Decorating a Shared Bedroom
Not all of us had the luxury of being in our own bedroom growing up. Some of us had to share it with a fellow sibling. Whether it was for a season or the duration of our time at home, blending two different design styles in the same room can get a bit tricky.
How do you decorate a room for two sisters with completely different tastes? What if one is super sporty and the other is wonderfully artistic and creative?
Laura and her team at Vintage 61 Storehouse went live on our Facebook page with LOTS of tips and inspiration for decorating one bedroom for two very different sisters.
Find a Source of Inspiration
The easiest way to get started on any room decorating project is to find a source of inspiration. Whether it’s the pattern on a throw pillow, colors in a favorite painting, or (in this case) a chippy door, one simple object can be a jumping off point!
Laura and resident interior designer, Miss Kathy, absolutely loved the character and colors on the chippy door in the photo above. They found it while they were out picking one day, and it inspired an entire shared bedroom for two sisters!
The color scheme they paired the door with includes our dusty pink, Arabesque, and our tarnished silver/gray, Trophy.
Tie it Together with Inverted Colors
Once Laura and her team decided on which colors they were going to use, they alternated each one on either side of the room.
For example, the artistic sister’s bed was painted in Trophy...
…while the sporty sister’s bed was painted in Arabesque.
Antique and Depression-Era Pieces
Let’s chat about two gorgeous styles of furniture in this shared bedroom space - Eastlake and Depression-Era. The Trophy-colored bed and chest of drawers are Eastlake style.
Eastlake Style
Eastlake furniture is typically made of oak or maple and is simple and sturdy. It was popular during the late 1800’s and was a more modern response to the over-the-top flamboyance of traditional Victorian furniture.
It’s characterized by modest curved wood on-lays, spoon carvings and focuses more on craftsmanship than ornateness.
Here’s another Eastlake style bed that the gals of Vintage 61 Storehouse refinished using Mustard Seed Yellow.
Depression-Era Furniture
The Arabesque bed and matching chest of drawers are 1920-1940’s Depression-era.
These types of pieces are usually made from decorative mahogany veneer with a lesser quality wood underneath (like poplar or oak). While the Arabesque dresser above turned out super chippy and flakey, here’s an example of a Depression-era dresser that chipped in a more controlled fashion. (Remember, if you don’t want any chipping at all, use our Bonding Agent!)
The dresser below is another example of Depression-era furniture. The top chalkboard is actually Eastlake! Can you see how they compare?
The legs of Depression-era furniture are usually slender with spherical flares at the top or bottom. They remind us of the pantaloons you’d see on a court jester from medieval times!
All of the furniture that Laura and her team used in this shared bedroom space are 100% wood. Whether the wood is thin veneer or chunky blocks of oak, you can’t really get furniture like that nowadays without paying a small fortune.
Similar Furniture Pieces
While the styles and colors of each piece in the shared bedroom are different, the Vintage 61 Storehouse team placed similar TYPES of furniture pieces in the room to unify the space.
Each side has a bed, chest of drawers, storage and an assortment of home decor.
That, combined with a shared color palette unifies a shared space while still allowing variances here and there.
Clever Storage Solutions
When it comes to storage, think outside the box. Hooks on the wall allow you to take organization in a vertical direction. Military foot lockers, steamer trunks and stacked suitcases are functional and clever storage pieces.
Add Personality With Home Decor
We’ve discussed all sorts of ways to unify a shared space. Now, Laura and her team have suggestions to help each occupant of the shared space express her personality.
For the creative sister, Laura’s team decorated with art supplies. Why hide them in a drawer when they can serve as decor?
For the athletic sister, Miss Kathy framed some jerseys and hung sporting equipment on the walls.
Little accents like these are easy ways to infuse personality into any space!
We’ve only scratched the surface of the tips and suggestions Laura and the Vintage 61 Storehouse team gave during their Facebook live. Grab a piece of paper or open up the notes app on your phone, and get ready to be inspired!
