5 Stylish New Bedrooms With Built-In Bunk Beds
Pros share details on how they created beautiful bunks that can efficiently accommodate four or more guests in a bedroom
If your last experience with bunk beds was in a college dorm or summer camp, you’ll be amazed by these built-in designs recently uploaded to Houzz. Spacious enough to sleep kids or adults, the bunks look great, use space efficiently and feature thoughtful extras like reading sconces and integrated shelving. Learn tips for re-creating the look in your own home from the pros behind the designs.
2. Coastal Crash Pad
Architect: Michael H. Masilotti Architects
Designer: Nate Fischer Interiors
Contractor: Oligino Laux Construction
Location: Dana Point, California
Size: 220 square feet (20 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. This bunk room is a guest room in the homeowners’ recently built primary residence. “This room was designed to be a fun ‘crash pad’ for visiting college kids, their friends and, a few years down the road, future grandchildren. Obviously we wanted this room to look amazing, but most importantly it needed to function well and be simple to clean and maintain,” designer Nate Fischer says.
Fischer used Houzz Pro Mood Boards to play with different bunk bed configurations. “There are a lot of options on how to lay out built-in bunks and how to incorporate ladders, stairs, etc.,” he says. “The Houzz images were very helpful in determining the construction details we ended up implementing.”
Main features. “The homeowner wanted concealed storage in the bunk room for bedding and pillows,” Fischer says. “Each stair tread is a functioning drawer with a push-to-open feature for hidden storage.”
To achieve a clean and airy feel, Fischer minimized color and contrast, focusing instead on balancing the warmer wood tones with a cool paint color (Coventry Gray by Benjamin Moore). He used simple woven window shades to add texture and soften the woodwork.
Other special features. To counteract the shadows cast by overhead lighting on the lower bunks, Fischer installed reading scones with decorative brass switches. He says the ship portholes along the stairs also help the lower bunks feel a little more open and add a fun nautical element.
Designer tip. “Be sure to leave extra space around your mattress to tuck your bedding in,” Fischer says. “One and a half to 2 inches on each side of the mattress should be sufficient.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The location and configuration of the bunk beds changed a couple times over the course of the project,” Fischer says. “Once it was finalized, the general construction was done and we realized that queen mattresses would not fit. We changed the size to a full XL, which is a little smaller than a queen. We had a bench designed to install underneath the window, but the room for the bunk beds was down to the last inch, and we could not make the window bench seat work. At the end of the day, the room still came out great and everyone was happy.”
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Architect: Michael H. Masilotti Architects
Designer: Nate Fischer Interiors
Contractor: Oligino Laux Construction
Location: Dana Point, California
Size: 220 square feet (20 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. This bunk room is a guest room in the homeowners’ recently built primary residence. “This room was designed to be a fun ‘crash pad’ for visiting college kids, their friends and, a few years down the road, future grandchildren. Obviously we wanted this room to look amazing, but most importantly it needed to function well and be simple to clean and maintain,” designer Nate Fischer says.
Fischer used Houzz Pro Mood Boards to play with different bunk bed configurations. “There are a lot of options on how to lay out built-in bunks and how to incorporate ladders, stairs, etc.,” he says. “The Houzz images were very helpful in determining the construction details we ended up implementing.”
Main features. “The homeowner wanted concealed storage in the bunk room for bedding and pillows,” Fischer says. “Each stair tread is a functioning drawer with a push-to-open feature for hidden storage.”
To achieve a clean and airy feel, Fischer minimized color and contrast, focusing instead on balancing the warmer wood tones with a cool paint color (Coventry Gray by Benjamin Moore). He used simple woven window shades to add texture and soften the woodwork.
Other special features. To counteract the shadows cast by overhead lighting on the lower bunks, Fischer installed reading scones with decorative brass switches. He says the ship portholes along the stairs also help the lower bunks feel a little more open and add a fun nautical element.
