Saturday, March 13, 2010

Sister Act

Did you ever share a bedroom with your sister?

Sisters Joan and Jackie

Nowadays many homes are built with many en suite bedrooms (with bathrooms), so that children often have their own bedrooms and bathrooms. Gone are the two or three bedroom family houses, with a bedroom for mom and dad, and a bedroom for the boys, and a bedroom for the girls, and everybody sharing a one bathroom. And gone are families with four or more kids for the most part!

I had two sisters and we shared one room with two sets of bunk beds. I remember having my own room twice in my childhood, a treat I was given as the eldest. My other two sisters shared a bedroom all their childhood lives. And my four brothers shared a bedroom for all of their childhood.

Sisters Hannah

My sisters' bedroom had the classic set up with two beds, twin beds. I still love a room with twin beds, for kids sharing a room, or for a guest room.

Bedroom design and merchandise from Ballard Designs


Sisters Eileen


There's something so retro and sweet about using twin beds. I have seen over large rooms for children with huge queen size beds. I think kids rooms and furniture should be kid size. A full size bed seems plenty big if the room requires a large piece of furniture.


What was your childhood bedroom like?

Sisters Skipper and Barbie


Did you have bunk beds, or twin beds, or even share a bed? What kind of bedroom does your daughter have?

I would have loved curtains like this on my childhood bunk bed
It reminds me of glam sleeping cars on a train


For the most part I loved sharing a bedroom with my sisters. We got along pretty well, and we loved to chat at night once we were tucked into bed. My father would warn us to be quiet and get to sleep at least three times before we finally fell off to sleep.
Even now when we get together, we will cuddle up together and talk long into the night until there's a pregnant pause, and one of us will say: "Hey! Are you asleep?". Hearing no answer, sleep takes over.

Sisters Pointer

38 comments:

Gwen Driscoll said...

Love it. I never had to share because I was #1 (literally, the eldest). But, I love twin beds for always and ever. I think it's the most charming room to visit or look at. So wanting to make my way to NOLA but don't see it in my future anytime soon. Boo hoo! I'm trying though. Love.

Kwana said...

Wonderful post! Love all the pictures here. I had to share with my brother in our apartment until I was a teen and we converted a dining alcove to my bedroom.

beki said...

I never had to share a room, mainly because I don't have a sister. My girls, who are 5 years apart do share. Our house has 4 bedrooms, but one of those rooms is my sewing room, and I'm not willing to give it up!! At first we had twin beds, but we just went to a full size bed (i found an old full size frame at a thrift store I couldn't pass up). It's working out alright for now. I must admit, decorating their room is mostly for me! I live out all my childhood fantasies through their room :-)

Helen said...

I have two sisters ~ I am the oldest! We shared a bedroom through childhood and I even shared a full sized bed with my middle sister. What wonderful memories and a wonderful post!

vicki archer said...

No sister, no comment....I really wanted one though and still do. Have a very happy weekend Valorie, xv.

Wunderkammer said...

Thank you very much for the post. It has brought me many memories of my childhood ...

Wunderkammer said...

Thank you very much for the post. It has brought me many memories of my childhood ...

La Petite Gallery said...

No sister, I had a double bed and a bay window stuffed with keepsakes. The room was a lavender
fabric pale pink roses.
I always wanted a sister. I love the 4 bunks and drapes Cute.

Terrific Post Val.

yvonne

La Petite Gallery said...

No sister, I had a double bed and a bay window stuffed with keepsakes. The room was a lavender
fabric pale pink roses.
I always wanted a sister. I love the 4 bunks and drapes Cute.

Terrific Post Val.

yvonne

High-Heeled Foot in the door said...

Oh great post!

When I was little my family lived in Manhattan so apt living was cramped with me and two sisters. So I shared a room until I was 12!

We had one bunk bed set-up and then an additional lofted bed.

I loved it. Lots of fun, but also loved my own room in my teen years.

La Maison Fou said...

