Decorating tips for shared bedrooms

Decorating a shared space for kids can be tricky, especially for siblings of the opposite sex or those with very different tastes. You don't have to resort to painting the room half blue and half pink to appease the kids, however. Here, we offer a few style tips for decorating a shared bedroom, from gender-neutral colors and patterns to fun themes that will appease both boys and girls.

Themes

Tonnes of great themes work well for both boys and girls, and all can be done in muted tones that don't scream "boy's room" or "girl's room":

Jungle

To achieve this look in a gender-neutral way, use colors inspired by the jungle like greens, browns, khakis, creams, yellows with some punches of bright colour as accents. Try these understated and sophisticated wall decals that will help you complete your jungle theme without going totally wild.

Moon/stars

When considering a nursery theme for your boy/girl room, look to the heavens. A sky-inspired theme is a perfect way to decorate a both-sex bedroom. We can't get enough of this sophisticated yet soft moons-and-stars theme nursery from Pottery Barn Kids.

Seascape

Designing your child's room like it's under the sea provides a great gender-neutral theme because the options for pattern, style and color (pastels vs. bolder/brighter tones, for example) are truly endless. Of course, blue is a central color here, but an ocean-themed room doesn't necessarily mean "boy room." Incorporate fun colors such as pink, orange and yellow in the fish, coral and other sea life to give this theme a softer look. Check out Target's rendition of the underwater world for a shared nursery. Your child will love going to bed if it means she gets to go under the sea!

Patterns

Choose a pattern, then use it in one color for your son and another for your daughter. For example, instead of a theme, go with stripes, dots or a combination of both that can be designed in either a fun/funky or more subdued pattern. Dots of varying larger sizes and colors can add some fun to a room. Think small, similarly-sized dots for a more sophisticated room.

Furniture

Most simple nursery and childhood furniture can work with either a boy's or a girl's room. Select a simple style devoid of ornate details in a simple wood finish that can complement any décor and multiple decors as the kids get older.

Expression

Older kids form definite opinions on how they want their rooms to look. Give them a little free reign to decorate--but avoid the all-black look! Allow each child her own space within the shared room that she can decorate how she wishes, and give her little freedoms of expression such as choosing fun pulls for dresser drawers or picking her own pillows. Keep the main overall theme, along with bedding and furniture, coordinated to keep the room tied together.

More nursery tips:

• Shopping tips for a baby nursery
• Customized nursery checklist
• Paint fumes & decorating the nursery