Bunk Beds for a Girl

By Kate Riley February 12, 2013

My daughter turned nine last week and the thing she’s asked for in her room are bunk beds. I confess they weren’t my first choice for a girl’s room but she’s entering that sleepover phase where she wants to invite friends over and a single twin won’t work anymore.

The thing that finally convinced us was when she said she’d “let her younger brother camp in there too.” When they’re not bickering one of their favorite things to do is tell each other spooky stories at night – lately it’s zombies and one-eyed rats that star in their tall tales but they always end up laughing in their attempt to outdo one another. The idea of them sleeping in the same room from time to time is charming (we eavesdrop on those spooky stories, it’s priceless) so we’ve agreed to make the investment and buy her some white bunk beds.  

The challenge for me is giving them a more feminine look but Pottery Barn Kids always makes it look easy.

lavender linens on white bunk beds pbkids

PB Kids

 

How gorgeous are these from Restoration Hardware?  They’re wicked expensive and way waaaaaaay too impractical for my artist daughter – she’s always got a marker in her hand and all it would take was one rogue stroke and they’d be ruined.

rh baby upholstered bunks

Restoration Hardware Baby & Child

  

I love the look of built ins but I’m not ready to commit to something so permanent – maybe someday in that dream vacation home when I’ve got grandkids, ha! 

coastal living bunks

Coastal Living

  white bunks pink accents coastal living

Coastal Living

 

Having a double bed underneath is an idea – especially since I have a habit of crashing with them after stories. Does that happen to you? I swear I fall asleep twice a week in my kid’s bed.

pink and green bunk beds for girls

House and Home

 

I’m crushing on the drawers below these bunks – extra storage is a must! 

bunks with drawers housebeautiful

House Beautiful

  

I love the use of trimmed curtains like the in the old train sleeping cars but again, not willing to commit to built ins.

built in bunks with curtains

Tomaro Design Group

 

Painting bunks a bold color is so fun -  these customized versions are perfection.

painted bunks with a curtain

via Pinterest

 

My girl wants to be able to make a tent – how sweet is this idea?

pink bunk beds

Delightful Distractions

  

The look that appeals to me most is this one – I love the tailored valance and the floor to ceiling panels – perfect for putting on a show or closing off the beds to tell those spooky stories with flashlights under their chins – I’m thinking this canopy is a doable DIY project. canopy bunks

 

So, parents, tell me your experience with bunk beds – do you love them or hate them?  Is it impossible to make the bed?  Do your kids share a room with bunk beds?  Your thoughts please.  :)

 

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139 comments

  1. Hi Kate,
    My 10 year old daughter has also been wanting bunk beds…but I’m hesitant about it.
    I feel that the top bunk would just end up being too hard to make and I’d worry about falls too. (yes, I’m a little paranoid, but I fell out of bunk beds when I was her age TWICE and it wasn’t fun to wake up falling to the floor).

    My solution when we can afford it is to get a trundle bed….plenty of room for her sister (they also love to have sleepovers).

    So, if you truly don’t want to go the bunk bed route…that might be an option????

    Best of luck and I can’t wait to see what you come up with ;0)
    Erika~

  2. I love and hate them. I love that each child has her own bed but with a smaller footprint. I hate that my youngest is always hanging off the top bunk, and making the beds (both top and bottom, because there are slats and not a solid surface under the mattresses) is a pain.

  3. I have twin daughters and they both wanted bunk beds in their rooms for sleepovers & when they decide to sleep in each other’s rooms. However, I don’t like them because yes I’m that paranoid mother who would constantly worry about someone falling from the top bed. I also think the bed would never get made. So we found pretty white beds from Cargo Kids (which I believe was bought out by PB) for the girls that have trundels underneath. The trundle actually looks like three drawers underneath the bed so you don’t know it’s there until you pull it out. We’ve had the beds for several years & they still look great.

  4. Hate might be too strong a word, but we certainly didn’t love bunk beds. Super hard to make neatly. Always had to remind visiting children not to use them as a jungle gym. Lots of arguments over who gets the top bunk and who gets the bottom. I know it sounds silly, but, that’s how kids are and it becomes an issue. My older daughter now has a day bed with a trundle and that has been wonderful. Coincidentally, I just pinned a picture this morning of a room done by Sarah Richardson. I thought it was such a unique way to set up a girl’s room for two…I’ll attach it here if I can. The little nightstands next to each bed are adorable! Oh, sorry, don’t know how to attach an image here. Let me know if you want me to e-mail it to you…it really is a cool idea. P.S. I have a brother 16 months older than me…our favorite treat was when our parents let us stay together and tell stories at night.

    • Share the link to the Sarah Richardson room Ami if you can, everything she does I love!
      Kate

  5. My girls (8 and 10) have bunkbeds. They were a Craigslist find- vintage ones the the top bunk legs just nestles over the lower posts. No screws needed. I also used plywood for the top bunk mattress support and put a fitted sheet upside down over the plywood so it’s a nice view from underneath. On the ceiling I added an Ikea free standing thick wired curtain rod to circle the entire bunk and hung super long white curtains. I also have each girl an ikea spice rack turned bookshelf, a plug in ikea white ruffled lampshade sconce, and added large initial artwork above it. So easy and super cute. One thing I would say is they will ALWAYS be easy and quick to resell. Everyone looks for bunks! I moved our ladder to the foot of the beds to save space but would have liked if it was flush with the bottom bunk. Take into consideration the overhead space for the lower bunk… Some are just way too low! Good luck

  6. My son is 7 and we bought his bunk beds when he was 2 and we were expecting his sister. We didn’t put the ladder on the bed until he was much older. The bottom bunk is full and the top twin. I have never regretted the decision to purchase them one time. They often sleep together on the bottom bunk and I also like the extra room on the bottom bunk when I am reading stories. The only time the top bunk gets used is if he has a sleepover or when he and his sister drag toys and books to the top bunk and play. There is a substantial rail on the top bunk and no one has remotely come close to falling out. I also tuck a sheet around the bottom bunk to make a fort which the kids love. Hope this helps.

  7. One more thing…yes it is a pain to make the top bunk but since ours does not get used on a daily basis it really is a non-issue.

  8. If you have enough room for the twin over the double, and you can pull it away from the wall like the picture above, I think that would be what I would prefer. Looks like it would be much easier to make the beds. I do see that type on Craigslist quite a bit. Besides Pottery Barn, Land of Nod, etc, look for Vermont Tubbs too. I have also seen the beds with the staircases that have drawers that look interesting too. Older Ethan Allen bunk beds could be charming too with a paint job. My favorite look? I would choose bunk beds from Maine Cottage.

  9. Our 7 year old son and 5 year old daughter share a room and bunk beds have been a life saver! We have a classic solid wood set that I love. I use different size plastic bins under the beds for barbies, games, toys ect. I love the space saving and storage. One thing for my children personally was I loved the twin on top double on bottom for the extra sleeping space, but I thought about it and I know my kids. There would have been jumping off the top onto the bottom and an emergency room trip within the first week guaranteed. So twin on twin it was and I have not regretted them.

    Oh and I do hate making up the top bunk. I have not found a good method yet :(

  10. I had bunk beds as a kid and my mom diy-ed bunk bed linens to facilitate bed making. Basically, you sew the sheet and blanket together along the foot and wall side, so all the kiddo has to do is grab the top outside corner and pull it up. She may have added velcro to the blanket edge and under the mattress (or on its side?) to keep the sewn side tucked in. It made making them easy. I’m sure there are plenty of blog tutorials now!

