Designing a Kids' Room for Two

When it's time to pause the playtime and buckle down on homework, kids who share a room can benefit from having individual study spaces. Delonge says when parents add a desk near each child's bed, they're really giving their kids their own mini-room without resorting to dividers. "Even just a light and a desk at the end of the bed gives it more of an intimate touch," she says.

If space in the room doesn't allow you to create separate desk areas, using one unit with designated areas for each child can be a good compromise. The Galant desk system from IKEA can be customized with different legs, end caps and desk pieces to create a work space that will address individual needs.

Encouraging Clean Cohabitation

When one child wants to stay tidy and the other makes a mess, creating a "clean consensus" can be difficult in shared spaces. "Good clean use of space will always help limit conflicts," Barkley says. "The more things that are strewn around, the more chaos there will be."

Barkley says parents can address this conflict by making it as simple as possible to keep the room clutter-free. Creating a place for everything will help children learn to keep everything in its place. "Have lots of small- and medium-size storage baskets and bins," she says, which will make putting toys and other items away easier and less stressful for busy-bee kids.

Alyson McNutt English writes on a variety of topics, including parenting, decorating and home renovation, for several regional and national publications like Self, Kiwi and Parenting. Based in Baton Rouge, La., she is a regular contributor to HGTV.com.