Bunk mates

“The best par t of my room is the beds. When Mom isn’t looking, I do gymnastics on the bars.” —Ada, age 8

BE D FORTS Adding simple drapes to the beds creates whimsy while providing privacy. They also so en the angles of the bed and inspire imaginative play. Custom bed drapes, hemmecustom.com; Jute runner, $40 hm.com

LLIKE MANY OTHER FAMILIES, we noticed that after the pandemic hit, our home was no longer running at its best. Our small Victorian row house was suddenly cluttered and chaotic. Games and toys, typically reserved for weekends, were now a part of our every day and it became difficult to step around the mess. We quickly realized that our girls needed a bigger space and, most importantly, one that was organized and functional. So I took on my toughest clients yet—my five- and eight-year-old daughters—and set out to design a shared bedroom that was multipurpose and beautiful.

Ada and Eloise have shared a room since Eloise was old enough to climb out of her crib and join her big sister. They were originally in the smallest room in the house, so we decided to give them a bigger bedroom to spread out. Then I mapped out how the space needed to function. The girls required a place to sleep, a desk for crafts and virtual school (who knew that would be a thing!), storage for toys, books and little treasures, and a wardrobe system, since our century-old home lacked closets.

I’ve had some tricky clients but these two had big requests. “Pink walls with rainbows, a trampoline and a climbing wall, a giant unicorn and maybe a swing?” Dream on, girls! With careful planning, I was able to translate some of those requests into a playful and creative space with room for toys, games and activities.

My must-haves included a well-organized room that was calm and restful and appealing to the eyes. So we passed on the pink walls, but found other ways to compromise. White walls make the space feel bright and airy and provide a versatile backdrop for accessories and decor. We introduced pops of pink throughout the room, like the dusty-pink drapery, for a tailored finish. Inspired by Ada and Eloise’s love of nature, we mixed in animal motifs and floral elements.

As the girls get older, they’ve started to want more alone time to read or relax. I added breezy drapes around each bed, which they can close to create some privacy. And I purposefully chose a single desk to accommodate only one kid so that each girl has the opportunity to work independently on their own projects. (It also means they’re not distracting each other during virtual school, since Ada works upstairs while Eloise is downstairs.)

A house with a growing family is always a work in progress, but now that the kids have a functional space, the rest of the house feels lighter and we’re finding our groove again.