  11. Our boys share a room and they have bunk beds. I think they are great! It’s difficult to change sheets on the top bunk, but my husband helps and it’s not that big of a deal. They have safety rails on the top bunk which lessens my worries of them falling out. We tell our youngest to stay off the top bunk and he listens! My kids LOVE their bunk beds!! What kid wouldn’t :-)

  12. We definitely plan on some kind of built in bunk beds for our two boys in the future. Also pinned the tailored bunk image too. I grew up having bunk beds and not only were they great places to sleep, they served as great ways to jump start our imagination… One thing my parents detested the most was that we would fly off the top bunk onto another single bed in the room causing the chandelier in the foyer to shake & rattle to no end. So much fun! If you don’t mind that, you should be good. Bunk beds are novel and all my friends wished they had one. Just wished we had one with more storage & a trundle. Hope tht helps.

  13. My brother had bunkbeds and I was always sneaking into his room at night to sleep in them. Considering we fought all the time, those bunkbeds were probably heaven to our mom to hear us getting along at nights!!

    So I say go for it!!

    PS- my mom hung a sheet over the bottom bunk, making it a tent. it was awesome in there

  14. My 5 yo and not quite 2 yo are going to be sharing a room once the 3rd little arrives and the 5 yo has been requesting bunk beds. I do love that they have a smaller footprint, but I don’t know that I can commit. I just feel like when they get a bit older they’re going to want a bit more of their own space.

    I have a TON of built-in bunks pinned for when I’m a grandma! I can just imagine grandbabies all piled in a room for sleep-overs – SO FUN!!!

  15. Bunk beds are fun! My sister and I had them when we were younger. You need to watch out for monkey business though. One time my sister and I were playing on the bottom bunk and as soon as I rolled off onto the floor CRASH the whole thing came down on top of her (not kidding) luckily no one was hurt but I’ve been a little weary of the concept ever since…

  16. I had them growing up as did my sons. Rails help in making sure that no one “wakes up on the floor”. Making them is a pain in the neck but making twin beds with one side of each of them pushed tight to the wall was too. They were fun for several years….especially for blanket “forts” and reading by flashlight. Mine out grew them by the time they were 9 or 10. Good luck with your decision and enjoy this time…they grow up far too quickly! xo

  17. I have dealt with bunk beds for girls (twin on top, double on bottom). My neighbors son has one as well (twin on top, twin on bottom with desk area). And both situations TAKE UP A HUGE amount of space. You are also limited to have you can rearrange the room, usually the way it gets set up is it and limits play space. Plus consider do you have low ceilings or a ceiling fan (which the fan may need to be replaced if its too close).

    I opted for a trundle bed for my son and I LOVE IT!!! Twin on top, twin stored underneath which also has three pull out drawers and a bookcase as a headboard. It takes up the same space as a twin with all the extras, something to consider. He thinks it is super cool and pulls it whenever someone comes over. They have several options as far as a traditional style bed or a daybed. I choose the tradtional and if he wants to move his bed to a different side of the room I can relocate the trundle. Pottery Barn has these as well, although I didn’t purchased it from there, its identical.

    I hope that helps some on your decision.

  18. This is totally on the list of things we’re considering for my little girl’s room. She isn’t quite at sleepover stage yet, but I’m already strolling the internet in search of ideas. I just wanted to say that I think your idea of adding the curtains around the bed is fabulous. In fact, I used some easy DIY curtain rods to install curtains on my daughter’s ceiling already. I even whipped up a quick tutorial that may help you in your quest! Good luck. I’ll be watching! http://www.thetallchickblog.com/2011/08/curtains-curtains-on-theceiling.html

  19. Thanks for the fun post!
    My daughter is an only child and she is only 3 – I know?! We recently got her a bunk bed, and I am more than happy with it. The style bunk bed we have is the twin over full, and it works out because at her young age, me putting her to bed until she is sound asleep is a must. And I do end up having sleep overs with her on many occasions on that full size bottom bunk. :)
    She doesn’t sleep on the top bed, we wouldn’t allow it but I thought that by getting her this bed, it would act as storage and sometimes a play area for her dolls and stuffed animals. Since the beds are different sizes (twin over full), the ladder is at a slant which makes it somewhat safer. We also gave her specific rules while on the bed (climb slowly up & down, stay away from the sides, etc.) and she is good about following the rules.
    The bed is white, so it’s more on the girly side or at least it can be easier to make it more feminine. The bottom bed uses a themed bedding, while the top is a solid color that matches the bottom. It’s low maintenance, since I don’t want to spend time up there. I think we will get good use out this bunk bed for many years, hopefully even into her teens. And when a 2nd child comes into our future, the beds could be separated. I should note that she has many cousins that love to come over for sleep overs and they all play well on the top bunk.
    Since I didn’t have one when I was younger, I think this was more of a purchase for my contentment. I love it and I think your kids would love it also!

  20. my kids have bunks and they are great. I see a lot of people focusing on the difficulty of making the top bunk. I don’t use a flat sheet on top and there is no need to spread the comforter and tuck it in so neatly. I recommend using quilts but if you only have fluffy comforters you can do the same which is just fold the blankets in half width wise (from side to side) and then length wise (from top to bottom) (hope I described that correctly) . Two folds and it looks great and the kids love looking at their sheets anyway. Then when it’s time to sleep it’s an easy un-fold. in the beginning we only used the stairs that doubled as storage on the side of the bunks. Then, when they were more responsible we added the ladder. My two year old can go freely up and down and watching the older two take caution has taught him to be cautious too. I say go for it, it’s now or never, I mean, it’s not like you’ll see a married couple use them. Have you? ;o)

    -Deb

  21. My son LOVES his bunk beds. Just a thought – I’ll bet you can buy VERY inexpensive bunkbeds at Walmart or such and dress them up with molding/curtains, etc. We loved some of the ones we saw, bu they were crazy pricey. We were going to make them, but then found a really cheap set at walmart. Seems very sturdy, and saved us a bunch of money. Then you could spend more on making it look “built in”.

  22. Hi,
    I love your blog and look forward to seeing what you decide with regard to bunk beds. My first son really, really wanted a bunk bed when he was about 8. I figured there’s a pretty small window in life when bunk beds are cool, so decided to get one for him. I thought we’d only have it for 3-5 years, before he thought it was uncool, and we have small bedrooms, so we bought a very simple, all wood, model from IKEA for just over $100. We constructed it inside the bedroom (and will have to deconstruct it to remove it!), and it has been well worth the price. He has loved it. He is now 12 1/2 and I thought by now he would have wanted it removed, but he still loves it. He sleeps on the top. Yes, it is a total pain to change the sheets. But, this age is the time. Adults don’t typically opt for bunk beds :)

  23. I bought my son a bunk bed, full size bottom-twin bed on top with the desire for him to have some sleepovers. After a year of having the bed I took it apart and just left the bottom full size bed. The reason was because 1-Paranoid that someone will get hurt 2-Difficulty making both beds . They are every kid’s dream but after a while it’s a parent’s nightmare. I will consider going with a trundle bed.

  24. I always wanted bunk beds as a little girl so I can relate. (never got them). I like the idea of the ones with a full bed under, like you said, good for us moms who are constantly finding ourselves falling asleep in there. I’ve also always liked the ones with a desk or something under rather a 2nd bed. Then you could jazz up the “desk” with feminine decor. Just a thought.

