Help me with beds...UPDATE

[Melaine]

UPDATE: After a lot of debate, we went with two Ikea Kura beds. I wanted to try one but I was unwilling to deal with disagreements over who slept where. We had to move the bookcase out, which was a bummer but the girls are VERY excited about the new beds. I do feel like they are safer than traditional bunk beds because of the low height. We didn't take time to paint them, but I wish we had because I don't like that there are two sides (blue and white). Also, if anyone else is interested, as well as we could tell there was only two ways of configuring the bed with the ladder, rather than four ways like I had hoped. To be specific, I wanted the beds to be symmetrical, but that seemed to be impossible.




We are trying to figure out beds for the girls. It seems like Ikea is the best option, but we are two hours away so I am trying to figure it out from the website before we go and hopefully make the purchase.

At first, I thought we might go with this bunk bed, we saw it IRL and really liked how low it was:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20102451
But the more I think about it, the more I am concerned to do a bunk at only four years old. I'm just nervous that whoever is on top might get up while half-asleep, forgetting she is up high and sort of fall out. What do you think? DH seems to think it would be fine.

The problem is, we just have so little space. It's a small room and with the configuration of the windows and the bookcase and the playkitchen two single beds would be a squeeze. We don't have a playroom so a lot of the toys are in the girls' room. That's when I started thinking about this:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/ca...ea_rooms_ideas

It's the Kura, here is the link:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10123996

Do you know what they have on the bottom, it's like a super thin mattress? Anyway, two of those would take up more room than one bunkbed, but we'd at least have room beneath (or is that too short to count as "space"?) And they seem lower than the bunkbed and we could do those canopies to further reassure myself.

Any other ideas? We are definitely on a budget so $200 each is definitely at the top range of our budget, since we will have to buy mattresses too.

[HIU8]

Well, my DS has a captains bed. He used to need a stool to get in. Now he doesn't. He doesn't have a bedrail. He has only fallen out once. I would not do bunkbeds b/c the top bunk is so much higher (captains bed is not nearly that high).

Can you do beds head to head or in an L shape configuration?

Do you have a guestroom that the toys could go in? Or in your family room or living room? You could create more space that way (although it does bring the toys in the main living area). We have lived like that. and have found we are much better at toy cleanup and organization b/c of it Our bedrooms are 10x10 with closets, doors and windows in odd places so we cannot fit more than a bed and a dresser and a bookshelf in each room (no room for a desk unless we do modular which I don't want to do). Just a thought.

[Melaine]

I think L shaped may be the only possible way that we can do single beds. I suppose we could try a double but I hate to take up all the space. We really can't move more toys into the living room, we already have a lot out there. Maybe the solution is just to get rid of more toys!

[HIU8]

Honestly,

We are finishing our basement ourselves. It's gone on over a year and not done. However, I moved the toys down there b/c they were overwhelming. I did keep the train table upstairs. This is just a recent thing we have done (moving the toys) which also allowed me to purge. If I let the kids put toys in their rooms I'm in a similar situation. No room for furniture (and my kids are not sharing a room). our rooms are odd shaped and the vents are in bad places. I so hear you on what can and can't fit. It's tough.

[BabbyO]

Would a trundle bed make sense? I saw one at a furniture store recently and although the top bed is higher than a traditional twin, it isn't bad. You wouldn't need any more space than a bunk...and since the kids HAVE to have room to pull out the lower bed every night, they have to pick up their toys...

I don't really know what sort of mattress/comfort level a lower trundle bed would have or if that is a concern.

[infocrazy]

I think L shaped may be the only possible way that we can do single beds. I suppose we could try a double but I hate to take up all the space. We really can't move more toys into the living room, we already have a lot out there. Maybe the solution is just to get rid of more toys!

I am considering building this for my boys.

http://ana-white.com/2010/06/furnitu...-for-twin.html

Another option I am considering is to find twin frames that I can eventually bunk.

There is one on ana-white as well.

[KpbS]

I love the look of the l-shaped configuration for twin beds! But if you are thinking of putting your house on the market I would go for a trundle bed (under a twin bed) for now and buy an additional twin after you move. Two beds in a small room would for me accentuate the small size of the room and might deter a future buyer.

[twindad]

Our twin girls share a small room and have a trundle bed. It has worked out very well for us. We weren't ready to get them bunk beds - plus their room is just too small for bunk beds because we have a ceiling fan that would be too close to the top bunk no matter where the bed was placed.

[DietCokeLover]

I love the look of the l-shaped configuration for twin beds! But if you are thinking of putting your house on the market I would go for a trundle bed (under a twin bed) for now and buy an additional twin after you move. Two beds in a small room would for me accentuate the small size of the room and might deter a future buyer.

This is an excellent point!

[Kindra178]

We are looking at twin beds that can be bunkable in the future. I, too, worry about a 4 year old on the top bunk. Last week I took the side rails off my 4.5 year old's twin and he fell out, on the first night! Back they went, at 2 am. I think the CPSC recommends bunks for kids 6 and up.


In a small room, why don't you just look at something that is headboard only. I saw these at Costco:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...t56265&topnav=


Like H said above, you could put them in a L formation or head to head. The PBkids website can give you more ideas as well.

Finally, people love the Hemnes bunk from Ikea. The top bunk is not as high as a traditional bunk - that's an option we are considering as well, and I think they can be unbunked too.