When Eliana and Lia asked to share a room we were more than reluctant to agree but after a brief trial period we soon realised it wasn’t just a good idea but a great gift we could give our girls. Not only would it settle the “I don’t want to sleep alone” debate but it’s a fantastic opportunity to bond and learn consideration and respect for others. So we started planning our toddler bedroom to share…

1st, we needed a theme. Not wanting to go with something trendy or our own we decided to let the girls make most of the decisions. I told them to keep their eyes open and show me what they would like in THEIR room. Eliana fell in love with a Lolali swan but wanted it in black (her favourite colour), Lia just kept asking for a “pink room” that sparkled.

We had a colour scheme; black, pink and gold. I decided to include white and grey just to soften the overall look.

We also had a theme; swans and all things magical. Eliana; our “black swan” – intense, passionate and beautifully unique. Lia; our “white swan” – whimsical, fun and overflowing with contagious happiness. The room, a perfect combination of their personalities but also including special touches unique to each.

Time for mama to get to work!

If you’ve seen our Playroom Transformation you’ll know I’m all about beautiful spaces that are practical and functional too and I would apply my same “zone approach” to the girl’s bedroom. Planning different areas for different functions needed in a toddler bedroom.

ZONE 1: A place to DREAM.

Obviously, this is a big deal being a bedroom after all, but I knew space needed to be used wisely.

G7 Euro Designs (Email me for enquiries) made this amazing wall-to-wall custom bed and the girls chose their own headboards. A black cloud with star cut-outs for Eli and a cute white house for Lia.

Beautiful Grey, Bunni Bedding available from Clever Little Monkey gives a cloudy look and feel to the bed and the gorgeous collection of scatter cushions all over the bed adds a confetti of happiness – who doesn’t want to dive into them?

We also love blankets and a particularly spectacular Dusty Pink Pom Pom Crochet blanket from Baby Couture stole our hearts. Lia sleeps with it every afternoon.

Moon and Stars Wall Sticker by Panda & Frost. (See if you can find their cute Peek-a-boo Bunny Sticker peeking out somewhere…)

Bed Canopy and Golden Dream Pillow set by Moocachoo.

Sleeping Eyes Pillow case by ZANA.

Black Koeksister Pillow and Light Grey Knotted Pillow by Sprout Kids Co.

Black and White Grid Pillow by Scandi Home Decor.

Pink, black and white triangle Pillow by Mayalief.

Bordeaux the Swan by La Fede.

ZONE 2: A place to KEEP TREASURES.

The number 1 challenge was making room for 2 girls in 1 space (girls have a lot of stuff). Everything needed to be dual functional… Starting with the bed. I am OBSESSED with the hidden drawers under the bed. Finally somewhere to keep everything! YAY!!!!

These days you can buy beautiful colour-coordinated toys but like all kids our little ladies are also My Little Pony and Frozen fans, so why even try convince them otherwise. To be honest I love playing with all the cool, new toys too. Only downside, I do believe a bedroom needs to be calm and sleeping with all your favourite things staring at you can be a bit much so now our problem is solved. Everyone gets put to “bed” at the end of the day, ready to be loved again tomorrow.

The pretty keepsakes from memories gone by and a handful of favourites that don’t over stimulate get honoured spots to be lovingly displayed on our industrial shelves by Cactic Manufaturing. And yes, Alec or I add fresh flowers to their room every week or so – a little tradition Mr. Perfect started way back.

Babushka Forest Nesting Dolls by Mayalief.

Deer Watercolour Print by Simply Child.

Personalised Baby Milestone Blocks by Work of Heart.

Pax the SnowMonkey sisters and Money Boxes by La Fede.

Fox by Lolali.

ZONE 3: A place to PLAY

Playroom or not, kids need a play area in their room. A pretty Hello Dovetail table works perfectly for when the girls want to play with flash cards, unpack the Sylvanian Family home, do a bit of crafts or fantasy “house” play, whatever they desire…

YAY flag by ZANA.

Animal Flash Cards and Activity Cards by Mayalief.

Bear Thread Toy by La Fede.

ZONE 4: A place to HIDEAWAY.

Another important place to consider, because even when sharing a room, everyone needs a little space in which to escape and be alone every now and again.

A lovingly made teepee from My Tiny Teepee does the trick and especially during the toddler years when emotions run high our little teepee is a sanctuary of calm in which the girls can retreat when needed.

Black Crochet Carpet by Scandi Home Decor.

Black and Ivory Bunni  Raindrop Carpet from Clever Little Monkey.

Adorable Swoon Pengiun Pal by La Fede.

ZONE 5: A place to BE YOURSELF.

We want to teach our girls about “slow living”. Taking time for yourself, being quiet and just spending time alone, doing something quiet.

Books are a BIG, no HUGE part of our lives, drawing and tea parties too. What can be nicer than reading a book over a cup of tea and drawing or “writing” something afterwards? That’s why we wanted a little reading and writing nook; their “calm corner”. We will spend a lot of time talking, sharing, discussing and making memories RIGHT HERE! (It’s what we gals do…)

Bunny chairs and Round Table by Hello Dovetail.

Book shelves by Simply Child.

The Twins – Blanche and Milan by La Fede.

Flower Fox by Lolali.

Bunny Watercolour Print by Simply Child.

“Slaap Sag” print by M. Studio.

Extra helpful hints:

Splurge on a good quality, well organised closet. Think of it as creating 2 separate closets. Easy Life Kitchens have fantastic solutions for optimising minimal space and did such a good job creating closets for our girls. Double hanging space, enough drawers and shelves make for easy putting away and access. We also chose huge mirror doors to give the illusion of more space and double the light inside the room.

Storage should be easy and child-friendly. These fabric baskets by Scandi Home Decor work wonderfully and the girls can easily see where to put everything away.

Hide smaller toys that might not be age-appropriate for all roommates (like Eliana’s Sylvanian Family collection; it’s Lia’s mission to chew off all their fur…) in closed boxes. Out of sight, out of mind. Safely stored for alone play.

Place those toys that seem to always be left on the floor, cars, figurines, all those “made to step on at night” in open boxes / baskets. Easy to move around to wherever play may take you.

The girl’s adore their “Room to Share” and I loved creating it with them!

I’d love to hear what you think, please feel free to leave me a comment below or even share our room with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

PHOTO CREDIT | Anje-Ilana Nel from Madison & West. With the exception of 1 or 2 amateur shots, you’ll spot them easily…

Special thanks to Annapatat Kids  for making the girls look and feel magical on the day of the room reveal. And La Fede, those Pierrot collars just added that special touch. So much love to you too.