If you have more children than you have space, its time for some creative solutions.

Sharing a bedroom means having two of everything duplicate beds, dressers, storage units etc. To avoid conflict over who has the better desk or dresser consider the same furnishings for both children.

Their individuality is expressed in your creative approach to decorating each childs own space.

One good approach is to give each sibling his own set of belongings in his own color and seek input from him regarding how he wishes to decorate his part of the shared bedroom.

Its important that shared bedrooms have some consistent design elements that tie the room together and a storage system which encourages organization from both parties.

To eliminate major design and dcor conflicts its important that you harmonize the individual spaces. By carefully meshing two tastes into one overall environment you can create a welcoming space thats ideal for both sleep and play.

Encourage your children to either decide on two different but coordinating room colors or one main color in two different shades.

Keep things simple, separate and color-coded. Add variety and distinction to each siblings area by incorporating brightly colored storage bins and laundry hampers.

Consider adding striped and patterned accessories to an otherwise basic colored backdrop.

Bed linens are another great focal point for individual tastes. Think floral and plaids or stripes and solids. Reversible bed coverings are also ideal in shared rooms.

Consider stackable storage cubes that not only divide the space but also serve as storage compartments for each child's belongings.

When it comes to physically dividing the room, screens with hinged panels may be just the answer for siblings who have a real love/hate relationship. The hinges make folding and storing easy when your kids are having a good shared space day.

More creative room divider ideas can be found by visiting http://www.decorating-kids-rooms.net/divider-rooms.html

Regardless of whether youre looking to visually or physically divide a shared bedroom space its always important to get the occupants of the room involved in both designing and decorating their space.

Encourage each child to select his own bedding, accessories and storage bins.

Sherrie Le Masurier

Sherrie Le Masurier is a freelance writer and organizing consultant. She writes extensively on family, personal finance, health and home, and is a member of Professional Organizers in Canada (POC).

Sherrie offers up smart solutions for busy families via her websites Family Sanity Savers and Decorating Kids Rooms.