Wood Bunk Bed Design

Floating Bunk Beds

• Cantilever bunks come right out from the wall to save every inch of room in a small space. Bunk beds attached to the wall without support legs look modern, clean and elegant. They work just like traditional bunks -- you still need a ladder to get to the top bed -- but they look more like a shipboard solution or platforms held up by magic. The cleanest look has no sides and is made up with all white or neutral bed linens for absolute simplicity. This makes them unsuitable for young kids or very restless sleepers, but you shouldn't put anyone under 6 years old in a top bunk anyway, even when it has sides. Stick with a light wood, like birch or elm, or choose a stain that emphasizes the grain in the wood for the richest effect.

Built-In Bunk Beds

• When you need a quick guestroom and the cottage has no give, build wood bunks into an alcove or a corner of the living room, den or dining area. Use the same principal as berths on trains: Frame the space and create wells for upper and lower mattresses against the wall within the frame. Paint the whole frame and sideboards to match the wall of the room to make the bunks disappear when they are not in use. Keep bedding simple, and match a few cushy pillows to the decor of the rest of the room. You may keep a ladder attached to the upper bunk, or store it elsewhere until the bunks are in use.

Deep Woods Bunks

• Bunk beds that look like they were put together with Lincoln Logs are a space-saving solution for the vacation cabin in the mountains. In a city apartment they evoke the memory of the woods, campfires and rustic style. The beds are framed completely with logs, often stripped of bark and slightly smoothed but otherwise left natural. Bunks may come with protective clear finishes. They feature built-in ladders that are part of the footboards or attachable ladders that angle out from the top bed. Cover them with country patchwork quilts, Hudson blankets and plaid flannel sheets, and put a thick, braided rug on the floor next to the bottom bunk.

Hanging Bunk Beds

• Spread the bunks around the room but clear the floor with hanging beds. The beds are unfinished wood platforms, smoothed and left natural, almost like construction pallets. They are bolted into the walls at staggered heights around the room and further secured with heavy, twisted rope, like the old-fashioned hawsers you might have seen mooring a ship to a dock. The tallest is reached with a ladder, the mid-height bed is accessed with a stepping stool. A twin mattress with a fitted sheet rests on each platform, and bedding is neat and tucked in. The room could be themed nautical with blue walls and a red-striped carpet on the floor. Or go for modern and paint the walls elephant gray with touches of maize and spring green in lampshades and pillows to liven things up.