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When we down-sized from 2200 to 1475 sq feet, we knew it would mean that our boys would share a room for at least a few years. I wanted to create a space for them that was functional and stylish, and made the best of the space we had. Thankfully, the house we found had a decent sized room for them to share. These are a few of the elements of their shared room that make it work really well for us right now!
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Twin beds:
Bunk beds were super tempting, but we decided to forgo them for now for a few reasons, with the main one being that our youngest is a MAJOR “what will happen if I try this” dare devil. The other reason is that we are a family of major snugglers, and we still lay with our kiddos at night before bed, to read or just chat at the end of the day. It’s just easier to crawl in and out of a “regular” bed. And making the bed is for sure much easier when it’s not a bunk. So, a pair of budget- friendly twin beds (similar one found here), it was! This is not to say that we won’t eventually go the bunk bed route (probably full-sized bunks vs. twins), but for now, this is perfect for us.
I also made sure that we’d be able to fit things under the bed, such as the boxes the kiddos keep their art in (this one is similar to the one we use). Under-bed storage is another excellent use of space. I LOVE captain’s beds that have drawers underneath, but I didn’t want to invest in them, knowing that the boys would be outgrowing them fairly quickly.
A dresser between beds (vs nightstands):
I promise you that this will not be the last time I tell you that, when living in a small house, you have to make the most of each and every bit of space you’ve got! So, as pretty as some classic night stands might be, we wanted something that would be multi-functional. Each of our kids have a “collection” drawer in their dresser, where they put their treasures. Rocks, McDonald’s toys, and other random trinkets have a home in there. When that drawer is too full to properly open and shut, it’s time to clean out it! The other drawers house their undies, socks, hats, and swimsuits, and their other clothes are hung in the closet (I will show you that, too). So, it’s a dresser, but it is used like a nightstand, too. A lamp, books, tissue box, and the inevitable bedtime drink-of-water cups are found here.
Narrow, tall bookshelves:
We wanted some easy-to-grab storage for the boys’ books (books are not something we typically downsize on very often!). We needed something shallow but wanted the piece to be tall so we could utilize the space more efficiently (use height whenever you can!). So, we picked this one up at Ikea, and we love it! It also mounts to the wall, for safety.
Make the most of closet space:
Thankfully, the boys’ closet is an excellent use of square footage. It’s got great shelving for toy storage. Plus, we hang 80% of their clothes in there, and hanging their clothes has been life-changing. These are the clips we use for all of their tops and bottoms (minus PJs).
A large basket for quick weekday clean-ups:
I fought against this one, because I don’t typically “do” the throw-it-all-in-a-basket-and-walk-away type thing. I like order. What can I say?! But for several months, I tried the “each toy has a place.” We even had a shelf where everything was sorted out neatly. Guess what? It didn’t work for my boys. Sometimes that’s how it goes.
My kiddos are easily overwhelmed with big messes, and during the week they are tired. So, we were just leaving the mess for the weekend and then they’d clean it all up on Saturdays. But now, we clean up during the week and it takes us 5 minutes because we just throw the mess in the basket (really cute one found here). Then, come Saturday, we dump it out and put it back where it goes (usually bins in the closet). It has made it so much simpler for them to keep a tidy room during the week!
I hope you have found this post helpful, and have found some inspiration for making the most of the space in your kiddos’ rooms, whether you have a big house, or a little one like ours.
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*A few of these items are “substitutions” I found for items that are no longer available or could not be found online. *
