Whether you need room for extended family, grandkids or friends with gaggles of wee ones, squeezing in those extra beds can be a challenge. Find out how to make a bunk room work without feeling cramped, and get some styling ideas for pulling it all together.
1. Color-coordinate the bedding
In a room with three or more beds, having bedding and a rug that fit within a tight color palette can keep the space feeling fresh and neat, even when overrun with small visitors. To keep bed-making as simple as possible, consider going with just a fitted sheet and duvet (or coverlet if it’s hot), plus a single pillow. Tuck in blankets snugly to prevent them from sliding off the upper bunks during the night.
More: How to Stay Relaxed When Hosting Overnight Guests
2. Keep the age of your visitors in mind
If you’d like to be able to accommodate adults as well as little ones, consider using a twin-over-queen bed setup. Kids can climb up top and grownups (or older siblings) can stretch out on the lower level.
Tip: To sleep more guests, you could double up on the arrangement shown here, with two twin beds above and a pair of double or queen beds below.
3. Go for style and safety
The bunk setup here is fresh and modern and incorporates a few smart safety features. By positioning the beds in an L-shape instead of parallel, these homeowners were able to make the top bunks a safer 42 inches high rather than the more typical 60 to 72 inches. And because the feet of the lower bunks are underneath the uppers, there’s no need to worry about bumped heads.
Tip: If young children were going to use this room, it would be a good idea to also provide a safety bar on each of the upper bunks, as well as a nice, cushy rug on the concrete floor.
4. Put ready-made bunks end to end
With simple bunk beds (these are from Ikea) painted white and positioned foot to foot, you can make room for a crowd without spending a fortune.
Tip: With lots of guests, keeping track of whose stuffed animals and socks are whose can be next to impossible. To help, provide name-labeled baskets, and stash them under the bunks for safekeeping.
5. Fill a corner
To make the most of a compact room, position bunks in the corner. This can free up enough space for a desk, dresser or small play area. Use flush-mount sconces to provide reading light in the bunks without taking up precious floor space. If each has its own on-off switch, even better.
6. Sneak bunks into a hallway
No spare room to devote to bunk beds? A wide hallway can work just as well, as evidenced by this smart setup. If you want to provide some privacy or hide the bunks when they’re not in use, add simple white curtains.
Tip: Squeeze in tiny “side tables” by fastening a floating shelf to the wall beside each bunk — it’s just big enough to hold that glass of water and storybook.
7. Skip the bunks in a space with low ceilings
Attics and lofts can have low ceilings — not very conducive to bunk beds! If you need to squeeze sleeping quarters into a low-ceilinged space, try end-to-end twin beds instead. If you choose beds with pullout trundles, you’ll be able to offer just as many beds as you would with double bunks.
8. Below-deck storage
Don’t let that space beneath the bottom bunk go to waste. Choose beds with a trundle or storage drawers below, or slide in a few baskets if the space is open.
Tip: Dress up plain bunk steps with stenciled numbers. Alternatively, pick up an assortment of house numbers from the hardware store and attach one to each riser.
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