In their new, three-story vacation home in Florida, Jill and Bill Wirka added two sets of built-in bunk beds to accommodate their three young children.
Since the Dunwoody couple also plan to rent their four-bedroom Seacrest home through VBRO (Vacation Rentals by Owner), they thought the cleverly configured bunk room with its nautical theme would appeal to other families.
With nine-foot ceilings on the second floor, there is ample head room per bunk and storage underneath. Each bed has its own reading light and niche.
"We wanted our kids (ages 9, 7 and 4) to have their own fun space," said Jill, who hunted for bunk bed design ideas on houzz.com.
Bunk beds, built-in and not, are back. And they are not just for kids anymore.
“Bunk beds are a relaxed way to accommodate more guests in a home without dramatically increasing square footage,” said Courtney Windham at Wayne Windham Architect P.A., which has offices in Charleston and Hilton Head, S.C. “Bunk beds are fun for kids and also functional for adults, as custom designs can accommodate full-size mattresses.”
In addition to being more comfortable, bunk beds have a new level of grown-up style, whether it’s rustic or refined.
"Bunk beds are more stylish than ever," said Amy Ferrer, owner and principal designer of Emiko Ferrer Design (www.emikoferrerdesign.com) in Alpharetta. "More often, parents are open to contemporary furniture for their child's bedroom and want it to be an extension of the main part of the home."
If you are considering adding built-in bunk beds to a basement, guest room or children’s room in your vacation or everyday house, consider these tips from various sources, including Ferrer, Windham and houzz.com
What to consider
- Sleep and play. Do you want a bedroom or multipurpose room? "A common request from our clients is that they want the bedroom to serve as a playroom as well," said Ferrer. "We find bunk beds are one of the best solutions."
- Queen bunks. If you have the room, queen-size bunk beds can make more appealing quarters for adult guests. Growing teens and college students will like them too.
- Transform a closet (or nook) into a bunk room. Replace the closet doors with curtains and tuck a bunk bed inside.
- Not so childlike. Choose more gender-neutral furniture and design that will grow with your child. Change out artwork, bedding and paint as your child grows up. The strategy can save money in the long run.
- Not an afterthought. Built into the room from the start, bunk beds in a vacation home can be a selling feature with long-term value.
- Ladders or stairs? Choose straight or angled ladders — or a staircase. Straight ladders save space, but angled ladders with wide steps are easier for younger children. A staircase may be the safest option. It not only provides the largest surface to step on, but also offers storage. The steps in many double as accessible storage drawers. Avoid a rope ladder, which can be tough on bare feet.
Pros & cons
Pros:
- Space savers for shared rooms
- More floor space for play.
- Creative way to theme a room.
- Solution for growing family with limited bedrooms.
- Increase the capacity of a room for children’s sleepovers
- Way to take advantage of a challenging or awkward space (like in the eaves).
- Offer a certain amount of privacy compared to other communal spaces. Add chic curtains for privacy.
- Creates a more finished, refined look and allows for more design details, such as special lighting.
- Great way to accommodate more overnight guests, an especially helpful feature for vacation homes at the lake, mountain or beach.
Cons:
- Safety. Include such safety features as guardrails for small children. Also make sure there is adequate overhead space on top bunk for adults or children to sit up without hitting their heads.
- Limit room’s flexibility. Built-in bunk beds limit the room’s use and design possibilities.
- Changing sheets. Difficult for kids and adults to change sheets or make bunk beds, especially the top.
- Bedtime story. Often overlooked is the need for parents to climb up to the top bunk to read a bedtime story or enjoy snuggle time.
- Resale. In your everyday home, built-in bunk beds may limit potential buyers. In a vacation home, more beds can be a plus for attracting renters to your property.
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