Why should you get a bunk bed?

By: Patrick Oakley

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 solution to the problem is to fund unusual, or just unused, places for storage. An excellent idea is to replace the standard twin bed, with a bunk bed or loft bed. It's not a new idea, but even something as simple as this can have a significant positive impact on overcrowding, and be used to free up a surprisingly large volume of 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.

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.

Let's take a typical kids room with two twin beds, two chests and toys everywhere. With a bunk bed you can put both beds in the footprint now occupied by one twin bed and neatly tuck away 20 cubic feet of toys in storage drawers beneath the lower bunk. The toys are not out of reach. If your storage boxes have wheels, the kids can pull them out easily and they now have a place for their things.

Besides these reasons, there is something else you might want to think about. That is, what your kids want. Every child wants to sleep in bunk beds, as the thought of sleeping high (relatively) above the ground is just plain exciting. After all, every child loves to climb, and a bunk bed makes sleeping an adventure.

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.

In the end, when you are trying to find a way to fit all your children's toys in the limited space of their bedroom, get prepared by reading as much as possible and putting together a careful plan of how you're going to arrange things. For example, once you have your bunk bed, how are you going to get it in the room? there are a lot of things you need to think about. Similarly, bear in mind how you intend to arrange the room afterwards. You should make some calculations, and decide if you'll have enough space as it is, or whether you need to get a bigger chest of drawers, or more storage boxes, or something similar. If you find that even after all this rearranging, you still don't have space, then you may need to shift some stuff out of the room.

Article Source: http://www.find-investment-advice.com

Author Patrick Oakley is a professional carpenter with expertise in creating furniture that makes efficient use of space. He has recently begun selling bunk beds and loft beds online.

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