Why should you get a bunk bed?

Most modern families find themselves having difficulty storing things in their children's rooms. Our modern materialistic culture has led to an increasing amount of 'stuff' being bought, and you then have to find somewhere to put it. children are now gathering huge amounts of nice tings, that are quite simply getting to be too much to easily store. Modern, particularly American, homes are larger then ever before, and the families occupying them much smaller then in the past, and yet somehow we still take up too much space. At least in the past, kids had a limited selection of toys available, and so we could usually find somewhere to put them. I don't mean long ago, either. As recently as one or two generations ago there were far fewer toys for children to buy. Just think back to your own childhood. How much did you actually have, then? The solution to the problem is to figure out a way to neatly store everything. We, the adults, have a responsibility to explain to children how to tidy their rooms. We can't just say clean it up, and then leave it for them to do. So we have to figure out somewhere to put all their things.

The answer is to find unconventional or under-used places to put things. Bunk beds, loft beds and trundle beds can offer a great deal of relief to this crowding. These furnishings are not a new concept, yet they are certainly more efficient than conventional beds. They are an old solution to a modern problem. Bunk beds and their kin, like bookcases, offer ways to convert horizontal space to vertical and free up huge amounts of floor space.

If stacking your children up in their sleeping arrangement is bothering you, please consider that modern bunk beds and loft beds are far safer than their predecessors. Most countries have adopted standards to make them safe for children ages five and up. Beds sold in the US have to meet federal CPSC guidelines for safety or face huge fines and liability. If that is not enough to convince you, I have six children and they all have slept in, or do sleep in bunk beds. We have never had an accident that is a result of sleeping in a bunk bed or loft bed.

If you're still with me, then lets take another look at the problem of finding storage space. Almost any bed has extra storage space under it, which you may or may not already be using. Generally speaking, the average children's bed has some 20 cubic feet of space beneath it. That's as large as a small closet. The best way to make use of this space is not simply to stuff things in there willy-nilly, although of course you could do that, but rather to buy a set of storage drawers. Take of the lids you won't need them under the bed) and try to get some with wheels, if you can, for easier access. So take a tape measure, find the exact dimensions of your under bed space, and then head down to your local Wal-Mart and buy a pile of boxes. This is the easiest way to use the space, and the best solution if you don't have time to do anything in more detail. If you do, on the other hand, then I would suggest you go take a look at http://www.bunkbedsunlimited.com/. They have some good articles on how to make the best use of this space.

Loft beds free up the entire space that one twin bed takes and make it available for other furniture like dressers, chests of drawers, sofas, daybeds, futons, desks, dollhouses and the list goes on. Sometimes a loft bed can seemingly work a miracle in an overcrowded 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.

As an added bonus, a bunk bed does double duty as a toy in its own right. Kids love to climb, and the prospect of sleeping high above the ground will turn a usually boring night, into an exciting adventure. This is something to bear in mind, and you can even tell them the upgrade to bunk beds is a reward for good behavior.

If you are currently thinking you might buy a bunk bed, then I urge you to consider carefully what kind you get. Don't just go out and buy the cheapest, because in something like this, quality is important. You want a strong and sturdy bed, that will last you for a while and survive all the rough play that children's furniture has to put up with. Don't just buy the most expensive one, either though, instead look for something that exactly meets your needs. If you're worried about cost, you could try getting a bunk bed kit, that will give you a good family project to work on while being cheaper then something ready assembled. Check out http://www.bunkbedsunlimited.com/. They have some excellent suggestions, with simple plans and very good prices on a variety of different designs. Including some rather unusual ones.

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.

Article Source: http://www.christiannotepad.com

Patrick Oakley is a professional carpenter who specializes in designing furniture to make efficient use of space. To this end, has recently begun providing bunk beds and loft beds over the internet.