  25. Have you considered a trundle bed? My daughter is 9 and this is what we got for her after years of incidents having her brothers in bunks. What I like better about the trundle is that it takes up less visual space since it is under the bed and keeps rooms looking big and airy. Also, THEY CAN’T PUT STUFF UNDER THE BED! This makes for a happier mom ans easier room cleaning. Also when she was little we just pulled out the trundle instead of having an ugly railing which I was conviced would break and arm. Also…rather than getting a whole new bed…you could make one…we have since broken down our boys’ bunks and our youngest son took the extra bunk mattress and it goes under his bed. All is cost was a mattress. We had wood and some casters to make it roll in and out easier.

  26. When our girls were little we did bunk beds with a full mattress on the bottom. They had fun with sleepovers but making the bed was not fun for either of us!

  27. My boys have bunk beds, which they use every night. I love them and I’d use them again in a heartbeat, just for the smaller footprint. What I have found when it comes to making the beds:
    1. It is harder in winter with the addition of bulky flannel sheets, but in Texas the winter isn’t too long, so it’s fine.
    2. In summer when the boys are only using their quilts and no sheets (don’t judge!), making the beds is easy. With a few good shakes of the quilt, I can even make the top bunk without climbing up there. I sacrifice all the cute folding-over and tucking-in, but the no-climbing is a good trade-off.
    3. Changing the sheets on the beds is zero-point-zero-zero fun. I usually break a sweat.

  28. We have twin bunk beds with a trundle for our 2 girls. I am happy with them. Your daughter is old enough to put a fitted sheet on the top and if you do really simple bedding making a bed is really not an issue. We have 5 children ages 3-14 and have never had a fall from bunk beds. We are planning a remodel that includes built in bunk beds. I am already planning to have bunk rooms full of grand children in 20 years. lol

  29. Eons ago my sister and I had Ethan Allen bunk beds that converted to regular twin beds. I now have those same beds in my house for when the grandchildren visit. What a pain to make the beds! I decided to just use a bottom sheet and a comforter with duvet cover so the worst I have to do is stretch the bottom sheets into place (while hanging onto the top bunk for dear life!) and then throw the comforters up and over. There are always lots of quilts for piling on top if needed. What I really wish I had is the double bed bottom with the twin bunk over top. We have a “surprise” extra grandchild and now that he is in a regular bed it is going to get tricky!

  30. Kate, stay away from the bunk beds! My son, who is 11, has a twin over full, and yes, it was fun at first, but not only is it a pain to get done in the morning, since it sits right next to the wall, but he has gotten to the point that is always hitting his head when he gets up. These type of beds work best for kids who “have” to share rooms every day, otherwise, they are a headache. I would consider a pull out trundle, I so regret not going that route.

  31. We had bunk beds when I was a kid. The only problem I had (since I had to sleep on the bottom bunk) was getting my hair stuck in the wire frame holding up the top bunk mattress. We didn’t seem to have any trouble making the beds and we never fell from the top.

  32. By boys, ages 8 & 13, have a bunk bed. We live in Germany for 3 1/2 years and I learned a little secret that we in the US should try. I would HIGHLY recommend doing what they do in europe. By duvets that fit just the top of the bed, but don’t go over the edges. You tuck them in at the foot of the bed and then just fold them down to “make” the bed. They also don’t use a top sheet. You just wash the duvet cover weekly like you would your normal bed sheets. Works easy peasy at my house!

  33. my 7 year old has bunk beds and has had them since she was 4 at least. she started on the bottom then moved to the top later on. they are a pain to change the sheets but, luckily, slide out from the wall on our laminate flooring without too much trouble. the biggest gripe i have is the colossal amount of junk that ends up being stored on the bottom bunk…blankets, pillows, dolls, stuffed animals, plus anything else she can think of.
    my 4 year old has the loft sort of bed from ikea. its a top bunk with no bottom bunk. it makes for a great play area but is wicked heavy to move for the sheet changing.

  34. If you or your children hate making beds in the first place, then you will DETEST making up bunk beds-especially if they are up against the wall. Other sanity-saving choices are out there!

  35. We’re planning on getting bunk beds this year for our girls and for us it’s a huge issue of space as we do not have the luxury of having 2 twin sized beds in one room. I am 5’11 so the idea of making the top bed is the least of my worries. If you have a magic spell that can get the toys off of the floor, I’l take that any day of bed sheet issues.

    I don’t know if the chain The Brick is in the US but they have one called The Malibu in white that you can customize with under bed storage and stairs for an extra cost. I’d post a link but I am not sure if that would end me up in the spam box. So definitely google it. That’s the one we’re getting down the line (and it goes on sale often).

  36. Oh, I know they look like so much fun, but they are such a colossal pain in the neck to make, and they will look messy allllll the time because you can’t really tuck things in properly.

  37. I had a bunk bed as a child and kinda hated it. I had three siblings so we grew up with bunk beds our whole lives. My daughter is now 4 and I knew she would be entering the sleepover phase at some point, so I opted to buy her a full size bed with a twin trundle. It has worked out perfectly and I love that it looks like a regular bed with drawers underneath. The drawers are faux, of course. They pull out and voila, twin size bed. During a cruise to the Bahamas, my daughter got the opportunity to sleep in a bunk bed and she was so excited to sleep up top. She loved it. I’m glad she liked the bunk bed experience, but I’m pretty sure if she had to crawl up and down there every night, she would have gotten over it.

  38. I didn’t like when the kid on the top bunk got sick…miserable for mom to climb up and check on them. Plus I didn’t like changing the sheets up there, I made the kids do it. Making the bed is harder on both beds. If you like perfect looking beds maybe they aren’t for you. I was happy with rumpled blankets as long as the sheets were changed regularly. If it’s only going to be used sometimes it can be very good, especially if you need to combine siblings while guests come, or for sleepovers. Having an extra bed is a plus. Make sure your sleeper doesn’t thrash about during sleep, those kids need to stay off top bunks.

  39. Ami and Kate – Is the Sarah Richardson room you’re thinking of, Ami, the one in which she places the twin beds footboard to footboard, and there are curvy green headboards on opposite walls? If we’re thinking of the same one, it was Sarah 101, season 1, episode 6. Kate, if you can watch it online, she goes into a lot of detail and shows how she added storage, etc. It’s at
    http://www.hgtv.ca/sarah101/episode/?epId=252632 . I get a message saying her episodes can’t play online in this country :( but there are pictures.

  40. my son (age 6) has bunk beds, but the top is against the wall and the bottom bunk is perpendicular (sticks out). We bought it on sale as a floor model a few years ago. It includs a desk, dresser drawers and bookshelves. Its like 5 pcs of furniture in one! fantabulous! we never would have fit all of that into his room otherwise. He only uses the bottom bunk daily and makes it himself. The nice part is when we have guests, my daughter (age 8) sleeps on the top bunk and we have an add’l guest room! There are other weekends she does sleep in there because it is such fun for them. I mean, c’mon, what kid doesn’t LOVE bunk beds?? :)

  41. I shared a room for a while with a brother. That seemed to work fine – we each had little caves of our own and we didn’t horse around. The beds separated to become two normal twin beds, which we used when we no longer needed to share a room. I would think that would be a good idea for your girl’s room, since she’ll probably be done with bunks by the time she’s a tween.

    Before that tho, I shared a room w my stepsisters. I got the top bunk, and they shared a queen-size mattress on floor below. I liked to jump off the bed in the morning (I literally sprang into action!), and that led to some issues when I’d forget that it was their weekend with us. For the obvious jumping reason, I suggest going twin-on-twin rather than having a larger mattress on bottom.

  42. I’ve always heard that bunk beds and earthquake country do not mix. Be sure to secure the beds to wall studs.

  43. Jen and Kate, yes, that’s the room! While it doesn’t suit every situation, it certainly is an original and unique way to provide for two…that can also easily be switched out for a different look. Jen, I imagine she made amazing use of storage under that beautiful pleated bed skirt????

