How to Decorate for Girls Who Share a Room

Using space well is essential in a shared room.

Using space well is essential in a shared room.

In many homes, it's necessary for the children to share a bedroom. While the experience can be good for them, it's important to make it as comfortable as possible and to let the children feel as though each has a space of her own. Even if you have two children of the same gender, such as two girls, their tastes may be very different, which can make it challenging to decorate the room so that both are happy.

Choosing Colors

While many people automatically choose pink for girls, all girls have different tastes, and it's important to take this into account. It's best if you can find a color that both girls want for the walls, but if you can't, there are some ways that you can use the situation to your advantage. For instance, if your girls like different colors, but the colors go well together, like pink and lavender, you can paint one side of the room or one corner one color and the other the other color, making both girls feel as though they have their own space. You can also choose a neutral color, such as a beige, and use accents or stencils on one side that are one girl's favorite color and do the same on the opposite side, but with the other girl's favorite color.

Dividing Space

There are many ways to divide the space in a room so that each girl feels that she has a space of her own. For instance, you can designate different "zones" that belong to one girl, the other, or to both and are shared areas. You can make the zones more visual with wall colors or carpets, if desired. If it's necessary to make the zones more apparent, you can use beds or bunk beds as the divider for a room. Actual dividers, such as partial walls, screens or curtains are also good ideas. For younger girls, you can use fabric to create small "canopies" or tents, which your girls may like as areas to retreat to and have privacy.


Storage will always be important, and even if your girls share a lot of things, they'll need plenty of places to put their personal possessions. Bookcases can be very good methods of storage, and you can use risers to create more space under the beds. Be sure that both girls have the same amount of space for storage to reduce fighting or resentment. To make things easier, you can use storage containers that are in two different styles or colors so that it's easy to see which container has items that belong to each girl. You can potentially use a third type of container for shared items.


While learning to share is important, it's also important to not give reasons for one sibling to resent the other. Try to make sure both girls have the same number of windows on their side of the room or that windows are in neutral or shared areas. The same consideration should be made for the door. Having some wall space to decorate with personal photos, pictures, or posters is important as well. If there are shared areas in the room, try decorating them with items that both girls like or with pictures of family. Along with architectural features, there are some types of furniture that are best to not share; for instance, as the girls get older, they will probably both want their own desks for schoolwork. As another consideration, girls often enjoy experimenting with their appearance, and if yours do, you may want to make sure that each girl has a mirror on her side so that waiting for it is not an issue.

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