We live in a small three-bedroom house and we are not moving or adding on anytime soon. Big Girl has her own room, and will continue to for a while, because she is older and has her own "things" that I know Bunny Twin would destroy. Plus, I think that Bunny Twin and Buddy Twin enjoy being together. I think if I separated them, it would be very difficult for them and they would be pining for each other. So they will remain together for now.
I know it will not last as they get older, but I believe they can be together for quite a while, quite possibly into elementary school. I have a friend with four children -- three girls, two of whom are teens, and one boy -- and the youngest girl and boy share a room. They are 10 and 9, and it still works for them in their situation right now.
Of course, every family is different. We may eventually add on to our home. Or create a bedroom suite in our basement when our oldest is in high school, a la Disney's "Good Luck Charlie." But that's far in the future.
In the meantime, I needed a solution to create a cute boy/girl bedroom for the twins as we transition them into regular beds. And hopefully one that didn't require a new paint job. One of the most popular posts on this blog is one about Decorating for Boy/Girl Twins so I know I am not alone! Today's post will share some updates on decisions I am working on.
I had been gathering ideas for what seems like ages on a special Twins Room Pinterest board, pinning bedding, furniture, accessories and inspiration rooms.
I have finally solved the "bedding" question, with the help of my mother, who offered to purchase the twins' new quilts for their December birthday. I am eternally grateful because (a) I love them! (b) I could not afford them myself and (c) they will be something I can use forever, even after they possibly switch rooms, etc. I have very vintage taste, and these are just my style.
Here's a pic:
I think they work well for both little boys and girls. The pinwheel design is whimsical to me, I can use different colors of bedding for each kid and accessories on each bed to make it personal. And the light green color matches the color of the walls. (The quilts are from Country Curtains, which is a local store here but also has a popular catalog.) Whew! This is big sense of relief to me to have this one decision made. I know that seems crazy, but I had been looking for something not-too-boyish or not-too-girlie or something coordinating (hard for boy/girl) for so long. Pottery Barn Kids used to offer some great boy/girl options but they seem to have scaled back that in recent catalogs.
Intially we will be using mattresses on the floor. It will easier for the kids to adjust to not falling out of bed. We have to purchases twin mattresses, and the next decision I have to make is deciding if we will need box springs or not. It will depend on the future beds we purchase, and in my dreams I would like beds with storage underneath. Most of these types of beds do not use box springs. I know this sounds crazy to be worrying about this right now, but mattresses, box springs and beds are a big expense. If we don't need box springs, I don't want to buy them.
One of the great pins I found includes plans to make this bed:
This would be so ideal for my little ones! We could store things underneath (you can make drawers or use baskets) and I believe it would be a good layout for their room. You can also store long-term items in the corner cubby. I also like that the twins would have their own space, and that I could put a little lamp in the corner if they want to read in bed. I don't know how much it would cost to make, and I haven't presented this idea to my husband yet, but I believe it would be much cheaper than purchasing beds, which cost at least $700-$1,000 each. These units can also be separated and made into little daybeds. It's also very, very similar to a Pottery Barn Kids bed that I really liked.
I'm thinking of using a few "farm" accessories in the room, since both kids love farm stuff, and Buddy Twin loves tractors and Bunny Twin loves animals. I used a large decal in Big Girl's room, and I loved how easy it was to dress up the wall. Here's one from the same brand that I love:
It is very cute, and an affordable way to make a impact on the wall space. They also are removable, which is a nice option to change out the look of the room without much effort. (Let's just hope the twins don't decide to try and remove them on their own!)
I also know that I want a pair of these:
I have a similar one in Big Girl's room, and a tall bookcase has been a lifesaver. Although the twins' room is very small, I plan to have two tall bookcases so there is room to store the incredible amount of children's books we have, and also for each child to have their own space for special collectibles on the top two shelves. I believe when we remove the changing table and the existing short bookcase, there would easily be room for two of these and the small bureau. Ideally, I would love to add a taller bureau from Ikea but that's another added expense and not necessary right now.
I'm hoping to tackle this project and the bed transition after the holidays. Until then I will keep gathering ideas and keeping an eye out for bargains! Stay tuned!
Are you having your own boy/girl decorating dilemas?
Share your thoughts, concerns and ideas in the comments!
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