Why should you get a bunk bed?

Are you in need of space in your children's rooms? If you are like most modern families the answer is a huge Y-E-S! It seems that in our modern society the proliferation of stuff is almost out of control. This is largely a result of the industrial revolution finding cheap labor in Asia, particularly China. Children are able to have a huge abundance of nice things and yet we have not figured out what to do with all of it. The exceptionally large number of children's toys, in particular, has led to a problem that generations before us seldom, if ever, have had to deal with. Where do we put all of this stuff? Modern homes are often larger, and American families are often smaller, than their ancestors and yet kids' things take up far more room than they ever did before. Most of us never had to deal with this kind of abundance as children, so it is largely a new problem. The answer lays in the old adage 'a place for everything and everything in its place'. It is up to us as adults to give kids a place for everything that we provide them so when we tell them to clean up their rooms, they know what we mean, and they can.

The solution to the problem is to fund unusual, or just unused, places for storage. An excellent idea is to replace the standard twin bed, with a bunk bed or loft bed. It's not a new idea, but even something as simple as this can have a significant positive impact on overcrowding, and be used to free up a surprisingly large volume of space.

If you are at all worried about stacking your children's beds on top of each other, you just need to remember that the newer bunk and loft beds are significantly safer then their predecessors. In most countries, there are standards in place to ensure that bunk beds and loft beds are safe for children. Any beds that are sold in the united states need to pass federal regulations to ensure they are safe, or face serious fees and potentially liability legislation. If all that doesn't convince you, then I can only say that I have six children, and all of them sleep quite happily (and safely) in bunk beds. We've never had a single accident with them.

If I haven't lost your interest, let's get back to the subject of finding storage space. You can find extra storage space beneath your existing bed. Most children's beds have around 20 cubic feet of under utilized space beneath them. That is as much as a small closet or a large chest of drawers. You can make better use of this space by putting boxes under there but accessing them and getting the stuff out regularly is a bit troublesome. If you need a cheap and fast solution, measure the space and go to the local Stuff Mart store and buy as many plastic boxes as will fit in that space (don't forget your tape measure). Try to make them long enough to reach all of the way to the wall so that you can pull them out from the side of the bed without crawling under there. I would recommend that you remove the lids. This space exists under a bunk bed as well. At http://www.bunkbedsunlimited.com/ you will find a variety of plans for utilizing this space including huge storage drawers or a trundle drawer that will allow another child or adult to sleep in the room. (A trundle bed is a great solution for guests or little ones graduating from the crib that you want to stay close to the floor.)

If you need more space then this, then you might want to think about a loft bed. Loft beds offer a lot more space then bunk beds, as they have a much larger gap underneath and so allow you to fit a lot more in there. For example, you could fit a dresser, or a desk, a chest of drawers, or even a sofa. A loft bed can be a great help in an especially crowded room.

Now have a look at a typical kids room. It's got two twin beds, two chests, and there are toys scattered all over the room. If you had a bunk bed in there, instead of the two twin beds, then you would have enough space for another chest of drawers and could quite possibly fit all of the toys neatly away. Drawers are easy to access, and if you use storage boxes with wheels under the bed, it will be easy for your kids to get to their toys.

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 considering buying a bunk bed or loft bed, I would recommend that you not buy the very cheapest thing that you can find. The cheap ones often do not hold up long with the rough use kids put them through. If cost is an issue, or you just want to build something nice as a family project, something durable that lasts, consider http://www.bunkbedsunlimited.com/. They have some great designs, easy to follow plans and great prices on hardware kits for the do-it-yourself person. You can also just look for ideas there. They even have a nice triple bunk bed plan that is very easy to build.

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.

By: Patrick Oakley

Author Patrick Oakley is a professional carpenter with expertise in creating furniture that makes efficient use of space. To this end, has recently begun selling bunk beds and loft beds online.

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