How to Decorate a Small Shared Bedroom

Knowing how to decorate a small shared bedroom can sometimes be challenging. But with a few furniture changes and the power of paint, it can be easily done!

I am starting out the new year with a fun new room makeover! My boys bedroom has been on my to-do list for years. With an eight year gap between their ages and a small 12 x 12 room, it seems next to impossible on how to decorate a small shared bedroom that everyone will love. But you know me,  I am always up for a challenge. And so far, I am already loving the progress. But first, let me show what the room as been like for the past few years.

Disclosure: A big thank you to Wagner for sponsoring today’s post. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.  

The Shared Bedroom Before

There were a couple of BIG changes that needed to happen in this room. One being the beds because Britton had treated his like a trampoline and literally bent the frame. Ugh. And since he will be four next month (say what?!!) it was time for him to transition into a big twin bed of his own. 

The second change would be the color of the room. Sebastian wanted sky blue when we first moved into the home three years ago. It was a pretty blue but a bit too striking for my taste.  Plus, the builder grade orange wood doors would need to go as well! 

So I started looking for beds and paint colors to create a shared boy bedroom design that would accommodate one (almost) teenager and one preschooler.  Even though their room is small, I knew playing with the color combination could add depth to the room. And staying with a clean modern style would work well with their different ages and unique wants for the space. 

The New Shared Bedroom Design

For the beds I found a simple, industrial detailed bunk bed combination that would be a perfect fit.  My boys have been asking for bunk beds for years too — so I figured this was sure to make them happy campers!

But what was making me a really happy camper was the new paint color palette. The trim and closet doors were going to be painted Divine White (Sherwin Williams). And to give the small room some depth, the back wall would be painted Newburyport Blue (Benjamin Moore) and the rest of the walls would be Agreeable Gray (Sherwin Williams). 

The painting task was the beginning step for this whole new shared bedroom design project! It may sound a little daunting to paint everything in this room, but I had great tools and techniques that made this whole paint transformation a breeze. My sister was here visiting for the holidays and she even joined in the fun too — it was so nice to have her help. 🙂 

The Tools You Will Need

Here are the tools I used to paint this room from start to finish: (affiliate links may be used for your convenience) 

• angled paint brushes
• paint tray
• painters tape
• painters tape with plastic
• paint stir sticks
• Studio Pro Paint Sprayer 
• drop cloth

Start with Priming the Doors and Trim

When painting a complete room, the first place you want to start is the trim. So I primed all of the wood trim, closet doors and bedroom door. Then I carefully painted those primed areas with the Divine White paint. This is the same white I’ve used throughout the whole home. To easily apply the paint on the trim, I simply used an angled brush. 

While the trim was drying, I started cutting in the room with the Agreeable Gray paint. Cutting in means to paint all the areas that are hard to paint, like the ceiling line, corners, and along baseboards and trim. Once that was dry, I began to prep the trim for spray painting by using a blue paint tape with an attached plastic cover.  I love this tape! It not only covers the trim but also spreads out into the room a good 24 inches! Perfect to catch any extra spray from the paint sprayer.

Paint the Walls In a Flash

Now that the walls were prepped, it was time for the star of this paint makeover – the Studio Pro Paint Sprayer.  This sprayer was super easy to use and painted two walls in about 15 minutes! Yes, you read that right. I finished painting the walls in no time and I wasted less paint by simply using this fantastic tool.

My sister even caught a picture of me painting one of the walls. It was amazing to watch the sprayer paint so evenly and — so fast! 

But this sprayer isn’t just for room makeovers. From chalk type, milk and latex paints to stains, urethanes and sealers, the Studio Pro is designed to spray any coating to create the look you want. It comes with two different nozzles that give you the flexibility to complete projects from furniture and cabinets to walls and ceilings like I did. It’s definitely a paint tool you want to own! 

The New Painted Shared Bedroom

So what does the room look like now? I think it looks fantastic. Forget the boys…I want to move in!

I love the Newburyport blue color on the back wall. It instantly gave the room depth and made the small room feel so much bigger. Plus this blue color looks so pretty next to the Agreeable Gray.

For a fun pop of color, I also painted the back of the bedroom door this blue too. No more 90’s orange wood! 

The whole room already looks like a completely different space and there’s not even furniture in here! I can’t wait to show you more of the progress next week. 

 

If you are looking for more painting tutorials, be sure to check out these posts below:

How To Paint Kitchen Cabinets You Will Love

The Easiest Way to Paint Tall Walls 

And don’t forget to pin this post so you can find the information easily!

UPDATE! Come see what the bedroom looks like finished with some fun Christmas decor. CLICK HERE!