  44. Kate, I’m the only child and I too, begged my Mom for bunk beds when I was younger! No, making up the top bunk wasn’t that easy, but the experiance of having the bunk beds made it all worth it!

  45. My dad made my sister and I bunk beds when my grandpa moved in with us. I was in junior high and my sister was in elementary school (we’re 5 years apart). We didn’t get along too well. I had the top bunk and I had NO problem making the bed. It was made every morning when I got up. My dad put rails up so I never had to worry about falling out of bed. I think it just depends on the kid.

  46. I bought bunk beds two years ago for my girls as they share a room right now. Whatever you do don’t buy beds made out of soft wood. Ours were made out of pine and they cracked at the joints and I had to take them apart I was so scared they would collapse. Make sure the joins on the bottom bed are really solid and use good quality nuts and bolts. The beds cost me $600 and that was half price so cost is not always an indication of quality.

  47. We had bunk beds for our girls for a short time. I thought it would be great, but in reality, it wasn’t. We put the youngest on the bottom, and being the younger, bratty sister, she spent a lot of time with her feet against the top bunk bouncing her sister. Then, we switched them, and all was well. Younger dd was a bit of an acrobat so I did worry, not so much about falling, but about just doing something stupid. She never did anything, but older dd missed a step one time and fell off. No stitches. And yes, they were a pain to make, especially the top bunk.

    What I wish we had done was the type where the two beds fit into a corner, with one bed being regular height and the other being a couple of feet taller, with the foot end over the foot end of the regular height bed. That probably doesn’t make any sense, but it combined some of the space saving features of bunk beds without most of the problems.

  48. I’ve been pondering bunk beds for the girls (not yet, but when they are a little older) but am kind of scared too! Haha! LOVE the Restoration Hardware one – wish it weren’t so impractical. And really love the canpoy idea! I cannot wait to see what you do!

  49. My son has bunk beds [and I am heading up to check them for splitting after reading Jacquies comment!]… and honestly I HATE them. Making that bottom bunk, where my son routinely sleeps, is a real pain.

    I wish I had gone for a bed with trundle, and even one that pops up to a queen so down the road he could still use the bed…

  50. My daughter had them and loved them. Think simple with bedding, it is a pain to make. The look of duvet or covers tucked in looks great, but never happens! When she got older we opted for a trundle, liked that even better!

  51. I too have twin daughters and we had to get bunk beds last year because they share a room and it is too small for two singles beds. They had been in IKEA toddler beds until then. I did a lot of research on them because I wanted to make sure I was buying something safe and sound quality that would last for years to come. I also wanted beds that could be separated in the future if we moved house. I ended up buying a bed from Maxtrix Kids (http://www.maxtrixkids.com/) via my local baby shop. It is a fantastic bed system that can be configured a number of ways with additional parts. Effectively it can turn into a loft bed or single bed etc. US company, cedar timber, made in Vietnam. It is extremely solid- better than Pottery Barn and it exceeds the safety standards on the height of the rails etc. You can choose the type of ladder you want, drawers to go under it, desk to go under it etc. The website has all the info. It was more far expensive than say an IKEA bunk bed but like so many things, you get what you pay for.

  52. We had an IKEA Kura bed for a very brief time. Although it’s not techincally a bunk bed and not nearly as tall, it was still a pain to change bed linens and make up every day. Luckily my little guy wasn’t fond of the bed and I sold it rather quickly on Craigslist. I would go with a trundle. Not as large and offers the extra bed you’re looking for.

  53. We bought two sets of twin over full bunk beds for our lake house last summer. After researching everywhere under the sun, I found awesome white-wood ones just like PBK at… (get ready)… walmart dot com! They were only $300 each and were really simple to put together (like Ikea simple). I’d check it out. You can easily paint them any color you want, still stay within budget, and probably sell them for the same amount in a few years when she changes her mind again.

  54. My girls (9 and 7) share bunk beds and they are really hard to make. I feel like their room is always a mess. Maybe I could simplify the bedding we use, but they just can’t get it neat enough to look nice. But it is a great option for a small bedroom. We found ours at a garage sale which was a huge find. My son has a trundle in his room and that is perfect for guests. I would go in that direction.

  55. My son has bunk beds and he and his friends like them. I had a comforter on there for a while but took it off because it was too difficult to make the bed. Best to use just a blanket for top and bottom, which is not very cute but if you’re putting curtain panels all around it you won’t see too much of the beds anyway. Also make sure to put lights in there because the bottom bunk gets dark. My beds are against the wall so I mounted plug-in sconces on the wall next to the bed.

  56. Like and dislike the bunk beds for so many reasons–hah!
    Don’t invest in them expecting they will last 5 years. She will grow out of them as a teenager, and will, if like my daughter, covet every cool bed with a trundle so as to keep her extra bed. I agree with keeping the bedding simple. It’s difficult for a kid to make the top bunk, not much easier for an adult, and teenagers don’t like to make beds, period. The spare bed can easily become a dumping ground, too, when she’s balancing school and chores and sports and all the things that kids do. Having said all that, we got one at Ikea years ago (they don’t make it anymore, but it could be configured as a 4-poster, loft, or bunk style, and we’ve set it up as all three) and the money was worth it. I don’t regret it, but I wouldn’t do it again.

    …unless I was building a really cool mountain or beach vacation home, and then I’d have built-in bunk rooms–one for the lassies and one for the laddies.

  57. My son wanted them a few yrs ago and I liked the idea that my other son could bunk in with him sometimes for sleepovers. They ARE nasty to put sheets on. Ours could be two twins if we ever want to take apart.

  58. Beautiful inspiration photos! My girls have a white bunkbed set in their room, and except for changing the sheets (tough!) I love it. We need all the space we can get and the bunks let us have that. :)

  59. My boys have a bunkbed (ages 3 & 5) I love it for them!!! Their room is on the small side, so bunks were pretty much a necessity. I make the beds once per week and tuck the blanket and sheet along the wall and under the mattress. The boys smooth them out before they get up. It’s taking some training, but totally worth it to me :)

  60. If we go the bunk bed route, I’m going to keep bedding simple, I don’t like flat sheets, just the fitted ones, and then perhaps a quilt or duvet, but that’s it! Thanks so much for sharing your opinions!

  61. My son and daughter finally were getting their own bedrooms, at ages 5 and 6. My little guy’s only request was a bunk bed. Love the extra sleeping space!! Everyone in the family has taken turns sleeping in them and they make an awesome play fort. If space allowed, I would have purchased a twin over full. Downside…making the bed is torture. I love the visual appeal of a well dressed bed; bunk bed do not easily allow for this, even after exerting strange feats of acrobatics in an attempt to align and tuck bedding.

  62. My sons used to share bunk beds and I had no problems with their bedding. Your right in not putting flat sheets Kate, too tedious, the comforter alone is a bit tricky, but once you tuck-in the side of the comforter leaning on a wall, it’s no hassle to fix up. For the top bunk, I just tuck in the comforter on both ends really well, good on the eye, and better on safety to have the kids “locked-in” :-)

  63. My ONE BIG TIP is to ensure that you are able to sit in an upright position on the bottom bunk. So many of my clients have pruchased beds you can’t sit up in making it hard to read a book, play a game to just talk in bed. Storage is great under the bed but it makes it akward if you use a side table.

    Have fun!

