There’s a certain kind of magic that happens after a home renovation. The dust settles. The floors are finally done. You walk through your space and it feels new. Lighter. Like everything is ready for a fresh chapter. Especially when that chapter is a shared kids room for two brothers, growing and changing side by side.
P.S. If you’re reading this in a carpool line and want to save the full story for later, you can watch the complete kids room install video in under three minutes by clicking the button below.
The Moment That Sparked the Change
That’s exactly where we found ourselves recently. Standing in the hallway on our fresh new floors, looking at our boys’ rooms, and realizing we were ready for the next sweet shift in our family life: a shared room for sleeping, and a playroom for playing.
At the same time, we officially said goodbye to our nursery. It lived in a different room, but it marked such a big chapter for our family. You can see Anton and me installing the original nursery here. 🥹
Today, I want to tell you all about the shared kids room I thought was just for sleeping. But surprise! It's turned out to be for jumping, laughing, wrestling, and yes, eventually, sleeping.
"A shared kids room isn't just about space. It's about
growing up together."
Why a Shared Room, and Why Now?
Our boys are 2 and 5, and lately they’ve been orbiting each other constantly. They start their mornings together, spend afternoons building tiny worlds on the floor, and somehow always end up in the same space, even when they’ve been intentionally separated.
Anton and I both have the best memories of sharing rooms with our siblings. You get to giggle, maybe stay up a little later than you’re supposed to, and feel safer knowing your buddy is just an arm’s length away. So we decided it was time. A shared room. Not just any shared room, but one that feels intentional, warm, playful, and a little dreamy. The kind of space that grows with them and still feels like childhood.
Our Pre-Makeover JItters
Moving two kids into one room can come with a few nerves at first. Will it feel crowded? Will someone feel like they’re losing space? Will bedtime turn into chaos?
The good news is, the room doesn’t feel crowded at all. The spoiler alert is that bedtime can still be a little chaotic. (But I’ve read this is just them regulating their little nervous systems before sleep, so I’m happily choosing to believe that.)
Designing a Shared Room That Grows With Them
We wanted their shared room to feel like it truly belonged to both boys. Instead of squeezing in double everything, we leaned into a few pieces that could do more than one job at once: sleep and play, storage and style, comfort and durability.
We started from the ground up with the rug. We wanted it to anchor the space, support all the color in the room, and quietly hide the signs of two little boys who love to play outside. Inspired by natural sisal rugs but made to be more durable, this Safavieh rug felt like the perfect foundation, and honestly, how could we resist the one little sheep?
The Heart of the Room: The Bunk bed
The centerpiece? A bunk bed with stairs and a slide. Yes, a slide. Because if you’re going to make a big change like sharing a room, why not make it feel like the coolest upgrade of their lives?
We chose a bunk bed from Max & Lily, and it immediately changed the entire vibe of the space. It’s not just a bed. It’s an activity. A mini playground. A built-in adventure that makes the room feel exciting without needing more stuff.
And it went together so quickly, even though I had a little helper.
"The bunk bed isn't just a bed. It's an activity, a playground, and the heart of the room."
Max & Lily Bunk Bed • Anchal Modern Kantha Quilt • House of Noa Striped Chair • Mej Mej Village Wall Decals
When Walls Tell A Story
The bunk bed is the heart of the room, but the walls are where the storytelling happens. I used four of our Giant Houses from the Rooftop collection to create this backdrop. For us, we wanted something playful and imaginative that still feels clean and elevated. It instantly gave the room character without overwhelming it. Playful without being loud. Whimsical without feeling busy. Just the right balance of happy and calm.
I pulled from different house combinations we’ve grouped in our Build Your Own Village section, which makes it easy to mix, match, and build over time.
I decided to add a few more decals from our Farmers Market collection because I wanted to layer in a little learning. Very mom of me, right?
Letters and numbers are always on our minds these days, so the Farm Fresh Alphabet felt like the perfect fit. The boys love pointing out letters, and my five-year-old has already started “quizzing” his little brother in the most big-brother way possible. It’s the kind of detail that makes the room feel interactive, not just styled.