Yes, shared with my sister. We were 13 mo. apart so we were like twins. Shared a room until going to college, then we were college roomates. We are still that close, and have a lot of fun doing things together.
L.

Unknown said...

I did a twin bed room for sisters in a builder's show one year. The layout reminded me of the Ballard picture. I did it in Laura Ashley coordinates.

BT-dub, that's Barbie and Skipper. Midge was Barbie's friend.
Paula ~ Mise en scène

Unknown said...

Forgot to say that, as the youngest, I had to share pretty much everything with everyone. First bedroom, twin beds, shared with with my brother until we moved to newer house. Then I shared with my sister, queen bed then, she was none too happy about having to get a bigger bed and trade in her "good full size" bed just so I could move into her room. That room was lavender wall paper, left by the previous owner, done over in black and white years later when it was mine alone.

KELLI said...

Love this post! I shared a room (and a full size bed) with my little sister (we're 8, yes EIGHT, years apart) for four years from the time she was 2-6, and I was 10-14. She used to sleep in her Red cowgirl boots and underwear and I grew accustomed to being kicked EVERY NIGHT by those boots. Later, we would share a room when we moved but our mom got us twin beds. Hence, my room was covered with "Teen" interests and hers was "My Little Pony". That was also an interesting time. Looking back, I think it's humbling to grow up together in that close of quarters and get used to sharing everything...so much today seems like excess...we think every child "needs" their own space to grow into a happy, healthy adult, but we forget that many, many of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents grew up sharing rooms, and I do believe they were/are a fine generation.

24 Corners said...

When I turned 2, my grandparents gave me a queen size bed which I ended up using until I was 17. This was in the 60's, it had a scrolly headboard painted white with gold trim and the dresser matched. Did anyone else have that set? We lived in a small apartment in L.A. (no sibings), nothing fancy, but I felt fancy with that bedroom set...I miss it! Great post!

Visual Vamp said...

Ooops! Never played with Barbie much!
Thanks for the correction - Off to change it to Skipper!
xo xo

Valorie Hart said...

In one of the classics of Argentine folk literature (Martin Fierro by Jose Hernanadez) full of wise advice, there is one that says, pardoning the translation,

"Brothers and sisters must remain united
because that's the first law
have true union no matter the time it is,
because if they fight each other,
they are devoured by outsiders."


You need to have the background of the guitar, but use your imagination. :-)

Tara said...

Yes my sis and I shared with two very pretty matching twin beds that my Mom gave to the neighbors down the street. They still use them and I kinda want them back! We bought the house I grew up in from my Parents and True but odd- another neighbor gave me a set of really great old twin beds my husband had to make sideboards for. One is in my son's room (the room I grew up in) and it doesn't seem big enough now to put the match in. ha, I really want to give my son a brother so they --no I, can have the set of beds together.

AppleTree said...

sweet post. my kids have twin beds. they usually end up upside down in the by morning.

ashlina {the decorista} said...

i sure did..not my favorite but the memories last forever.....

great post. happy weekend.
xo

Unknown said...

I have two younger sisters, we all shared one room until I moved out at 17!
It was difficult, since my youngest sister is 8 years younger and we had to tip toe when she was asleep.
We had a bunkbed and a sofa bed, in my teens we made it more grown up by separating the bunk into twin beds. And my father build a screen for us to separate quarters. The room was very large, thank goodness!
Haven't thought of this in years! Thanks for the memories, Valorie!
Enjoy your weekend!

Irene said...

I'm the middle sister of five kids, our youngest is a boy. We shared a bedroom, it was a large room with 4 beds. And you are right, we use to talk after we were in bed, but it was my mom that would give us warnings. My eldest sister would sometimes share her "True confessions magazines" with us younger gals, it was fun. I to this day regret not having my boys share a room, I do think you would be close. Our rooms were never that beautifully decorated though. What happened? Why do we not share anymore. I can say I've gone from sharing a room with my sisters to sharing one with my husband, and I don't really feel cheated by not having my own space. Love your blog.

LYNDA QUINTERO-DAVIDS said...