  64. Living in a three bedroom house, when we found out I was pregnant with #3, I immediately started stressing out over where Baby would go. After months of back and forth in my head, I committed to putting our oldest two in a shared room. Which, normally isn’t a big deal, but the oldest is a boy and the middle is a girl. A shared unisex room. On a budget. The room isn’t tiny, but it isn’t big by any means, so unless all we wanted in there was beds, we were gonna have to go up. So up we went.

    I coveted those PB bunks you had in your first picture. But the price wasn’t right. So we searched Ana White’s plans for something similar. In the end, my super fantastic amazingly talented hubby, drew up plans and started building.

    Yes, it totally sucks to change the sheets. And if I’m being honest, my son’s top bunk is NEVER made unless I’m on a rampage and freaking out over the messiness of it. BUT, the space saving is priceless. And we made sure there was enough clearance under the bottom bunk for rolling bins. Four of the big rolling “wrapping paper” bins fit under there.

    Anyway, here’s a post I did with pictures I took the day before Baby #3 came. She just turned one the first of this month. Holy crap, time flies.

    http://rindymae.blogspot.com/2012/06/operation-shared-bedroom-reveal.html#

  65. Hi Kate! My husband and I have four children and we thought it would be super cool to use two sets of bunk beds in their bedroom at our small beach cottage. It made sense at the time because they had to share one large size bedroom. I found the perfect, or so I thought, bedding and they looked so picture perfect the first time I made all four beds. The kids had a really difficult time making the beds, so I found my perfectionist self slipping into the bedroom to make the beds. It had its challenges as it took me quite some time and effort even after I mastered a system. Changing the sheets was also difficult, and so I sold the beds on Craigslist. Don’t worry, I actually made money on the transaction as I scored the beds at the Pottery Barn Outlet in my town for an insanely cheap deal. I kind of miss the idea of the bunk beds and perhaps I should not have given up so easily. My Type A personality works well in an organized environment (thus, that is why I read your blog! and those messy bunk beds were driving me crazy. Perhaps I should have spent more time investigating different comforter options. After I sold them, I even thought I should have had a custom fitted comforter made, and the kids could have just slippped them on in the morning and fluff the pillows. I suggest you visit a PB Kids and check out floor sample in a little more detail. If anyone can get those beds looking perfect each and every day, I know you can! I look forward to seeing the finished product. Good luck.

  66. Our boy wanted and got a loft bed which is perfect in his super small room. We have had to trim down the legs a bit as he has gotten taller but it still suits us well. For bedding I sewed together to flat sheets and a light blanket, sheet – sheet – blanket – sewn shut on two sides, 3/4 of the way on the third long side to along for crawling in and out. We refer to it as his bed bag – not a great name but…. in the winter we just add an extra comforter. works well and washes great. better sewing skills than mine could make the bed bag look real cute! good luck

  67. My youngest son has a full over full bunk bed in his room and there are some pros and cons. They are a pain to make, but having all of that available room that my 3 boys can camp-out together in really makes it worth it. Can’t wait to see what you choose!

  68. I had a bad experience from bunk beds from my childhood, when my sister fell from the higher level of the bed and her breath was cutted for seconds, so when I decided to host both my daughters in one room I choose the solution of a sliding bed. I put a mechanish that raise the sliding bed in the same level of the other bed and that’s it. Now when the bed is open I have a super double bed where I can be also hosted! If I wasn’t scared I could choose a bunk bed as well because I like them!

  69. We live in an apartment and when our girls were finally old enough for bunkbeds, I jumped at the chance to save some floorspace! We immediately did a bit of upgrading and put a piece of (painted) plywood under the upper mattress to hide the mess of tucked in blankets and to keep the ‘downstairs’ sleeper from kicking the ‘upstairs’ sleeper. Then, I realized the difficulty of making the beds and decided to do some improving on our bedding. I took the comforters and sewed a zigzag about one foot in from the edge, so that the comforter was exactly the width of the mattress. then I cut off the extra portion. Next, I took the duvet covers and sewed a sort of pocket, the exact width of the mattress as well. When the comforter is in the duvet pocket, there is a flap of fabric on each side, perfect for tucking in around the mattress. The children have no trouble making their beds as I do not use flat sheets and the duvet falls into place perfectly; afterwards, I often go in and tuck in the fabric flaps a bit but its hardly necessary.

  70. Bunk Beds are such a great idea especially when space is limited! Better to go up and use the vertical space so there is more floor space for fun and play :) Great post!

    xoxo
    Nike O.

  71. I have twin girls who are now 12. They’ve had bunk beds for quite a while and we never had any safety issues. When we bought the bunk beds we made sure to buy beds that could separate into twin beds. That was a great idea for us because they now have their own rooms. The beds are white and sort of have a Pottery Barn look to them. I think your idea of a canopy would be gorgeous. The one thing I didn’t like so much about them is making the beds everyday was a bit of a pain when they were set up as bunks. Eventually it was their job and it was pretty tricky for them and didn’t look very neat.

  72. Hi, Kate
    Greetings from Lisbon, Portugal.
    My house is a tipical european city flat, wich means it is quite small. After we moved in, we had a surprise… A new baby boy. When he turned 2 1/2, we decided it was time to get rid of the crib and the only option was to get the boys a bunk bed. Their room is about 12m2, and have to have room for a desk, for the older boy, an Ikea 1,50m closet, the bunk bed and shelves for toys and tons of books for both boys, and a small play area for the younger boy.
    I found a bunk bed in a local store, with 50% off, for about 400€, and I love it. But it sure is a nightmare to make the bed… We try to have 2 people around when sheets need to be changed. I have zara home covers, grey with white stars, that i also got for half the price. When i manage to make the beds, they sure look lovely…
    When i was little, growing up in a huge familly house, I used to dream of a bunk bed, but never got one. They sure love it, and it provides a certain privacy to each of the boys.
    Knowing there are pros and cons, my advice is… Indulge your child!
    Thanks for your blog, i come here most every day and love it!
    Big hug

    Fátima Morais

  73. Trundle bed! My son wanted bunk beds also but a trundle bed is inexpensive and practical.

  74. My boys had bunkbeds and they are a pain to make! They ended up not liking them either even though they asked for them and I took them apart. My friends and I had trundles growing up and loved them. Clean up is a lot easier too!

  75. I have 2 teenage girls and highly recommend a day bed with trundle. My girls wanted bunk bed for so long but we went on a week’s vacation and the rental had bunk beds. After a few night’s the novelty wore off. Love the trundle because you pop it up whenever needed.

  76. Fabulous comments! Thanks, all! Been pondering bunkbeds for 10 & 9 y.o girls – hadn’t gotten to the making the bed part r.e pain factor. And at 10 – I fully expect they’ll want their own rooms soon enough anyhow. Trundle may be a better option I see – but not sure how that improves r.e smooshing bedding in when rolling it under. Currently, they fill the room, but have 2 twins smacked together to the size of a king bed. They actually REALLY like the closeness factor – not sure bunks would cut it for them. Thanks again!

  77. I don’t usually comment, but love your blog!

    Here’s my two cents: I am the mom of five children under 8 and after hours and hours of measuring and research we decided to make the bunk beds we wanted. We did buy plans and hardware online to help us get started, but my husband modified the plans to fit the thicker mattresses that we had. We have a twin over full with a twin trundle.

    The deciding factors were 1. Safety, even though we don’t want them horsing around on the top, I didn’t want to be in fear of something collapsing, etc. many, many bunk beds are rated for 175 lbs and that didn’t sit well with us. 2. Fixed ladder so no one was trapped. 3. Fit the thickness of the mattresses that we already had, so adjusting the plans was the easiest way to accomplish this.

