The More the Merrier: 24 Great Shared Spaces For Kids

When Lexi Adams — a former fashion designer, blogger, and mom to Adella, 4, and toddler Noah — was looking for a new house with her husband, Tim, finding a home with a potential play space was at the top of her wish list. While the home they found wasn't quite playroom-ready, after two years of renovation and lots of trips to Ikea, they turned what was a home office into a light, gender-neutral, creativity-boosting playroom and tot-friendly library. Click here to find out how Lexi created such an awesome playroom on a budget.

Source: Adella & Co.

"Like any creative project, designing Valentin's nursery was both a challenge and a wonderful time of joy for me," said Caroline Colom Vasquez, proud mama and founder of online marketplace Paloma's Nest. The room, which was designed before Valentin's gender was known, was to serve as a space that could grow with the baby and, in the meantime, accommodate visiting grandparents. Click through to see little Valentin's whimsical, one-of-a-kind bedroom!

Photos by Agnes Blum and Jesse Ryan Photography

Some might call Susan Hutchinson — an interior designer who focuses on baby and kid spaces, an event and editorial stylist, and a blogger — a bit crazy for creating an almost-all-white nursery for her twin boy and girl. But the serene space totally makes sense to us. Those little ones are sure to bring enough color into the West Chester, PA, mom-to-be's life! Click here to check out the cream, gray, and white space.

Source: Nesting LLC

We love when parents find a way to make shared spaces feel cohesive and thoughtful. Case in point: the gender-neutral New York City nursery created by first-time parents Robyn and Joe Wallace. The couple didn't find out the gender of their baby before she was born (welcome, Scarlett!), yet they managed to create a beautiful, calming space that works for both baby and grown-ups. Click here to check out the details.

Source: Studio 1208

Stylish LA mom-to-be Kelly Zajfen faced the ultimate design challenge when she found out she was having boy and girl twins. Not only would she have to fit two babies into a small room, but she would also have to find gender-neutral items that suited her modern-chic tastes. She met the challenge with Stokke cribs, custom-made sheets, a gorgeous (and inexpensive) wall map, and a crochet elephant head that's long been on our wish list. See more photos here.

Source: Oh Hello Mommyhood

We're not the only ones who have redecorated with a little help from Pinterest. When Shannon of Googie Momma was brainstorming how to fit her five children (four girls, one boy) into two bedrooms, a pin from another mom-to-many blogger inspired her to create a bunk room for her girls. The end result is a magical shared space for four little heads to rest. Keep reading to check out all the red, aqua, and striped details.

Source: Googie Momma

When your grandmother is Martha Stewart (shh, don't call her Grandma, though), you can rest assured that your bedroom and playroom are more than just spaces to throw a few toys. Jude and Truman Stewart, 17 and 5 months old, respectively, are living the high life in a serene NYC triplex that their mom, Alexis Stewart, decorated as an urban oasis. In true Stewart form, both rooms are not only beautiful, but also practical, with furniture that can stay with the kids well past their infant and toddler stages. Click here to see more photos.

Copyright © 2012, Martha Stewartbrand> Living Omnimedia, Inc. Originally published in the September issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine

Amanda de Beaufort is not only the brains behind amazing kids blog Coos & Ahhs, but she's also the mother of two small children: newborn Adela and toddler Henry. Until her family's recent move to a larger place in Brooklyn in anticipation of Adela's arrival, Henry actually shared a room with his parents, so their new two-bedroom space is a luxury in terms of square footage. But it still comes with the obvious challenges of putting a busy toddler boy in the same space as an infant girl. Luckily for these two tots, their mama is seriously gifted when it comes to design, and the room she created for them is stocked with amazing finds. Click here to check out the chic shared space.

Source: Coos & Ahhs

California-based wedding photographer Raya Carlisle has a house that's big on style but supersmall (about 1,300 square feet) on space. But with a little creative decorating, including turning a seldom-used formal dining room into a playroom and keeping the two kids' room gender-neutral with distinctive, individual spaces, Carlisle has created a home that feels eclectic and warm, kid-friendly but grown-up, cozy, and not cramped. And that's no small task. Click here for all the beautiful details.

Source: Raya Carlisle

Kirsten Marchand, a retail designer for New Balance and design blogger, dreamed about what her nursery would look like long before she was even pregnant. "I wanted to create a nursery that could grow with the kids," says the mom of boy and girl twin toddlers. "I had kept a folder filled with inspiration for years before we started our family, so the nursery truly was a labor of love. One of the best surprises was how functional the nursery ended up being for two very tired parents — plenty of places for storage and play."

With its sophisticated, historic vibe, special art and toy finds, and muted color palette, the nursery isn't a departure from the style of the rest of the farmhouse, which was originally built in the 1700s and is located on Boston's North Shore. But with two cribs (Ikea finds made to look antique with Old Fashioned Milk Paint) and two toddling residents, this room is all about creating a cozy, kid-friendly family space. Keep clicking to see all the details.

Source: Kirsten Marchand and Malcolm Brown