How A Bunk Bed Builds A Bigger Room

Nowadays, a lot of people have difficulty in find space in their children's rooms for all of their toys. This is the result of our overly materialistic culture, which offers so many things for children to buy that they can quickly build up a huge number of toys. Unfortunately, our storage abilities have not kept pace with toy development, and it can still be difficult to find somewhere to put everything. Despite the fact that families now are smaller, and houses larger, then they have ever been before, we simply can't keep pace. So clearly, the only thing to do is to find a more efficient storage method. It's all very well telling your kids that their room is a mess, but how can they clean it up if they don't have somewhere to put everything? It's our job, as the adults who bought them all the toys in the first place, to find a better way to keep them.

The answer is to find unconventional or under-used places to put things. Bunk beds, loft beds and trundle beds can offer a great deal of relief to this crowding. These furnishings are not a new concept, yet they are certainly more efficient than conventional beds. They are an old solution to a modern problem. Bunk beds and their kin, like bookcases, offer ways to convert horizontal space to vertical and free up huge amounts of floor space.

If you are bothered by the safety aspects of stacking beds on top of each other, then let me reassure you that modern bunk beds are far safer already then they ever were before. New designs are constantly invented, and government regulations ensure that the beds made adhere to the highest safety standards. If that isn't convincing enough, then let me offer a bit of personal evidence. I have six children, myself, all of whom sleep in bunk beds and yet I've never had a single accident. Well, at least not any bunk bed related accidents. Kids will be kids.

If you're still with me, then lets take another look at the problem of finding storage space. Almost any bed has extra storage space under it, which you may or may not already be using. Generally speaking, the average children's bed has some 20 cubic feet of space beneath it. That's as large as a small closet. The best way to make use of this space is not simply to stuff things in there willy-nilly, although of course you could do that, but rather to buy a set of storage drawers. Take of the lids you won't need them under the bed) and try to get some with wheels, if you can, for easier access. So take a tape measure, find the exact dimensions of your under bed space, and then head down to your local Wal-Mart and buy a pile of boxes. This is the easiest way to use the space, and the best solution if you don't have time to do anything in more detail. If you do, on the other hand, then I would suggest you go take a look at http://www.bunkbedsunlimited.com/. They have some good articles on how to make the best use of this space.

If you are in need of more space then is provided by the standard bed, you may want to put some thought into alternatives, such as a loft bed. A standard loft bed will easily give you enough space to fit a variety of other items, such as a dresser, a table or desk, some other piece of furniture, or just a big chest of drawers. A loft bed is a great helping a crowded room. You'll be amazed at the space you save.

Let's take a typical kids room with two twin beds, two chests and toys everywhere. With a bunk bed you can put both beds in the footprint now occupied by one twin bed and neatly tuck away 20 cubic feet of toys in storage drawers beneath the lower bunk. The toys are not out of reach. If your storage boxes have wheels, the kids can pull them out easily and they now have a place for their things.

In addition to the above reasons, there is another point you might want to consider. Kids love bunk beds! Every child loves to climb, and the thought of sleeping above the ground makes their bed just plain exciting. Sleeping can become an adventure.

If you are think you might want to upgrade to a bunk bed, I would suggest that you not try to find the cheapest deal available. If you buy something extremely cheaply, it won't be the best quality, and may not stand up to the rough play that children enjoy. If you are worried about the cost though, you could always buy a kit and put it together as a family project. Have a look at http://www.bunkbedsunlimited.com/. They have a great selection of designs you could try, with simple plans that produce a very sturdy and reliable bed. You can also just look for interesting ideas, of course, like their easy to build triple bunk bed kit.

Finally, when trying to solve the eternal puzzle of tidying a child's room, you should start by just standing in the doorway and trying to picture how it would look tidied up. Put a plan together, figure out where everything can be put away, and then go on and get it set up. Think about getting a bunk bed, a loft bed, or a trundle bed, and incorporate this into your plan. Of course, if in the end you still can't fit everything neatly away, then your just going to have to clear some of it out. But that's a tale for another time.

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Patrick Oakley is a professional carpenter with expertise in designing furniture to make efficient use of space. To this end, has recently begun providing bunk beds and loft beds over the internet.