    We ended up with SUPER sturdy bunk beds. The kids LOVE them and move around all the time of who is sleeping with who. Right now 3girls and 1boy are in tho beds. It will change soon to another twin over twin in another room, but for now they always want to be together and switch every night. We love listening them talk and play. And yes, they do argue, which would be the case if they were separate.

  78. My boys had bunk beds – but we ended up taking them down and making them 2 single beds. Love how they look, but my older son had to sleep up top. My younger son is too active to sleep on the top. My older son kept hitting his head on the ceiling! He did it 3 times, really whacked himself good. Finally we said, “enough!” and took them apart :)

  79. Our boys share a small bedroom, so bunk beds were a must. I paid around $150 for a metal low-loft style at Wal-Mart. I have two phobias regarding bunk beds: 1) I worry about the top bunk crashing down on the lower one, so the bottom bed is set perpendicular to the top bunk; and 2) I also worry about them being “too high” in case of fire, so the low-loft style is perfect. After a year of a 10-year old climbing up and down and a 4-year old getting up there when he’s not supposed to, it’s held up just fine. :) Our daughter is now wanting to go from a double to a twin, and I’m considering buying one for her room as well.

  80. Sorry, I don’t have time to read through all the responses, but have you considered a trundle bed? It seems that most kids these days end up in full or queen size beds in their teens and a trundle can still be used with that. Just a suggestion…

  81. We bought bunk beds for my son about three years ago off of Wal-Marts website (didn’t want to spend a ton, but it had great reviews). It has always been a pain to make but this past fall I redecorated his room. We had wall-to-wall carpeting installed (there had been an area rug over hard wood) and then put furniture glides on the bottom of the legs. I have to say this has made such a difference in changing the bedding. Before when i would try to move it away from the wall it would always get hung up on the edge of the rug. Now it slides away from the wall with such ease! Also, I have a quilt on the top bunk and a comforter on the bottom. They are both the same color but my son sleeps on the bottom bunk and the quilt is easier to tuck in on the top. Flannel sheets and extra blanket help keep it cozy for sleepovers. (we live in the northeast, cold!) BTW the bunkbed has held up very well over the years, just have to tighten up the screws every now and then.

  82. My son really wanted bunk beds, too. I considered building him one with a batten board finish and built-in sconce lighting, but after measuring it out I realized our ceilings are too low and his room is too small. It would have been a cute idea and building it yourself saves a lot of money in case they grow out of it. For a girl, I would definitely use that Restoration Hardware bed for inspiration!

  83. When my son was young, he had a loft bed with a slide. He had a fitted sheet, no flat sheet, and a comforter with a duvet cover. In the morning I would fold the duvet cover in fourths and lay it at the foot of the bed. Easy to make and neat looking. When they needed to be cleaned, I would just take off the the sheet and duvet cover. It may not be as fancy as regular bedding, but it worked for us.

  84. My 9 year old son has had his twin over full bunk bed since he was about 4. I chose to purchase it at Pottery Barn kids for several reasons. 1. When he outgrows the bunk idea we’ve got the full bed which will look great on its own and it will be adequate space for him. 2. It is the only bunk bed I’ve ever sat on where I don’t have to worry about being able to sit up straight on the bottom bunk without hitting my head. The bottom mattress is also intended to a bunk so it is lower profile but doesn’t sacrifice comfort. 3. My boy has always enjoyed having us read to him in bed and the full size bed makes it much easier to snuggle up when he insists we stay. 4. The extra sleeping space comes in handy when family visits.
    We are very happy with the sturdiness of the beds and the finish and structure are wearing extremely well. My only regret is that we didn’t use the Pottery Barn credit card when we bought it. It has a nice cash back program and a purchase that big probably would have went a long way toward some free bedding. No, making the beds is not fun but for all the mileage we’re getting from it, the bunk has been completely worth the investment. I recommend you go for it!

  85. Bunk beds have come a long way from what I’m seeing here….my boys (now 32 and 27) shared a room a very long time ago for a few years…the youngest was a little scared of being up on the top since he thought he was “too high”, which he overcame as he got older. They worked perfectly for the room though, which is why I bought them.

    As far as the parent is concerned, they are an absolute “bear” to make up. I had to climb up on the top bunk and had to be careful to turn off the ceiling fan…got my head banged several times, which was one concern having the kids up there too (not every room would have this issue though). Just changing the sheets every week made me glad to be rid of them once they outgrew them.

    As far as the bunk with the double-bed on the first level, my friend had one of those…with 2 boys, that became a sort of trampoline…they would jump off the top bunk onto the bed below…another concern but not that everyone would have that issue…depends on the temperment of your kids, etc.

  86. I’ve had bunk beds first for my two girls and then moved them into my boy’s room. They’re the ones that make into twins. While they were bunk beds, I just used jersey knit fitted sheets and a duvet, with no top sheet. All three kids could never sleep with a top sheet anyway because they always ended up knotted up at the bottom of the bed for some reason. When they got up, they just flipped up the duvet and smoothed it out. Not the best solution, but comfy and it looked fine.

  87. while i didn’t have bunk beds as a child, i did have a trundle bed. it was a formica-clad platform bed with another mattress in a drawer below, which was my preferred mattress. as for bedding, my mom bought me a pretty sleeping bag (not for outdoor use). it was cotton flannel, and was easily washed & dried. we put only a fitted sheet on the bed, and each morning i would toss my pillow and sleeping bag onto a closet shelf, then push the trundle under the bed frame. with bunk beds being a pain to make up with sheets and blankets, this could work for you. as long as the fitted sheet is pretty, it can make a great statement in the room. also, the unused flat sheet can be used to make decorative items such as throw pillows, valances, tents, etc.

  88. My daughters had wonderful low bunk beds that were my brothers at one time. You must have a good rail. My daughter went off to camp where there were no rails on the bed and convinced me to take the rail off when she came home. I put a dozen pillows on the floor the first no-rail night and sure enough we were in the emergency room at 3am. Bunk beds were great until 4th grade then we moved into the pop-up trundle under a beautiful wrought iron antique bed. Finally, by junior high school it was time for a queen size bed because girls that age like to stay up talking all night. Hope that helps.

  89. Kate – We have 5 kids – 3 boys and 2 girls and have gone a few different routes – DIY bunk beds that were together head to head in an L shape. The top was 5 feet off the ground and fully enclosed (plywood) to use as a fort complete with a window for a puppet theater (they were 5 and 3 when we built those) – the lower bunk had a built in dresser – those were in a large bedroom shared by my younger sons. My older two had the double under a twin for a few years. We have also had two different daybeds with trundles underneath (still have one in a guest room). So my only advice would be to prepare to change in a few years because they get tired of them when they become older teens or at least look at ones that unstack and still look nice and can “age” with them. By the way, all my kids have queen beds now that they are older and much bigger (: Love your site!

  90. Can’t wait to see what you do! So funny to – my daughter sleeps in my son’s room almost every night. He has a queen – I think our kids are the same age just my older one is the boy. My hub and I love to overhear their bedtime conversations and giggles. It’s so sweet!

  91. My kids had bunk beds for awhile- they are a pain to make up, but definitely space savers. If daughter would be open to it, I’d probably go for a trundle bed instead- there are some really cute ones that look like a drawer under the bed.

  92. I have four kids, two girls and two boys. They each have a set of bunkbeds. We’ve had them for a while and they are great at providing more floor space. We got them when the youngest two were really too young to make their own beds, and what a pain that was for an adult to make a top bunk! But nine is a perfect age as she can make her own bed. I would recommend a duvet over more tailored bedding to aid in ease of making the bed. It will save you some tears and frustration… her’s and yours :).

