Children's Furniture Ideas

Traditional Bed

• Traditional twin, full, queen or king size beds don't have to be expensive and are available at just about all furniture stores. Sometimes, metal frames come at no additional cost when you purchase a mattress. Traditional beds usually provide a space underneath the bed that can be used for storage. Some traditional beds come as a bedroom set with matching dresser, armoire or chest-of-drawers. This furniture option can be a good one for any age child, as long as they are old enough to sleep in a regular bed instead of a crib.

Convertible Bed

• Convertible beds offer great versatility and bang for your buck. They can be set up to function as a crib, toddler bed or full-size bed. As such, once you purchase the frame, the only thing you will need to purchase is a full-size box spring and mattress when your child is old enough to need it. Convertible beds most often come in a furniture line offering other furniture pieces such as nightstands, dressers and cabinets.

Hide-a-Beds, Futons and Murphy Beds

• Hide-a-beds, futons and Murphy beds are ideal for older children and teenagers who want their bedroom to be a convenient space for entertaining their friends. They may want to hide the fact that it is their bedroom and make it feel a bit more grown up. Hide-a-beds are sofas that transform into full- or queen-size beds. Futons are thick mattresses often placed on a frame that can be easily converted from chair or sofa to bed. Murphy beds are traditional beds that fold up into the wall or into a large cabinet when they are not in use. Murphy beds and futons tend to be more comfortable than hide-a-beds, where springs and metal bars can sometimes be felt through the mattress.

Imaginative Bed

• Some furniture stores offer themed furniture and beds to help your child's room become an imaginative paradise. Ranging from race cars to tents, to spaceships and more, there is sure to be a themed bed to fit the kind of room that your child wants. These beds most often come in toddler or twin size. They generally will not coordinate with other themes if your child changes her mind about her decorating scheme a few years from now. You should be prepared to buy new furniture when this happens.

Bunk Bed

• Bunk beds are ideal for siblings who have to share a room or for children that frequently have sleepovers. For siblings sharing a room, bunk beds provide sleeping space for the children without taking up all of the floor space. They also provide a small private area for each child so that they have somewhere to sleep or relax where they do not have to constantly be in view of their sibling. For the child who enjoys sleepovers, bunk beds ensure that your child's friends have someplace comfortable to sleep. If you are buying a bunk bed for siblings, remember that each child will need his own chest of drawers and closet space. Most bunk beds offer economical matching furniture pieces with the budget of larger families in mind.