How not to make a bunk bed!

Couldn't resist adding this clip about how fun bunk beds can be! Don't try this at home.

White Wood Bunk Beds

What do we mean by white wood bunk beds? I don't think that many of us are considering buying a bed made from the wood of a Tulip tree which is the usual tree from which you get white wood. No, what we're talking about is any bunk bed that is white in color and that would include white varnish or paint, a plastic white covering or, I guess, even a very pale pine. It's a great color for a bed as it will be pretty easy to incorporate it into almost any interior design ideas you might have for your bedroom.

The only down side of picking a white model is that dirt and damage are going to show up much more easily and as we all know kids are messy and destructive at the best of times so chances are there will be some damage to the bedroom furniture too. Especially if there using there bed as an adventure playground! So, take a moment to look closely at the quality of the bed. The more it cost the better it's likely to hold up and not chip too easily.

Futon Wood Bunk Bed

There are a couple of reasons to consider a futon wood bunk bed. If you're a fan of futon mattresses, because you like the extra support they give you during sleep, then there's no reason why you shouldn't share that sleeping experience with your child and get him or her into some good habits early on. They may well thank you for it in later life. Also as futons tend not to be as thick as a normal mattress you will be certain to keep the mattress at the right height which is an important consideration for the top bunks.

You will want to be sure that your child does not have the possibility of falling out of the top bunk and a thinner mattress will ensure that the top safety bar on the top bunk is much higher than the mattress top thus preventing possible injury. Of course, conversely, make sure the futon isn't so thin that there is any chance of your child slipping out of the space between the top of the mattress and the bottom of the safety bar. Finally make sure you warn your child off jumping around on the futon so as to avoid damage to the slats beneath. Either that or invest in a bunkie board.

Natural Wood Bunk Bed

When we talk about a natural wood bunk bed what we are referring to is a bed constructed from a solid wood, rather than some other sort of composite. Natural wood will cost you more but is of a higher quality then say something made from chip board. Chip board is created by gluing together, under high pressure to compact it, wood shavings and sawdust etc. There are two types of natural wood to choose from, soft or hard woods. The most obvious example of a soft wood is pine and there are certainly many beds mad from this material.

More expensive, but of much higher quality are the hard woods like oak, teak and mahogany. These types of wood are probably a bit over the top for a childs bedroom, save it for yourselves!
It is also worth defining in your own mind what you associate with natural wood for your bunk bed. Are you searching for something that is organic and has been produced in an eco friendly manner or is it not important where the wood comes from?

Solid Wood Bunk Beds

I've said it before and I'll say it again, when choosing a bunk bed go for something robust. As household furniture goes bunk beds are vulnerable to damage due to the number of different joints, size and height etc. You want a sturdy bed so that when your kids swing about and pretend it's a fort the bed can take it. That's part of the reason that buying solid wood bunk beds is a good idea. Hard woods are, surprise, surprise, hardy and less likely chip or warp or disintegrate at the joints and that's exactly what you need if you want to get any longevity out of your bunk bed.

I'm not saying you have to buy a bed made out of an incredibly pricey hard wood like mahogany, that would be way over the top. Pine is a good choice as long as you go for a decent quality, although it is actually a soft wood it's strong enough. If you can afford oak and can find a manufacturer then that would be ideal. Just make sure it is solid wood and not some cheap chip board product.

Wooden Bunk Bed

Here I'd just like to take a minute to praise the virtues of a wooden bunk bed over, say, a metal bunk bed. Wood has warmth and not just when you burn it! The texture and the natural colors, when not painted, just give furniture, and therefore the room, a lived in feel to it and a timelessness that you just don't get with a lot of other materials. The use of metal and plastic materials in furniture, especially with bedroom pieces, tend to give such a modern look that they would look more comfortable in an office environment or somewhere more formal.

Those type of materials adhere closely to fashion and can look dated in a bedroom very quickly. Wooden beds and other bedroom furniture are less likely to go out of style. In fact, while there are many different styles that a piece of wooden furniture can come in, it is much easier to mix and match two different periods of furniture together, if they're made of wood, than it is if you have, say some 70's piece made from a plastic material and an 80's piece made from steel or some other metal. If thats true the it's true for bunk beds too.