A Sporty and Neutral Shared Boys Bedroom

From sounds of stifled giggles way past their bedtime, silly or surprisingly deep conversations, to catching the older brother reading to the younger, there's something pretty special that happens when kids share a room. Don't get me wrong, there's still more fights than I'd like and at times there's not enough space for the both of them, but I'm relishing this time and one day they'll look back and remember these times fondly–at least that's what I keep telling them.

When we moved in, there were enough rooms so the boys didn't have to share, but we wanted them to continue to bunk together. For one, Luke could keep an eye on his younger more mischievous brother and we could also use the extra room as a guest/office. While we still wanted it to be a room for boys, we were leaning towards a more sophisticated and neutral design this time around. In our last home, the boys' room had lots going on–gray and white striped walls, a DIY platform bed, a chalkboard wall–nearly every trend you could imagine. For this space (and the entire home), I wanted rooms to be much more simple and serene. It probably has something to do with all the chaos that two wild boys and busy schedules bring.

We painted over the blue walls with Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter and painted the dark blue ceiling, closet doors and trim in Benjamin Moore Simply White, a creamy, warm white. The neutral greige walls and white ceiling make the room feel clean, bright and quite a bit larger.

We built the beds using plans from Jennifer Largesse at Build - Basic and utilized a few things we had around the house like the metal shelving unit and dresser from Ikea. Then we threw in some cork boards so the kids could display their artwork and a couple bug pillows for good measure. We also replaced the dated ceiling fan with an updated model from Hunter.

Source List: Walls (Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter HC-172); Trim, Closet & Ceiling (Benjamin Moore Simply White OC-117); Beds (DIY | Home Depot | Build - Basic); Bedding (Ikea | Bjornloka Duvet Cover); Dresser (Ikea | Hemnes 3 Drawer Chest); Rug (West Elm); Drapes (Pottery Barn Teen | Suite Ribbon Blackout Drapes); Kids Table and Chairs (Ikea | Sundvik Table & Chairs); Cork Boards (Ikea | Vaggis Noticeboard); Ceiling Light (Home Depot | Hunter Conroy 42" Ceiling Light Fan)

This simple paint color update we've made, from the all blue room above to the more modern, neutral and versatile room, will grow with the boys and allows us to make changes to the room later on down the road without a bunch of work.

DIY // How To Repair Your Walls with 3M DIY & A Bedroom Makeover

Our house was previously a rental property that experienced some abuse from tenants.  The owners had fixed it up and rented it out; only to have to replace the carpet and paint the walls after the tenants destroyed the place.  I totally get the frustration of having to fix what you've just repaired but using a paint sprayer while frustrated really does no good to anyone.  Drips are not attractive or easy to remove once they've dried.  The same rings true for wallpaper that's been painted over.  Unfortunately, we inherited both as well as a million nail holes all over the room. What on earth were they hanging?  I will always wonder…

After living here for 2 1/2 years and staring at the eyesores, I finally gained the motivation to tackle it all.  Actually it didn't quite work out that way.  My curious little 4 year old noticed a piece of the wallpaper peeling so he pulled at it....and kept pulling at pieces.  He took most of it off and I finished the rest for him with my trusty knife from the kitchen. Hey, it was quick to grab and I was impatient.

Move Over Big Brother: Shared Bedroom Inspiration

With less than four months until baby #2 makes its arrival, I am in full-fledged nesting mode.  Our kitchen/nook is nearly finished and will be the perfect space for our growing family, however we still have work to do on Luke's room.  He's going to be making some room for baby brother (yay!  we're having another boy!)

I love the idea of shared rooms where the boys will laugh, fight and bond together - although, the kids may not agree.  At one time growing up, my sister, brother and I all shared a room.  It was always a disaster with our ninja turtles, barbies and matchbox cars cluttering the space but some of the fondest memories were made in that overcrowded room.  How will we make it work for two children that will be roughly 39 months apart in age?

Our plan is to build a bunkbed which will give us maximum amount of floor space perfect for playtime.  The bed will also transition from baby to big kid as our newest little bundle grows so the top bunk will be reserved for Luke and the bottom bunk will be replaced by a crib during the first year.  Here's a few of the inspiration shots that have me doing the truffle shuffle which is pretty much the only dance I can manage at this point.

{VIA}

{VIA - Roberto Gil Furniture Design}