"The walls are where the storytelling happens."
Softness Layered with Fun
Let’s talk bedding. I wanted the room to feel playful and bold, but still personal. The kind of mix that feels collected rather than coordinated. Pieces you love, layered together until it feels just right.
The tiger sheets from Anthropologie bring just the right amount of wild (because boys), while still working with the calmness of the decals and the new floors. A little edge, a lot of personality. We finished it off with lightweight modern quilts, because cozy matters just as much as style, plus a few embroidered throw pillows. I love embroidery, and they love throw pillows… to throw.
The result feels fun, balanced, and very them.
Trending (at my house): The Mustard Era
Let me pause for a second. There really isn’t a single theme to this room, other than things I genuinely love. But if there were one word tying it all together, it would be '"mustard." The color, not the food.
I sprinkled in pops of mustard throughout the space to create a sense of cohesion, and honestly, I’m fully in my mustard era. It somehow goes with everything. Design, fashion, and hot dogs, too. ;-)
"The truth about sharing a room is this: it’s only adorable if it doesn’t turn into piles o' play things everywhere."
Storage and Style
The truth about sharing a room is this: it’s only adorable if it doesn’t turn into piles o' play things everywhere. I went with baskets that are large enough to hold the daily mess, but simple enough that the boys can actually help clean up. It’s not an epic chore. You toss, close the lid, and boom. Chaos hidden.
Because Anton is Danish, a little Scandinavian influence always sneaks its way into our spaces. We’ve collected a few special pieces during visits to Copenhagen, including this woven basket, which adds both color and storage. You can find similar styles by Rice at Maisonette.
A Place to Land | Comfort That Multitasks
Even in a shared bedroom, kids still need their own little places to land. We added two seating options that flex with different moods and moments.
The Ferm Living bean bag is stylish even though it's all about flopping down with a book or catching little bodies flying down the slide.
The House of Noa seat adds structure and flexibility. I chose bold stripes in different colors for each modular piece. It fits two boys easily, works for fort-building, and unfolds into a twin for those inevitable 3 a.m. sleep-duty moments. Cozy for them, and cozy for us, too. Win, win.
When the Room Becomes Theirs
The most surprising part of this entire room upgrade wasn’t how cute it turned out (though… it’s very cute). It was watching how quickly the boys made it their own.
The first night in the bunk bed, our 5-year-old proudly climbed into the top bunk like he had been waiting his whole life for this promotion. And our 2-year-old stood at the bottom of the slide, giggling like the room had just become a theme park. They whispered to each other longer than they should have. They played “one more minute.” They asked for “one more book.” They stayed together. And that’s really what we wanted. A room that holds their childhood together.
→ Watch the story unfold (2-ish minutes)
"And that’s really what we wanted. A room that holds their childhood together."
This room won’t stay exactly like this forever. Eventually, they’ll want different things. Different colors. Different interests. More independence. More privacy.
But right now? Right now, this space feels like the perfect reflection of them: playful, cozy, sweet, and full of life. And every time I walk past the door and hear little footsteps running up the stairs or the soft thump of someone plopping into the bean bag, I feel so grateful we did it.
If you’re considering a shared kids room, I hope this gives you a little inspiration to trust your instincts and lean into what feels right for your family. Enjoy the planning, the making, and especially the watching of two little humans growing up together.
With love,
Jules (and the Mej Mej family)
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The Author: Julianna Larsen
Julianna is a lead illustrator and designer at Mej Mej, and the "daughter" half of the mother-daughter artist duo behind all of our artwork. Her creative journey began in her mother's art studio where she learned to use pencil and paint long before she could spell "art." After earning degrees in fine art and design, she now creates in her own studio—with two little boys watching her work, just like she once watched her mom. From watercolor to digital art, Julianna brings imagination to life in every piece. Together with her parents, Cathy and Jim, and her husband, Anton, she helps design, manufacture, and ship unique children’s gifts to families around the world.
