If you have two or more children, and the children’s room is one, and even that one does not stand out with a large area, then a bunk bed is the best way to create sleeping places. But the functions of this incredibly practical, space-saving furniture item do not end there. We suggest you familiarize yourself with hundreds of modern design projects of rooms with bunk beds. Find out the criteria for choosing the material and method of execution. Also, find inspiration for creating an individual design.
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Bunk Bed: Selection Criteria
Beds located in two tiers are mainly used in children’s rooms in which two or more children live. The obvious need to save usable space is relevant not only for small-sized children’s rooms. In medium and large-sized rooms, parents also try to leave as much free space as possible for active games, creativity, and sports. But at the same time, a bunk bed should not only effectively save the usable area of the room, but also serve as a comfortable and ergonomic sleeping place for children.
So, the bunk bed should be:
- made of quality material, durable and natural;
- have a manufacturer’s certificate, which indicates not only the technological characteristics of the product but also the maximum height, weight of children to use the bed;
- the model should be practical (after all, we are talking about a children’s room, mainly), comfortable, meet the rules of ergonomics (not so much the bed frame but the base and mattress itself will be responsible for orthopedics);
- the bed should be stable – check the assembled model for swinging in the store, because the children will arrange a real “crash test” for the new piece of furniture;
- children should like the bed and it should correspond to the chosen style of designing the room for your children (often these criteria are difficult to fulfill and, as an alternative to ready-made solutions, parents have to resort to the individual production of a bed in two tiers);
- last but not least in terms of importance, – the bed should be safe (the upper berth should be equipped with protective sides, the ladder should have a slope and comfortable steps, it is desirable to have a handrail or handles for convenient support when moving between bed levels).
Tier Options and Bed Design
In the production of bunk beds, there are many options that differ not only in design but also in the very principle of design execution. One of the most popular options for creating a bed in two levels is the classic model, familiar to most of us, in which the beds are parallel to each other at a distance necessary for comfortable placement. This is a universal modification, in which the length and width of the berths, the way of execution of the ladder, colors, and decorative elements can vary. But the principle of the bed remains unchanged.
The traditional model of a bunk bed is a universal piece of furniture that organically fits into any interior of a children’s room. If we talk about the most universal way of creating a classic two-level bed, you can use natural wood as a material, leaving a beautiful natural wood pattern as a coloring. The timber is easily combined with most shades of the color spectrum and always brings warmth and comfort to the interior of the room.
The second embodiment of the traditional bunk bed model is snow-white. This is a neutral and at the same time universal design that will be appropriate in any stylistic design of the interior of a children’s room or any other room. Such a bed will not become an accent of the design of the space, but it will be able to organically complement the existing environment.
A white bed is perfect for a room in which the finishing off one or more surfaces plays the role of the accent element. In a room with light, neutral walls, furniture can become such an accent. A bright bed will not only dilute the color palette of the room but also delight the kids’ eyes because all children love the brightness, they need accent spots to focus their eyesight.
In the children’s room with two kids, there is often not enough space not only for organizing sleeping areas but also for installing storage systems. And in rooms of medium and large sizes, there are never a lot of drawers and cabinets. Therefore, many parents choose a bunk bed model, the lower berth of which is equipped with drawers for storing bedding and other accessories.
Storage systems can be located not only in the lower part of the bed but also under the steps, in case the staircase is made with spans.
Write numbers (with letters) on the bars between the steps, and the child will not only quickly learn to count but will also remember the spelling of the numbers…
Sometimes it is possible to equip storage systems and the upper berth too…
In some cases, it is necessary to purchase a model of a bunk bed, in which the lower level is represented by a double bed, and the upper level is designed for one child. The model is not the most compact, yet a double bed requires more useful room space, but in some cases, it is this arrangement of sleeping places that is optimal for a particular family. The upper tier in such a bed can be parallel to the lower one…
Or perpendicular to a double sleeping place…
If there is enough space in the nursery, the bed can be supplemented with a slide. At the same time, a ladder for rising to the second floor should be mandatory. An ordinary bunk bed becomes a gaming complex.
A bed without legs is convenient if a small child is sleeping on the lower tier – he or she simply has nowhere to fall. But from the point of view of ergonomics, such a model is undesirable to use – the older the person becomes, the higher the berth should be located above the floor (ideally, the mattress touches the knees of the person standing next to its side).
The opposite option for arranging beds is hanging beds that do not have legs but are located at some distance from the floor. From the point of view of cleaning the premises, this option is incredibly convenient. But the design requires reliable and durable fastening, which implies thick walls without voids.
One of the options for a hanging bed is associated with the execution of only one level in suspended condition – upper or lower one.
The upper tier of the bed can be attached not only to the wall but also to the ceiling…
Most often, children’s bunk beds are made of solid wood or MDF, but may also contain metal elements. Elements from metal can be bed frames, stairs, and even sides. Most often, such details are performed in a contrasting color to the entire structure to emphasize the combination and even act as decorative elements.
In some cases, ready-made solutions that can be found in furniture stores do not suit parents. This may be due to the non-standard layout of the room, the original architecture of the room itself, or the requirements of the owners (their children) for the organization of beds. The built-in bunk bed allows you to rationally use the available square meters. Structures that are built into a niche or between two walls of a narrow room are most often equipped not only with berths but also with storage systems. In some cases, the built-in models are a whole complex of sleeping places, workspace (desk or computer desk), and storage systems of various modifications (not only drawers under the lower bed but also shelves, wall-mounted lockers).
It is important to provide an individual privacy corner for each child. In modest standard apartments, it is difficult to find the possibility of allocating not only rooms but even areas in the common room for each child. A sleeping place can become such a corner for privacy. In this case, the bed is made in the form of a two-story house – not only sleeping places but also the walls that enclose and delimit the personal space of each child.
Sometimes, in order to create a private area for sleeping and relaxing, it is enough to equip both levels of the bunk bed with curtains. This method is suitable for embedded structures and models having walls on both sides.
Everything that surrounds a child becomes for it a method of knowing this world. Even a bed can be not only a place for sleeping and relaxing but also a kind of exercise machine. The thematic execution of this piece of furniture will help to create a special atmosphere in the children’s room and an occasion for the development of the child’s imagination.
In most cases, a bunk bed is located along with one of the walls of the room, sometimes in a niche or, in the case of a narrow room, between two walls. But in a spacious room, a high bed in two tiers can be used as a zoning element to divide the room into functional segments. Given that at least two children live in the room, creating your own zone for each kid will be a great way to distribute space.
Bunk Bed not only for Children’s Room
A model of a bed with two sleeping places located in two tiers can be used not only for organizing a sleep and relaxation zone in children’s rooms. This versatile way to save usable space can be used in private homes to arrange sleeping places in the guest room. You can “hide” two tiers of berths in the living room closet and open it if necessary.
For similar purposes, you can use a folding bunk bed. During the day, the room can serve as a living room or a game room (the bed “hides” in the closet), and at night it becomes a bedroom.
