Bedroom Talk

How to decorate kid's room, boy & girl sharing?

What should I do to my kid's room???? (pics included)? I have a boy and a girl, they share a room for now until we add on the 3rd bedroom. The walls are painted yellow but I haven't done much with decorating because I don't know what to do as far as keeping it neutral! They have their own beds but one is being fixed because the wooden frame broke, they both have character bedding but none of them match the others' lol. I do want to paint just need to decide on a color, & whether or not to do some kind of theme..... Also I know the room is on the small side, which is why we're adding on so they can each have their own room. Any ideas or suggestions on a color scheme, theme, or other decorating ideas as far as the walls, etc? http://s306.photobucket.com/albums/nn272/jordana0305/Kids%20Room/?action=view&current=New006.jpg http://s306.photobucket.com/albums/nn272/jordana0305/Kids%20Room/?action=view&current=New009.jpg They are 4 1/2 and 6 1/2 :-)

Public Comments

1. Compromise: Decorate it with hotrod unicorns.
2. The first thing I usually do when I move is buy some glow-in-the-dark stickers of planets, stars, moons, comets, and so on, and put them on the ceiling of my bedroom. Outer-space themes are just as appropriate for a boy as a girl, and they're fun -- something the kids can help do as well. If you want to get fancy, get one of those gigantic, wall-sized murals of "Earthrise" as seen from the moon.
3. It realllllly would help to have the kids ages! Younger kids - You could paint the walls a light brown color (or a light soft green) and get a character border of dora and diego (boy AND girl!) If they like them, Backyardigans also work too because most borders have all the characters! Or you could do white walls and have random sizes of polka dots in a brown, black, green, anything neutral Preteen- Do light brown also If one of them is going to have their own room later, you could always add pink or blue or green borders or trim to suit the color they want! Or you could do like a black and white theme with patterns (polka dots, a black vertical paisley stripe, etc) ALSO you could do gray walls, with black trim/borders with dark red accents for a rock star look. Teen - Have THEM make a list of their dream room and try to sit and compromise with something to make them both happy! Either way, you could google ideas for shared bedroom style ideas! EDIT-PS:::: Please rate or let me know if these were good ideas or not! I love feedback and would love to know if i helped! Edit for updated ages- I would definetly try my younger or preteen ideas, the preteen ideas work well because its so gender neutral that as young kids it would be fine, and as they grow older it would be VERY simple to update as needed with art, furniture, and accent peices!
4. I agree the ages are really what you want to consider... you may want to get something that will be around and that they can grow with... One paint thought is to stick to primary colors... or you could pick some really hip furniture then choose the paint from there.... a great place to start is the decor from Ikea... they got some amazing things for decorating kids rooms... depending on your style and pockets... JcPenny Kids Furniture is allows nice and you can build the room to suit your needs with their modular systems... I think Ethan Allen also have some great kids decor! Also check in any kids furniture in your area for ideas... but personally I love black so my son has a black crib and the matching glider... and I was going to get a black dresser from JcPenny or Target. When it is time to upgrade from the crib I saw some blue furniture set at Costco that I liked and RC Wiley has a BLACK pirate bedset (which I absolutely adore)!!
5. I'd do a shade of green which is gender neutral. At this point I wouldn't worry about a theme; I'd wait until the 3rd bedroom is done. You could do red or navy accessories for your son and pink or green accessories for your daughter though. Those would go well with green.
6. I suggest a thick vertical stripe pattern on the walls, maybe in a soft blue. You should stay with something that's functional for both of them and will continue to be functional as they age. Yellow curtains would be nice, with no embroidery as this is too feminine for a boy's room. For the floor, I suggest bamboo area rugs that will extend just past the sides of their beds. No one likes cold tile in the morning, and bamboo is a classy way to provide some warmth for little feet, and it's easy to clean. I'm loving the natural wood of that wardrobe. I personally think the shelving on the walls should be the same way. Don't theme your room- it's too easy to lean more heavily on a gender when a theme is selected. Blue and yellow are very gender neutral colors, but, if you think blue is boyish, then find a way to integrate peach colored fabric into the room. If you want to define their spaces, use pictures over their beds that are unique to individual tastes. That way, as they get older, when their interests change the definition can also be switched.
7. Here is a great bedding set for your son:http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Galaxy-6-piece-Bed-in-a-Bag/3191200/product.html?rcmndsrc=6 here is great bedding for your daughter :http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Go-Fish-Aqua-Plaid-Patchwork-Quilt-Set/4665636/product.html http://www.overstock.com/Baby/Bacati-Botanical-Sanctuary-Multicolor-Toddler-Bedding-Set/4348729/product.html You can paint the room a very light blue.http://www.myperfectcolor.com/Benjamin-Moore-1677-Colonial-Blue-p/mpc0006094.htm http://www.myperfectcolor.com/Benjamin-Moore-2062-60-Blue-Hydrangea-p/mpc0004457.htm Have fun decorating.