I don't know if this is a good thing or not, but my only sisters were the Pointer Sisters, and Barbie & Skipper... but that house styled wall-to-wall bunk bed sure would have been wonderful!! =)

Lynda
http://nyclq-focalpoint.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Always wanted a sister growing up, my mom has two, and now my girls have each other...must've skipped a generation! Something so sweet about a room with twin beds...even the term is endearing!

Acanthus and Acorn said...

I loved this post Valorie! I shared a bedroom with my older sis and we played Barbies for hours. She was all about the fashion, I was all about the house!!! Oh, and I was neat as a pin and she was a slob...on occasion we did the masking tape line down the middle of the room!

boops said...

hey V-squared...thanks for leaving a comment about my cavalier puppy....mine will also be a boy...maybe they can be pen pals!

and yes, i did share a room with my sister. we had twin beds, and as the older sister, she always vetoed my design decisions! am so glad i live alone now! i can paint the walls tangerine if i want!

Sally@DivineDistractions.blogspot.com said...

What a fun post! You are so clever to come up with this angle for a design blog! I shared with my sister who was 5 years older. She was very grateful when my parents added on another bedroom!

Sally

Renée Finberg said...

cute post.
i like the train sleeping cars too.
x

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

waaaa. I don't have a sister.


Had a Midge tho.

Love the twinsie beds!

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

Wait! Not Midge....Skipper. I had a Skipper.

Marnie said...

always shared a room - 6 children in our family and i only have one - started too late! - my daughter has twin beds - love it - perfect for friends and lounging.
my sisters and i celebrate our 50th bday's together with a weekend getaway - we are going to get one room for the next b'day in june with two queen beds - we are excited by the prospect of hanging out in the same room and yakking the night away -

Renae Moore said...

Oh yes....I shared with my sister until I was in Jr. High. I was messy and she wasn't and it certainly had no design style. Love the Ballard image!
xx

Renae Moore said...

Oh yes....I shared with my sister until I was in Jr. High. I was messy and she wasn't and it certainly had no design style. Love the Ballard image!
xx

Visual Vamp said...

Hi Everybody,
I have just loved the comments on this post.
I have tried to reply to those of you that have e-mail.
Many of you have the "no reply" engaged, and I cannot get to tell you how touched I am by the things you have written.
So I'm telling you now!
Your comments are awesome, heartfelt, and honest, and I know everyone appreciates this exchange of experiences and ideas.
Thank you for sharing your memories.
xo xo

Unknown said...

Hello VV!
Loved Alberto's especially because I have a brother and understand the meaning of getting along. No sharing of rooms in my case. Your pics are great. b

Things That Inspire said...

Loved this post! When I was a child, I had my own bedroom - except for one awful summer, when we moved to Connecticut and lived in a rental until we found a house to buy. I had to share a room with my sister, and it was torture!!!!

Now - two of my girls share a room, and they are very close - probably closer because of it. My oldest daughter has her own room - she needs it, believe me. My middle child longs for her own room, and she will have it in the new house - along with her own bathroom. We toyed with the idea of having jack and jill, but we have the space to create en suite, and decided that it was more practical in the long term - we plan on being in this house for a very long time, and hopefully will be there when the grandchildren come to visit. Creating ensuite bathrooms seemed to make sense.

susan said...

I love this post! As the only girl with one brother, I never shared a room until college. I loved it in the dorm and sorority house! Sometimes I think these people who build these GIGANTIC houses are people who must not really like each other very much. I wholeheartedly agree on children's furniture being "kid-size". My favorite bedroom is our house is a guest bedroom with antique double beds! Love Barbie and Skipper photo!

Dumbwit Tellher said...

Such a fun post Valorie. I never had a sister, one fact of life I find sad. My bedroom in my teens was acid colors of the 70's; hot pink and neon green. Do you remember the flower Power decals. Had those too. I'm with you, I will always adore twin-beds and wish to have them once again for a guest room. In fact, the photo you posted with the wall of built-in bunks is my idea of perfection, so train car! Your posts are the best!
xx