The Great Room Shake Up

David had an enlightening conversation with a sibling early in the summer and he and I spent some time thinking about, praying about, and discussing it. Eventually, David and I came to the conclusion that (for several reasons) our children should all have the joy of sharing a room with their siblings. It would "build character" and teach them important life lessons, as well as protect them from some of the temptations that may come from hours of time in seclusion with electronics.

It was not an easy decision to make, and it was not well-received by the children.  Joshua and Bronson were already sharing a room, but we moved Quinton in with them.  They were easily persuaded that it would be fun - all we had to say was "bunkbed" and they were all-in.

The girls, on the other hand, weren't happy. At all. I don't blame them either.  They hadn't had to share a room since they lived in Idaho.  Plus, they'd have to consolidate a LOT of stuff into a smaller room. Not fun. We explained our feelings and reasoning behind the decision, but they weren't too convinced.  In the end, we basically had to say, "Well, too bad.  This is the way it's going to be." To soften the blow, we told them that we'd let them decorate their new room together.  I was thinking "paint, bedding, and a few new accessories." They were thinking new flooring, furniture, and lighting." In the end, we compromised.  Here are a few pictures of our updated rooms:

The boys' room is cabin themed. We painted the walls a nice tan color, got a new bunkbed and dresser, and cute matching bedding. I love the iron moose on the wall and the sign on their dresser that says, "Happy Campers."

We painted their old shelf red and bought some adorable accessories for it - we love the bear statue and the sign that says "Adventure." That's a bookshelf we already had, but a few accessories and a huge purge brought it back to life.

Since the girls would now be sharing a room, the boys inherited a desk from them.  We bought a lamp that looks like it's made of antlers and the cutest sign that shows the paw prints of several woodland creatures.  

The girls wanted a simple, clean, neutral room.  If the way they faught over decorating - from style to accessories to accent colors - is any indication of how they'll do together, we're in trouble.:)  One way we tried to utilize space was to purchase Ikea beds that have drawers underneath them.  We painted the walls gray, bought matching shelves for them, and bought that little faux fur rug (it needed to be that small because of the drawers). The bedding is the same for both girls - pretty gray quilts - but they each chose their own throw blankets and pillows.  

Nicole hung those fairy lights herself.  I love them.  

So the desk is already a bit messy (it gets used a lot - which is a good thing), but I wanted to show the darling canvas that we had printed - before we knew that the room would be gray. But still - so cute, right???