  93. My older two share a room (6 1/2 g & 3 1/2 b) and bunk beds are a necessity. They free up so much floor space and have been a great addition. The older one is on top and some day she’ll share with her now 18 month old sister. We bought our’s at Dania and have been pretty happy. A removable ladder was a great addition for when the 3 y old was only 2 and now the 18 month old has been climbing it. I highly recommend bunk beds but establish a 3 kid max rule on the top bunk when friends come over!

  94. We got bunk beds for my then 3 year old. She’s now 5 and her old sister is 8 and they are sharing a room while we renovate our new house. The novelty wore off and they asked to have the beds separated. So now they have two twin beds on the opposite sides of the room.

    I would say that making the bed and laundering the sheets was annoying. But, I’m not exactly a homemaker so just having to do laundry in the first place annoys me. Ha, Ha.

    So I guess my only suggestion would be to get some that can be separated or re-purposed for the future.

  95. Love bunk beds.I had them and also for my son’s. Just watch for the ceiling fan if you have one!

  96. I’m a granny now but vividly remember my bunk bed experience for my son’s room. I designed and had custom built in bunk beds made by a carpenter for my son’s room. I would never do that again though he loved that bed dearly. It had storage underneath, reading lamps, and a built in desk on the end.
    Think twice about a floor to ceiling surrounding curtain. One on top and one on bottom is much more practical so the upper and lower people don’t have to agree on opening and closing. You could still use your valance at the top!
    Now the cons:
    #1– to say it was “difficult to make” the top bunk and even the bottom, would be an understatement and I spent time every day “convincing” him to help.
    #2 — the fact that they were built in negatively impacted my resale value–narrows your list of potential buyers almost like a swimming pool does.
    Today: my daughter bought IKEA bunks for her boys and has reconfigured them in various ways for different eras of their lives.

  97. My boys (now grown) had This End Up bunkbeds. They are so durable that we have them still. I’m sure there are plenty around for you to find on Craigslist and do something Centsational with. I’m thinking of doing some kind of beachy wash on mine, as we live near the beach and still get plenty of guests!

  98. Also take a look at using a Loft Bed. Basically they are bunk beds without the bottom bunk. You can use the underneath for a desk, shelves or a nice reading area. Do a Google search for “Youth Loft Beds” to find a nice variety.

  99. My kids never had bunk beds but my nephews and nieces did and yes they are a pain to make. I would consider a trundle bed. You get the added bed space for sleep over guests but it all tucks away all nice and neat. Just a thought

  100. My daughter has white bunk beds with twin on top and full on the bottom. As difficult as it is to make the beds I do like them because they are practical. You will “doll” them up I’m sure! My son has my oak hand-me-down twin bunk beds and hasn’t complained yet. They are great for when his cousins come to stay for the weekend.

  101. We have two sets in our house. My son is young and a calm sleeper so his is pretty easy to make daily. The sheet changes are another story. My daughter only has a fitted sheet, and lots of pillows. She has a big fluffy throw that she covers up with. It can be drapped over the end of the bed and look made up. This works out great! Looks good and is easy to make-up. It has a daybed look about it. I also agree that the trundle is great. My daughters has a trundle also so its an extra bed for kid company.

  102. My sons (7 & 9) like the IDEA of bunk beds more than having them.
    My youngest is a light sleeper and gave up on sleeping on the top bunk because he often got at night and didn’t like climbing down the ladder. Therefore, he usually ended up in bed with me.
    They are great, however, for sleepovers with friends. Friends LOVE bunk beds.
    If you do go with a set, be sure they are extremely sturdy and do not move AT ALL. Get in yourself and flop around with someone else on the top bunk. My youngest said it was difficult to sleep because his brother moved so much (on the lower) and jiggled the bed.
    Bottom Line: Love the space-saving idea, but the novelty wore off for my kids and no one wanted to sleep on the top bunk regularly.
    Also, everyone is right about making the bed. Very challenging.

  103. The biggest drawback to the bunk beds is snuggling with the kids in the top bunk. While the kids love the beds, this miss snuggling in their own beds. As for the tricky bedding, it helps to think of it not in the tradional terms. I have a blanket cut to size of the area of the matress so that there are no fitted corners. There is a fitted corner matress protector underneath that gets changed every two months. on top we use the kids collection of blankets. it is easier for them to fold. We also store our quilts/blankets hanging over the railing of the beds. We went with bunkbeds becase we neded the space, so I had to make sure living with the idea is doable. We have four kids and it has worked out. :)

  104. I have bunk beds for my boys. I love the extra floor space that they provide and, when we move, the sleep over space that it will give my oldest. The top bunk bed-making is always an issue. The easiest solution, that I have found, is to adjust the bedding. Make the upper bunk have a blanket/quilt/comforter that is the width of the mattress, and that is all. It is easier for the kids to make their own beds and always looks clean and tidy.
    Can’t wait to see what you come up with. I love you ideas! Best of luck!

  105. Looks like you’ve received some excellent comments, Kate. I would add a couple of thoughts.
    1. If you do go with bunk beds, make sure you plan for a good light by the bed to read by. My parents would always let me stay up later if I was reading, so I “tricked” them into letting me stay up by doing a little reading. As you can imagine, it nurtured my love of reading and reading in bed is one of my very favorite things!

  106. In this past year, I got rid of fairly new beautifully whitewashed bunk beds from Ethan Allen. We had a twin over a full. Don’t forget to use bunkie boards. Do not just put a mattress over the slats; that makes for very uncomfortable sleeping and hurt backs. I Hated making them. My daughters could not do it. They begged for them and I caved even though I knew better. We moved one daughter out of the room and then the other begged for a regular bed. We did have the beds separated for quite awhile into two twin beds. Years ago, I had different bunks for my boys. They didn’t much care, but for both the boys and the girls, at age ten, eleven at most, they no longer wanted bunk beds. Mine told me that they are baby-ish once you hit fifth grade.

  107. Hi Kate!

    So interesting that you’re looking at bunk beds! I have been surfing myself, and found the same beautiful examples you did.
    I have been thinking about building in 2 sets for guests, with trundles under the lower bunk. That would sleep six! I tend to have quite a bit of company-with kids of all ages, and they bring the adults in their lives with them:) I’ve realized over time that many people don’t want to sleep with someone else in the same bed-even if it’s a queen or king. Husbands and wives are fine, but after that it can get a little awkward. I have two other guest rooms, one with a queen bed, the other with a king. I put those with the greatest seniority, typically my parents in the large beds. Otherwise, I think most guests are happy sleeping resort style as depicted in the Costal Living pics. I think the built-in bunks are gorgeous! We’ve come a LONG way in bunk beds, don’t you think? :)

    Good luck!

    Barb~

  108. I have 5 grandchildren visit in the summer and share one room. They really wanted bunkbeds so we got 2 sets from IKEA and one trundle. They are white metal and remind me of a prison. The kids don’t like them at all, especially the 9 year old girl. The others, all younger, don’t mind as much. She really just wants her own room. I sewed 5 long narrow duvet covers that stay tucked under the bottom of the mattress and that they can just pull up over the bottom sheet-no top sheet. I cut down inexpensive IKEA duvets to fit. When we change sheets, my d-i-l and I have to pull the beds away from the walls and it takes 2 of us to make up the beds.
    Go with a trundle instead.

  109. I hope some of the comments let you know how much some kids think they want them and then do not. I just sold one, I posted it on my blog a few weeks ago, Called Wheelin & Dealin.

    Those are not easy to put up and take down. You cannot move your room around AND they don’t sell fast.

