If you’re looking for space-saving shared bedroom ideas for your kids, then you should consider opting for bunk beds. Available in different heights and materials, bunk beds are vertical sleeping pods that allow you to use one or two walls of your room to their maximum capacity while leaving the remaining walls and floor space open for cupboards, a play area, and other essentials. However, there’s a lot to consider before buying the perfect bunk bed, and we’re here to sort out your queries with our comprehensive bunk bed buying guide.
Bunk Bed Buying Guide — Some Essential Considerations
Bunk beds can be the perfect solution for decorating your children’s room while saving floor space. Since the design stacks two or more beds on top of one another, it allows you to be creative in terms of style and customise the furnishings as per your needs. Here are some associated things to keep in mind to ensure that you end up buying the perfect bunk bed:
- Consider the space in your room
- Determine the bunk bed design that fits your needs
- Finalise the style requirements
- Figure out which features are essential
- Keep safety in mind
- Choose the right mattress
- Budget for your expenditure
Now let’s discuss each of these considerations in detail.
Consider the Space in Your Room
Bunk beds are generally built to fit into small rooms, but it is always recommended that you measure your room before making a purchase. Measure both the floor space, the length of the wall, as well as the height of the wall so that you can find the right fit for the room.
Ideally, bunk beds can be 6 feet in length and about 6 feet tall, with a width of around 3 feet. It is recommended that you place bunk beds in a room that has an 8-foot high ceiling to leave above two feet of space between the roof and the top bunk and prevent accidental bumps. Remember, though, that these measurements are for the simplest of designs. L-shaped beds and bunks with additional storage spaces or work areas will require more floor space.
Determine the Bunk Bed Design That Fits Your Needs
The basic bunk bed is a twin-over-twin, but the style has diversified greatly over the years. You can now get the twin-over-twin, twin-over-full, lofted bed with a futon, lofted bed with a study/workspace, as well as triple bunks as per your needs. You can also align four sleeping surfaces over two separate or interconnected bunk beds, to facilitate the sleeping arrangements during sleepovers.
Finalise the Style Requirements
Are you going with a wooden or a metallic frame? Will you customise the bunk bed according to a specific theme or colour? Or are you keeping it neutral for both boys and girls? Do you want a staircase or a ladder to help your kids reach the top bunk?
Ready-to-use bunk beds are generally available in wooden alternatives in a range of colours and themes. Metallic ones are comparatively rare since they are often reminiscent of berths on a train or ship. Still, metal is obviously sturdier than wood and is an excellent material to custom design a bunk bed.
Figure Out Which Features Are Essential
Do you need extra storage space within the bunk bed frame? Would you like to add pull-out beds or convertible futons into the design? Do you want to customise the bunk bed with tents or a slide to convert the space into a play area as well?
There are plenty of choices that we’ve covered in this bunk bed buying guide to make it easier for you to decide on a particular design and the set of features the bunk bed comes with. Many of these will require ordering a bespoke bunk bed that is designed as per your needs. Alternatively, you can try to find the best possible fit for your needs from the available options in the market.
Keep Safety in Mind
The biggest risk with a bunk bed is that your children will fall off the top bunk if the structure does not cover all the necessary safety elements. Headboards, footboards, as well as guardrails on the side of the bunk are a prerequisite, irrespective of how old your child may be. It is also necessary to provide a rail or support for climbing ladders so that the kids have something to hold on to as they climb up. Keep the ages of your kids in mind while choosing a bunk bed design as that will help you add safety features as per your individual needs.
It is also essential that you enforce some rules from day one. This includes enforcing a ban on jumping to the floor from the top bunk, pushing each other off the beds, and distracting siblings while they’re climbing up to the topmost bunk.
Choose the Right Mattress
Sleeping on a bunk bed can be pretty comfortable when coupled with the right mattress. The length, width, and height of the mattress need to be a perfect fit for your bunk bed design. You might need a thinner mattress than usual to give some more headspace for the topmost bunk. You’ll also need to determine the softness of the mattress, as you’re going to need a mattress that holds its shape as your kids crawl onto it.
Budget for Your Expenditure
Kid’s beds are generally smaller and cheaper than king-sized or queen-sized ones, especially if you decide to buy them readymade. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with bunk beds. Readymade bunk beds in Pakistan can cost you anywhere between PKR 30,000 to 80,000 for a basic design with custom versions going upwards of PKR 1 lakh.
This concludes our bunk bed buying guide, where we’ve incorporated all the essential considerations for you to keep in mind when you go shopping for your kid’s furniture. Stay tuned to Zameen Blog for more home décor posts and reach us at blog@zameen.com for answers to your queries and concerns.
