Use Wall Space for Extra Storage

Creating some extra storage space is very important if you are sharing a room or living in tight quarters. Here are some beautiful, creative ideas for increasing your storage space in a room. When there is no more floor space to work with, look at your walls as a place to expand.

These cups are a great way to keep craft supplies organized directly above the work area.

Locker type closets are built in with these staggered bunk beds.

I love the cool, clean look of this room. Shelving mounted to the wall, staggered bunk beds again, built in book shelves, lots of open space, and only a few colors to keep the whole look simple.

A whole wall of cubicles give plenty of storage space in this room for everything from books to special treasures.

Finally, this very organized closet is built right in to the wall of the bedroom. Plenty of shelves, bins, and baskets look neat yet they are so practical. Not only is this a tidy looking closet but it helps keep the whole bedroom clean.

Neatest Boys Room I've Seen in Awhile

I just had to share this photo of a boys room that I stumbled across today. It is the epitome of neatness. Bunk beds for sleeping, cubes to serve as shelves, and baskets to work as drawers. All very clean and neat. There is plenty of room left over to set up the toy trains. This gets my vote for orgainzation and inspiration.

For more inspiration and decorating tips, visit http://lulucarter.typepad.com/lulu_carter/2010/03/so-much-stuff.html.

Wood vs. Metal Bunk Beds

Metal bunk beds seem to get a bad rap. Apparently, there are more recalls with metal beds although I have seen some pretty flimsy wood beds too. Is one really better than the other? I think it depends on a number of factors.

Wood bunk beds are sturdy, durable, heavy, beautiful, and if they get damaged through wear, they can be refinished to look good again. Kids can abuse them, screws can be tightened, and they can almost be like new again. However, wood is more expensive and much harder to move if it's going to upper level apartments or dorms. Once a wood bed is assembled, you will probably want to leave it that way for awhile. If you want a bed that will withstand years, multiple children, and then convert to single beds as desired, wood is for you.

Metal bunk beds on the other hand are less expensive and easy to move around. They come in cool styles the kids love. On the other hand, they dent, bend, rust, and can become wobbly with less wear. Sometimes alignment is a problem. There are more recalls. But there are cheap metal beds and better metal beds.

All that said, I would make two points. One, all metal beds are not created equally. Some are good quality and can withstand more use. Others are not. Two, consider the amount of use, the duration of the need for bunk beds, and how often you will be moving them. If you buy a good quality metal bed, it can be the best choice depending on your needs. Buy a bunk bed that can be separated into two beds for even more versatility. Quality does matter in bunk beds so buy the best you can afford. If the choice is good quality wood vs. good quality metal - both are a good choice. If the choice is a cheap metal bed and anything else, I would go for the anything else.

Back to School Blues

I just finished writing an article for my website on back to school shopping for bunk type beds. Is it just me or is "back to school" starting sooner than ever? This year, I saw back to school sales around the 4th of July and that really gives me the blues. School had hardly been out for two weeks. I really believe that soon, school will be a year round thing. Wouldn't that suit most working parents better? I guess I'm from the old school. I think kids need that summer break.

Anyway, back to school for most of us means new school supplies, new clothes, and new backpacks or lunch boxes. However, some of us may be in the market for dorm or apartment furnishings. These can often include a bed. Bunk beds or loft beds are a great choice for dorms or small apartments. Colleges usually provide the beds but if your son or daughter chooses to live in an apartment, they may need to find their own bed.

The metal loft study beds work well for students because they provide sleeping area in the top and a study area below. Some even have storage drawers built in. The Z bedroom is a great example of a study loft bed for students. It has a built in desk area to accomodate a computer and still provides plenty of desk space.

If you are moving into a small apartment and you have limited funds, a futon bunk bed would serve a dual purpose. Sleep in the top and have a small couch area underneath. You can purchase all kinds of futon covers, many of which look just like upholstry on couches. It doesn't have to look just like a bed. Here is an example of a great futon bunk bed - the Sunset Futon Bunk by Walker Edison.

