so that they’d have lots of floor space to play on. But my plans were foiled when I realized the primary bedroom doesn’t get the best natural light throughout the day. It’s fine in the morning but starts to get darker in the afternoon. While it would’ve sufficed, the second (south-and-east-facing) bedroom is sun-drenched throughout the day, so it seemed like a better place for the kids to hang out.
After observing how the kids played in and used their previous bedroom, I knew I needed to fit (1) two beds, (2) toy storage and display, (3) a chair. I did my best to maximize the floor space by limiting the furniture. I did divide up their toys so that I could get a smaller cubby storage unit that allows them to easily reach the top (and doesn’t make me worry about tipping risks). The toys that got bumped from this room live in a cupboard in our main space, and those are more meant to be played with outside of the bedroom (e.g., board games, puzzles, activity books, art supplies, etc.)
I wasn’t sure initially what to do about the wall decor in this room. I thought I’d need to hang something above the head of each bed and even had the pieces mentally picked out, but in the end, I decided that the kids’ artwork would serve. They each have a little “collage corner” that is meant to be built out and rotated over time (I have a post about it here). I think this room is colorful and fun enough without adding more stuff, so I’m going to keep it this way unless we find that something isn’t working.
Twin bed frame: Crate & Barrel | Twin duvet cover and sheets: Macy’s | Storage cubby: Target | Storage bins: Container Store | Poster: Paper Source | Magnetic poster frame: Michael’s | Rug: IKEA | Toddler bed: Nestig Wave converted crib | Toddler sheets: Pottery Barn Kids | Woven basket: Target
On the other side of the room, we have this niche with tall corner windows. The sun streams through here all day long, making this a cheery space, if a bit warmer than all the other parts of our home. I tucked a chair here for reading, or watching shows, or whatever the kids are in the mood for. The stool is handy as a side table, which we move around depending on need, e.g., to hold a plate of snacks, or to serve as a stand for the tablet to watch shows or play games on, etc. This corner window situation is the same as the one I talked about in the dining room (see tour here), where I had to find corner connectors for the curtain rods. It turned out well in both spaces, so I’ll leave the rest unsaid … but ok, one more thing I will add is, notice how the curtains have a trim along the bottom? Well, that’s because I misjudged the height of the ceilings in the condo and the curtains I bought ended up being too short, so I added a couple inches of trim to the bottom to rectify my mistake (full post on it here).
Curtain rods: Rejuvenation | Curtains and rings: IKEA | Chair: Target | Flower pillow: Target | Stool: IKEA
If you’re wondering where the clothes are, the answer is that I keep them in a drawer unit in the closet. Dressers take up too much space, and kids clothing is so small (and I keep to a minimalist wardrobe) that there’s plenty of space for two kids to share one 4-drawer unit. I can tuck this in the closet, along with endless diaper boxes I’ve retained for storage. This way, I don’t need to sacrifice precious floor play space in the bedroom for a dresser.
Towel hooks: Umbra | Towels: Target | Drawer unit: IKEA | Basket for hamper: Target
The final thing to note is that we installed a hook rack on the side of the wall by the closet to hold the kids’ bath towels. I’ve gotten used to doing this in small space living – I tend to keep each person’s belongings out of the shared spaces (e.g., bathrooms) and find homes for them in our personal spaces (e.g., bedrooms). Even utilitarian kids stuff (like towels) is so cute, it’s easy to treat it like decor!