Designer tip. “Be sure to leave extra space around your mattress to tuck your bedding in,” Fischer says. “One and a half to 2 inches on each side of the mattress should be sufficient.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The location and configuration of the bunk beds changed a couple times over the course of the project,” Fischer says. “Once it was finalized, the general construction was done and we realized that queen mattresses would not fit. We changed the size to a full XL, which is a little smaller than a queen. We had a bench designed to install underneath the window, but the room for the bunk beds was down to the last inch, and we could not make the window bench seat work. At the end of the day, the room still came out great and everyone was happy.”
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3. Welcoming Retreat
Architect: Ryan Lee of Forum Phi
Designer: Maria Crosby Pollard of Crosby Designs
Contractor: Andy Mishmash of AM2 Construction
Location: Aspen, Colorado
Homeowners’ request. This bunk room is located in a Victorian-style vacation home owned by an East Coast family with three young children. They have a large extended family and enjoy hosting friends as well. “They love Aspen year-round, and this was meant to be a good place to crash after lots of fresh air and time outside,” interior designer Maria Crosby Pollard says. “We were attempting to maximize sleeping and storage in a newly captured basement area. We hoped the space would appeal to a range of ages and not feel gender-specific.”
Main features. Each bunk has an individual reading light and a small upholstered headboard. Bottom bunks have storage drawers underneath. Cubbies and drawers in the room’s entry space help keep gear organized.
Designer tip. “We used extra-long twin mattresses to give the bunks a little more space [and] painted everything the same color to make a small space feel a little larger,” Crosby Pollard says.
“Uh-oh” moment. The bunk room was part of a remodel of the 19th century home led by project architect Ryan Lee of Forum Phi. “Upon demolition, the original miner’s cabin structure was revealed,” Lee says. “It was clear that the original structure had been added on to several times. The team learned that flexibility was going to be key along the way as the design turned into a live play-by-play.”
Project photography: Nick Johnson Interiors
Architect: Ryan Lee of Forum Phi
Designer: Maria Crosby Pollard of Crosby Designs
Contractor: Andy Mishmash of AM2 Construction
Location: Aspen, Colorado
Homeowners’ request. This bunk room is located in a Victorian-style vacation home owned by an East Coast family with three young children. They have a large extended family and enjoy hosting friends as well. “They love Aspen year-round, and this was meant to be a good place to crash after lots of fresh air and time outside,” interior designer Maria Crosby Pollard says. “We were attempting to maximize sleeping and storage in a newly captured basement area. We hoped the space would appeal to a range of ages and not feel gender-specific.”
Main features. Each bunk has an individual reading light and a small upholstered headboard. Bottom bunks have storage drawers underneath. Cubbies and drawers in the room’s entry space help keep gear organized.
Designer tip. “We used extra-long twin mattresses to give the bunks a little more space [and] painted everything the same color to make a small space feel a little larger,” Crosby Pollard says.
“Uh-oh” moment. The bunk room was part of a remodel of the 19th century home led by project architect Ryan Lee of Forum Phi. “Upon demolition, the original miner’s cabin structure was revealed,” Lee says. “It was clear that the original structure had been added on to several times. The team learned that flexibility was going to be key along the way as the design turned into a live play-by-play.”
Project photography: Nick Johnson Interiors
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4. Elevated Camp Vibes
Designers: Jeff Balmer and Paula Kovatovich of Lands End Development
Contractor: Lands End Development
Location: Deerwood, Minnesota
Size: 192 square feet (18 square meters), 12 by 16 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This is a secondary lake home and was new construction,” designer Jeff Balmer says. “The homeowners’ vision was to take this bedroom space and sleep as many kids as possible while providing them with a fun ‘summer camp’ type of experience.”
Main features. The room has two twin-over-twin bunk beds with stairs and one twin-over-full bunk bed with a ladder. The railings on the top bunks are made from pine and wrought iron.
The walls and stair risers are horizontal 6-inch nickel-spaced pine that’s painted red, glazed with walnut gel stain and then clear-coated. Ceilings are 8-inch pine tongue-and-groove with a custom fruitwood stain.
