apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I think if you have high ceilings, loft beds are a great way to open up a kid's room so that there's more space for playing on the floor. The picture here looks like a kid would bonk his/her head if they rose up too quickly.

What's not to like? I got my son the discontinued Ikea loft bed with the slide attached (craigslist for $50, whoot!). I think he's too young to sleep up there, so his bed will be below and he'll have playspace above, desperately needed in his tiny new room. I wouldn't want to sleep in the pictured bed (for fear of head bonking) but I would want to play with my dolls and trains up there.

We just got two new loft beds that are adjustable in height. Our younger son, who is 2, is on a very low setting (just like a regular twin bed) and our almost 5 year old is up higher. There is room for toy storage and other stuff under his bed, which is great because his bedroom is only 8'x11'. My other son's room is even smaller so the loft style bed was a necessity.

I've got the IKEA loft bed shown in the photo, but the one for two persons. It was the only solution to have a guestbed available without loosing precious floorspace in my little office-room. My sister and her boyfriend came on a visit a few weeks ago, and it worked out perfect for them!

I love the concept of loft beds, or even bunk beds, but I think how well they work out in practice depends quite a bit on the kids involved.

We have a bunk/loft bed in my kids' room. The bed is one of those systems where the beds are at right angles, and the rest of the space under the taller one is taken up with a desk and a closet. The kids are 6 YO and 2.5 YO girls. Right now the younger is still in a crib and the older sleeps on the bottom "bunk". I hold out hope that someday we'll actually be able to use the beds as intended, but so far, not too good.

Whenever the ladder is down that allows access to the top, the younger ALWAYS wants to go up there. I've monitored her closely quite a bit going up and down the ladder and it's clear that she's pretty careful about it--not yet confident enough to goof around and fall off.

Her big sister, on the other hand...she is a very physical and rambunctious child, and frankly, I just don't trust her up there and don't know when I will. Despite MANY discussions about the rules of the bunk bed and how to be safe, for her own safety and that of her sister, I caught her getting off the top bunk by climbing over the edge and standing on the side of the crib, rather than using the ladder to get down. I don't think she's necessarily being willfully disobedient--she's just so overwhelmingly physical, constantly in motion, that I think I'd either have to wrap her up in a straight jacket or resort to beating the stuffing out of her to get her to comply with the rules. Neither of those options is feasible, so for the time being at least, the top bunk is off limits.

Our house is small, I'd LOVE to optimize the floorspace by using the loft or a bunk bed, but it's going to have to wait til I'm more certain no one is going to fall off and break open her head.