    My kid hated getting up there and then I hated it because I couldn’t lay with her for a while, I felt isolated from her!

  110. We did the bunkbed route when my son was much younger. By the time he was 10 1/2, he hated them because he kept hitting his head. Granted he is tall for his age. He is now 12 and has a queen bed. My daughter had a daybed with a trundle for a while and that was great for sleepovers. Our youngest now has the daybed and we are in the process of getting our 10 year old a bigger bed. I would consider getting her a double or queen before I did a bunked. Plus then you only have to buy one set of bedding instead of two.

  111. We “had” bunk beds. They are impossible to make! I bumped my head 1too many times and that was it!!! I was done, we sold them! They are a pain in the rear and its hard to it up in them! I would make a pros and con list! A trundle might be better! Just say’n!

  112. I recently got my daughter white bunk beds from Lea (the Hannah model). It’s the one with the full on the bottom (since I figured she’d tire of the top bunk after a while and we could still use the bottom one without it. It was hard to find a design that had the full on the bottom and not the goofy attachment piece that converted it from a twin to a full, so I was happy with this one. And the price wasn’t bad. Her old twin metal frame was Lea, and I like the brand a lot.

  113. As a kid I had bunk beds with my younger sister and it was always so much fun; they also helped to keep us apart when we weren’t getting along so well ;). When we grew out of the idea, the bunks were taken apart and made into two twin beds – which is really practical and offers a more long-term solution.

  114. We’ve done bunk beds before. With 6 kids in 1800 square feet, we once had 4 boys in one room and 2 girls in the other. I’ll admit I hate bunk beds and got rid of them as soon as I could work out something else. The beds were very hard to make, the only way they look awesome is if the covers are completely tucked in all the way around. This is nearly impossible for kids to accomplish especially on the top bunk and then makes it hard to get in bed at night.

    The worse part about bunk beds is it makes the room feel closed in. It’s a large item at face height and really reduces the size of the room. Also we had tons of injuries from kids bumping heads (even more of a possibility with a twin over full–what we had, because you think you are “safe” far enough out from under the twin, but aren’t.) One son is permanently scarred on his face from a bunk bed accident.

    I would do bunks again in a room with at least 10 foot ceilings and plenty of square feet–but then I wouldn’t need to, so probably not.

    My new solution is a cute trundle bed. Easy to pull out for guests, but under and out of the way the rest of the time. And keeps the room feeling open and airy.

  115. Wow, I almost forgot about having bunk beds. My sister and I had them and I was on the bottom. I LOVED tucking sheets all around and imagining I was in an Oriental Express sleeping berth, me and my little dog, a flashlight, a Little House on the Prairie or Jane Austen or something good to read. My little sister thought the ladder was the coolest thing ever. Some cousins had built ins, I was SO envious. Ours were the type that came apart for twin beds, useful for a nice guest room after us kids all moved away.

  116. I HATE our bunk beds because making them is A NIGHTMARE. It’s INSANELY difficult to change the sheets on the top – not to mention actually making the bed daily – the sheets are hard to pull up/tuck. Quilt, comforter, or blanket – they are all too big and don’t hang nicely or tuck well. The top bunk is ALWAYS sloppy.

    That said, it does solve our space problem :)

  117. As teenagers, my best friend and I both had trundle beds under our beds so we could stay over at each others house whenever we wanted. They were brilliant for impromptu sleepovers, and kept out of the way when we didn’t need them.

    That said, I was glad to read all the comments above as we are expecting our third child and looking to get bunk beds for my older two girls when the younger of them gives her cot to new baby.

    We already have one single bed so I’ve been thinking about somehow making a bunk that can go over top of it at a perpendicular angle. That way I can stand on the bottom bed to make the top one, and possible fit a chest of drawers next to the bottom bed and underneath the top bunk for extra space saving. We have high stud ceilings so I want the top bunk to be pretty high so we don’t bump heads on it from down below.

    I’m thinking I might have to get something custom built.

  118. Hi Kate, my three kids (7, 5, and 3) share one small attic room. The older ones share the ikea kuna bed in “bunk bed mode”. It is great because it can work as a bunk bed or be flipped over for a one-person canopy bed. The kids love it, it is low enough that nobody will get hurt if they fall, it is convertible if they someday grow tired of it, and it has a lot of make-over potential. (Including the possibility of adding a trundle bed box or under bed pull out storage. The bottom mattress would simply lay on top of the box. Check Ana white’s website for trundle bed plans.)

  119. Bunk Beds were sort of a necessity because of space at the new house, but the kids love them. One word of caution, many of the examples you used in the post (gorgeous post, though!!) the thickness of the mattress went above the rail. True bunk bed mattresses are thinner (and a little less comfy, but doable.) It is darn near IMPOSSIBLE to make the top bunk, not only because you are hanging off the side of the ladder to try and make the other side, but also because the sheets don’t tuck in easily because of the fact that the mattress drops down into the frame, and then there is the rail to deal with….. The beds never ever ever look as beautiful as the pottery barn beds in your first photo! I finally bought the girls lightweight white matching comforters from IKEA and I basically just throw those over the sheets (which stay tucked in so they don’t get all messy.) Good luck. But yes, they love making tents out of it and so forth….

  120. As long as my boys shared a room, they had bunkbeds. I made making the bed easy from the standpoint that I adopted a european idea – just have a fitted bottom sheet and a duvet with a cover for easy washing. It worked well for both the boys. From seeing your style aesthetic since I have been reading your blog, I am not surprised that the last is your choice ;) beautiful

  121. If you get bunkbeds, you may want to purchase bedding made specifically for bunk beds so that they are easier to make. This Ends Up used to make fitted quilts for bunk beds. A quick search turned up the site bunkbedsbunker.com and their version of a fitted quilt called a bunkbed hugger. They also carrier sheets where the top and bottom sheet are connected on two sides. I would probably go with a trundle bed or, if you have enought space, two twin beds with a corner table. That arrangement could even be two twin trundles allowing for 3 kids to sleep over.

  122. Hi Kate! I am a busy Mom of 3 boys and we have a set of bunk beds for my 9 year old and 5 year old. As many people have said, it is such a pain to take bed linens off and put them back on, and I’m really, really bad about making the beds every morning. Sooooo, I came up with a trick for the bunk beds that makes my life a little bit easier. We have our fitted and flat sheets on their beds, then instead of a traditional comforter or duvet on top, I bought two blankets/wall tapestries from Urban Outfitters (around $39 each, http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=24471682&parentid=SEARCH+RESULTS) that have a simple, large world map print on them. One for each bed. They are made to use on a bed or on the wall. They are too big for the twin bunk beds but you could just cut/hem the excess fabric or do what I do and tuck all the excess under the mattresses and you never see it.
    My secret is, my boys actually sleep on top of these blankets with the bed made up, and they use their favorite throw/blanket to cover them, that can easily be folded at the bottom of the bed in the morning. The blankets/tapestries are thin, so it feels like they’re sleeping on a sheet. When they get up out of bed in the morning…voila! Beds are always made! If I’m having a busy week and don’t have time to wash their sheets or don’t feel like fighting with the bunk beds again, I just fold down the top map blanket and they sleep on the sheets. Gives me a little extra time to actually get them in the washing machine. It works great for me! Hope that helps!

  123. I agree with those that suggested a trundle bed. Sleeping on the top bunk gets old….no one wants to sleep on the top. We have bunk beds, but they only stayed “bunked” for a short time and then we separated them into twin beds, which defeated the purpose of more floor space! Go with a trundle bed! Good luck! I love your blog. It’s the only one I read regularly.

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