This Shared Kids’ Bedroom Feels Relaxing, Understated, and Sophisticated

Even though interior designer Emma Cali of Emma Cali Interiors lives with her family of four in a four-bedroom rustic house in California, she wanted her two children, Jones (6) and Coco (3), to share a bedroom. 

“We chose to have our kids share a room so that we could use one of the rooms as a playroom and a movie room for the kids and then keep the fourth bedroom as a guest room,” Emma explained in her House Tour on Cubby’s sister site Apartment Therapy. “We have tons of family and friends over with lots of kids weekly, and I wanted them to have their own space.” 

Emma describes her home as “a modern interpretation of a California farmhouse,” calling it “warm, understated, and deeply personal,” and that absolutely extends to the aesthetic of her son and daughter’s shared bedroom. The walls are painted Farrow & Ball’s “Light Blue,” a relaxing shade that brings the outdoors in. The expansive window above the two upholstered twin beds — which are covered with simple, neutral linens — frames a lush, green view, almost beckoning the kids outside.

On the wall opposite the window, a kids’ bookcase offers reading materials, and a gorgeous burlwood dresser provides ample storage. The two side-by-side pieces perfectly demonstrate how the room blends childlike playfulness with understated sophistication.

But lest you think Jones and Coco’s room looks too put together, know that they use it — and the rest of their house — to the fullest. “Despite how calm and collected it looks in photos, our house is almost never quiet,” Emma said in her House Tour. “Between two young kids, two dogs, constant construction samples, and friends and family always stopping by, it’s a wonderfully lived-in home. There are usually toys tucked into baskets five minutes before someone comes over, a craft project happening at the dining table, or muddy paw prints somewhere I haven’t found yet.”