Why should you get a bunk bed?

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 way to solve this problem is, of course, to find some unusual storage methods. Think outside the box, as it were. Now you may not have considered this, but simply replacing the bed can provide a great deal of relief. If you swap out the standard twin bed for a loft bed, or even a bunk bed, you'll find you immediately have a whole lot more space to play with. It's hardly original, yet bunk beds have become surprisingly uncommon recently and still offer a great way to reduce overcrowding.

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.

Back to the topic of storage space. Without having to switch to a bunk bed, you can find extra storage space under even a standard bed. The majority of currently popular children's beds have a good 20 cubic feet of space underneath them. That's as much space as you'll find in a large chest of drawers, or even a small closet. If you need a quick and simple storage solution, then just take some measurements of the space available to you, then go to your local Wal-Mart and buy as many plastic boxes as you'll be able to fit in there. For best convenience, try and get long boxes, that will reach from one side of the bed to the other. I would also advise you to remove the lids, as you really don't need them, and they make it much harder to access the boxes. If you have a little more time, then take a look at http://www.bunkbedsunlimited.com/ where you will find some good suggestions as to how you can best make use of this space, for example through oversized storage drawers or a trundle bed.

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.

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.

In conclusion, when approaching the problem of space in kids' rooms, arm yourself with the knowledge of what is available and then do some patient planning. You might need to just stand there and imagine awhile. Provide children with a place for everything and then you can reasonably expect them to put everything where it goes. Consider bunk beds, loft beds and trundle beds when you are making your plan and don't forget the space under the existing or new beds either. If you provide lots of space for all of their belongings and they still won't fit, you may need to get rid of some stuff. But that's another article.

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

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