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Do your children have a shared room? If so having there are numerous benefits to this such as it promotes a sense of companionship and creates strong sibling bonds. This is a great way for your children to feel comforted as they drift off, I know mine always sleep well when they share. 

Although we would all love our children to have their own space, often with small rooms or bigger families it's just not possible.

So whether you have twin beds with a little bedside table, or separate beds across the room from each other, now and again a room makeover can make the space feel more inviting. Perhaps your children have grown out of their little kids beds and now is the time to spruce up the wall decor and try some different styles. 

Consider when you last updated their bedding too. There are now great options for eco-friendly and vegan pillows or duvets meaning your children will drift off with hypoallergenic bedding keeping them warm but comfortable throughout the night.

With all this in mind and after just changing my kids rooms in the past year, here's our guide to different furniture for a shared kids room. 

Bunk Beds and Triple Sleeper Bunk Beds

Space-saving bunk beds has always had a sense of fun about it. Who hasn't tried to get the top bunk? These offer a lot of benefits for families. They are practical, look tidy and make good use of the space in children's bedrooms. 

They also tend to last, as your child can sleep in these from around 4 years old up to their teens. The first obvious plus point is that they maximise floor space. This is useful in smaller rooms or where you would like to have more room for them to play. 

Now there are also triple sleeper bunk beds available with some specialists such as the Better Bed Company. This design is where the lower bunk is a double bed, or you can have three single beds in a bunk above each other. Hanging out together like this gives a sense of cosiness and security. It's also a great option for when you have sleepovers!

With these bunk design ideas taking up the room of one single bed there is enough space for children and older kids to have other practical furniture at the side of the room. The perfect way to do this would be to add a desk or some smart space dividers so there is a separate area to play or read if the siblings are driving each other a bit crazy! 

Cabin Beds

My children have always loved the cabin bed design. These can have storage solutions within them which keeps me happy and they do feel special and high up in the captain style bed. It's always important to know how you are going to store toys, teddies and clothing, and any extra help from practical underbed drawers will make your life easier and they will find it quick to tidy away their own belongings.

Often you can have a pull out trundle bed underneath for sleepovers or should family visit and you need an extra bed in a tight space. Make sure you select the correct height bed for your child's age and that there are strong side rails with young children, in case they are active sleepers!

These beds make rooms look lovely and the beds often end up being a play area as well as they are fun to sit in and an easy way to engage with your toys.

Gaming Beds

I knew nothing about gaming beds until recently and probably would have resisted this for a long time if it wasn't for my son becoming a tween! If you are looking for multifunctional furniture with shelving, little storage units or cubby holes and a desk, this will help with not only gaming but homework and them feeling like they have their own personal space.

Having the bed above the desk area means it doesn't take up much floor space in a small shared bedroom and the chair for the bed can stay under the bunk as well. These beds are made for older children so have a strong ladder which is sturdy and will last for years to come.

One of the biggest challenges at this age is finding something which you both like and as a parent feels like it will provide good value in the long term. This type of bed will suit older children and take them through to their late teens.

Boys Beds and Girls Beds

Although our children do tend to lean towards different styles and maybe even colours, as a mum of a son and daughter I would not recommend trying to buy a bed soley for a 'boys' room' or for 'little girls'. Gender-neutral spaces do last longer and children's tastes change just like ours. You can change your decor, bedding and other items to match their fleeting desires but larger pieces of furniture are better being a blank canvas.

In terms of decor think about your child's preferences. In our experience a girls' bedroom can be made more feminine with their chosen colours (my daughter loves blue), teddies, their name or initial hung above the bed and sweet duvet covers. Even fairy lights with LEDs are great for adding some atmosphere while you read bedtime stories. For boys often having their favourite toys in a little alcove in the bed, a teddy which holds your pjs and nightlight can make it feel like their space.

These items can all be customised as you start to add the finishing touches. The key things to think about are if the bed is sturdy enough for your children's ages. If there is any storage space inside or if you have a metal frame bed can you put storage boxes underneath? Can your child easily climb into the bed and get out to go the bathroom in the night? How many years will this last them? Is there another sibling who can use it next?

We hope this has given you some fresh inspiration to make your children's shared bedroom into a little sanctuary. This is where they can learn to compromise, grow respect for others' belongings and feel a sense of security and comfort. Going to sleep with a sibling nearby can provide emotional support and companionship. They will create lasting memories as they grow up together and hopefully sleep soundly so you are rested too!