Designer tip. “Built-in bunks are always a must-have for our clients,” interior designer Paula Kovatovich says. “It’s always fun to bring a pop of color into the space by painting some of the wood accents.”
To make a built-in bunk extra functional, she recommends adding a headboard shelf with an outlet for charging devices and installing a charming light fixture for reading.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Designers: Jeff Balmer and Paula Kovatovich of Lands End Development
Contractor: Lands End Development
Location: Deerwood, Minnesota
Size: 192 square feet (18 square meters), 12 by 16 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This is a secondary lake home and was new construction,” designer Jeff Balmer says. “The homeowners’ vision was to take this bedroom space and sleep as many kids as possible while providing them with a fun ‘summer camp’ type of experience.”
Main features. The room has two twin-over-twin bunk beds with stairs and one twin-over-full bunk bed with a ladder. The railings on the top bunks are made from pine and wrought iron.
The walls and stair risers are horizontal 6-inch nickel-spaced pine that’s painted red, glazed with walnut gel stain and then clear-coated. Ceilings are 8-inch pine tongue-and-groove with a custom fruitwood stain.
Designer tip. “Built-in bunks are always a must-have for our clients,” interior designer Paula Kovatovich says. “It’s always fun to bring a pop of color into the space by painting some of the wood accents.”
To make a built-in bunk extra functional, she recommends adding a headboard shelf with an outlet for charging devices and installing a charming light fixture for reading.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
5. Southwestern Style
Designer: Studio Ashten
Contractor: Coyote Development Group
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Size: 324 square feet (30 square meters), 17½ by 18½ feet
Homeowners’ request. This bunk room is in the kids’ wing of a newly built vacation home. “The overall vision was to achieve the classic feel of a Santa Fe adobe with a modern twist,” contractor Max Scott says.
Main features. The bunks are painted in Benjamin Moore’s New Providence Navy and accommodate queen-over-queen mattresses. The flooring is white oak, and the walls are Benjamin Moore’s Simply White, with a slate-colored chalkboard-paint accent wall.
“Uh-oh” moment. “Modifications had to be done to some of the finish materials to adapt to the Southwest climate,” Scott says.
More on Houzz
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Browse thousands of bedroom photos
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Designer: Studio Ashten
Contractor: Coyote Development Group
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Size: 324 square feet (30 square meters), 17½ by 18½ feet
Homeowners’ request. This bunk room is in the kids’ wing of a newly built vacation home. “The overall vision was to achieve the classic feel of a Santa Fe adobe with a modern twist,” contractor Max Scott says.
Main features. The bunks are painted in Benjamin Moore’s New Providence Navy and accommodate queen-over-queen mattresses. The flooring is white oak, and the walls are Benjamin Moore’s Simply White, with a slate-colored chalkboard-paint accent wall.
“Uh-oh” moment. “Modifications had to be done to some of the finish materials to adapt to the Southwest climate,” Scott says.
More on Houzz
Read more bedroom stories
Browse thousands of bedroom photos
Find a pro to help you remodel your primary suite
Shop for bedroom products
Designer: Lisa Yates of Collective Design Group
Builder: Chad Rowe of Pinnacle Mountain Homes
Location: Breckenridge, Colorado
Size: 230 square feet (21 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. For this bunk room in a new-construction vacation home, the owners wanted to maximize sleeping capacity and asked for a bunk room that could comfortably accommodate kids and adults. Designer Lisa Yates collaborated with the homeowners using Houzz photos for inspiration.
Main features. The bunk room features two queen beds, each with an extra-long twin above and dedicated luggage storage space beneath. Each bed has a storage nook and sconce at the head. The stairs, which are made of walnut, double as additional open storage. “Barn wood on all the walls adds a rustic and cozy feeling to the space,” Yates says.
Designer tip. “Always try to maximize open space,” Yates says. “Consider alternate layout options, like how the queens face into the room and the twins are oriented foot-to-foot. This allows the overall room to feel more open.”
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