Decorating for a Boy/Girl Room

My twins are growing up and I know soon they will be progressing from cribs to beds. My house isn't big enough for each to have their own room, and my older daughter is seven years older than her younger sister, so for the time being, the twins will continue to share their own room. I think they like it that way, and will continue to like it that way, since they love being with each other. So we will continue in the "shared room" vein for a few more years, at least.

Of course, this presents a decorating dilemna. How do I make their room cute? How do I pick coordinating bedding? I'm sure I'm not alone in this issue. When I planned their nursery, I had a hard time choosing bedding, until one day, during a visit to Babies R'Us, I fell in love with a Cocalo line of bedding separates.

The sets each featured elephants -- you could buy patterned green sheets for both, and elephant sheets like the one in the girl's version, in both blue and pink. I chose it all -- the bumpers, the bed skirts, and both sets of sheets for each. They are so cute, so cottagey and vintagey -- which I love. Neither had a quilt, but who really uses that? I chose soft blankets for each, and the twins love their blankets, even now, 2 years later.

I painted the room a soft green color, which worked well with the bedding. It's hard to find a good color for boy/girl room, and since my older daughter had a yellow nursery, I wanted something different.

For a while I've been thinking about how this room will "grow" with the babies. They are 2 years old now, about the same age my older daughter progressed to a regular twin bed. Buddy Twin is a climber, and Bunny Twin is soon to follow suit, and before I know it they will be escaping the cribs on a regular basis. With that thought in mind, twin beds are on the horizon and I need to think about a transition for this room.

I'm always looking for coordinating bedding that will fit in the green room, since I don't want to paint it just yet. I'm guessing the kids will be in beds by this summer. (I'm dreading the thought of how insane it will be when they can get out on their own and run around!!!)

The update will likely be costly: Two new mattress sets, two bed frames (although I might do the mattress-on-the-floor thing initially) and two new bedding sets. I'm still thinking about the possibility of toddler beds for a few years to postpone the big expense and same some space, but I'd still have to get the beds ($100 or so, combined), plus figure out the dreaded bedding. You may think "What does it matter? Throw some blankets and sheets on the bed and be done with it." But like many of you, I want their room to look complete finished and fit my style, however eclectic that may be. And, of course, I have to fit that into a modest budget.

Source: google.com via Kellie on Pinterest

I loved this bedding set from PBKids,

but alas, it's gone!

I've been browsing and trying to gather ideas to fit to twin beds (Thank you, Pinterest!). For a long time, I had a few Pottery Barn Kids quilt sets in mind, but alas, all -- that's right, all! -- of them are now gone from the catalog. And then PBKids had two sets based on "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," which were perfect for a green room, but now they are gone too.

(Pottery Barn -- what gives??? You keep taking all my choices away. I'm disappointed because their "shared spaces" tab only really has boy/boy or girl/girl rooms, but there are some of us with boy/girl twins! And I always put them on my mental wish list to wait for a sale/coupon, and then they disappear. PB, you need to fix this issue and think about us with boy/girl rooms.)

Source: tipjunkie.com via Kellie on Pinterest

Another great PBKids coordinating set that has disappeared...

PBKids also offers Dr. Suess-themed bedding, if one is looking for primary colors and having a matching set for both children. I'd like to have my children's beds' "coordinate"  but I do want them to have something different so that each feels special and has their own look to their bed.

Target has a pretty cute (and affordable) alternative: Circo bedding has an "ABC" comforter set, with blue for boys and pink for girls. There is the color green in both designs, which means they would work in our current twins' room.

Has anyone else had this issue of decorating for a boy-girl room? How long did your twins share a room? Did you have a gender-neutral theme? If there is an much-older sibling in your house, did you move your girl twin in with the older sibling? (Just curious.) Share your tips and experiences in the comments -- I'd love to hear them.

(UPDATE: I wrote a more recent post on boy/girl decorating here. And there will be more in the future, so keep reading the blog!)