So, if you're like me and you have the back to school blues, why not go shopping for a new piece of furniture. Something that will work well in a dorm or small apartment. The cool new designs just might lift those back to school blues.

Why Does My Bunk Bed Look A Mess

While shopping for a bunk bed, I noticed how gorgeous the pictures look of the beds. The bedding is beautiful, neatly tucked under the mattress with colorful throw pillows all around. Perfectly staged for the photos. Only one thing is missing - the kids. How do you get the same look in the real world? You may never get it looking quite as good as those pictures but it can look good. The answer is simple, you use bedding that was designed for bunk beds.

Sheets designed for bunk beds are much easier to use when making the bed or sleeping in it. They are called attached sheets and they are sewn together at the foot or the side. They stay on the bed at night and they are much easier to pull across the bed when making it. Comforters called Bunk Bed Caps have a fitted bottom so they stay on the bed much better too. These are sometimes called huggers, snugglers, or bunkies. The nice thing about these sheets and comforters is that they work on other beds too. I will be adding some of these to my website at http://www.bunkbedsbunker.com/ soon. Check back often.

Setting Up Your New Bunk Bed Safely

It would be nice if everything that comes to us would be ready to use. Not so with some bunk beds. If you buy a higher end bed and select white glove delivery, you may be so lucky as to have everything done. Most of us choose a more economical route.

It is important when assembling a bunk bed to follow the manufacturers directions completely. Bunk beds are a safe option as long as they are assembled correctly, positioned properly and the kids use them as directed. So, all that said, if there is assembling to be done by you, do it carefully.

Here are some other tips that encourage safety. The bed should be placed in a corner of the room so two sides of the bed are against a wall. The bed should be up against the wall so no one can fall through between the wall and bed. Mattresses should fit properly so no one can fall between the mattress and the frame. Entrapment is often one of the causes of accidents related to bunk beds. Ladders need to be securely attached. Here's my favorite tip - Make sure the kids use the bed properly. Isn't the new bunk bed like having the playground in your bedroom? With the tent and slide options on some bunk beds like the Good Trading Twin Loft Bed with Slide and Castle, it just looks like you moved the playground into the bedroom. Teach kids how to have fun but be safe.

I have more safety tips on my website at http://www.bunkbedsbunker.com/. Setting up your new bunk bed properly can make a huge difference in the safety of the bed but also, keep checking it to make sure it doesn't become loose or wobbly. Bunk beds can be a great option for the kids to enjoy for years to come.

The following video is cute but it is a perfect example of what not to do on a bunk bed. It makes me nervous just watching that little girl. These kids look too young for the top bunk and to be standing, bouncing, and singing. They look like they could fall any time. It's good the parents are in the room but what will happen when the parents leave the room? Will the kids do this when the parents aren't in the room? It's a scary thought.

Bunk Beds Give You Some Space

Who couldn't use some more space in the house. It seems like the more house I have, the more house I need. It is filled and overflowing. I can remember when I lived in a one room apartment with only a bed, a chair and a refrigerator. It was a simple life. Twenty five years later, I live in a much larger place but I still don't have enough space. Bunk Beds are just one way you can get a little more of that space back.

One of my favorite bunk beds on my website http://www.bunkbedsbunker.com/ is the iRoom Twin/Twin Bunk Bed by Lea Industries. The contrast of the rich Merlot color with the contrasting silver makes for an attractive bed. Lea Industries, a division of Lazy Boy, has been in the furniture business for more than 50 years and is a well known manufacturer of moderately priced youth furniture. This iRoom bed can be converted to a Twin/Full bunk bed if needed to accommodate even more sleepers. There is plenty of under bed storage to stow away items.

So, if you are like me and can never get enough space in your house, consider a bunk bed. Kids love them and they make sense. If your house is getting smaller and smaller all the time, choose a bunk bed to give you a little of that space back.