Correctly selected furniture for a nursery, its design and equipment play a special role in creating a safe environment and a favorable atmosphere for games, development and recreation of the child. In families with two children, it is also very important to take into account the area of the premises intended for them.
Quite often, the complexity in the design of a common room for brothers or sisters is reflected in the presence of a small space, on which it is necessary to place sleeping places, work and play areas.
Thanks to design developments in the furniture industry, the best option for solving the problem was found - this is a bunk bed with sides.
When developing models and shapes of bunk beds for children, manufacturers place special emphasis on such characteristics as safety, production material, ergonomics, versatility, compactness, and compliance with modern child preferences. Parents, on the other hand, can only choose an option that is suitable for the interior of the room and is affordable.
Characteristics
Two-story bedroom furniture, like any other product, has its positive and negative qualities.
The advantages of purchasing bunk beds with bumpers include:
- Compact size that allows you to free up part of the area.
- Convenience and safety of operation due to the presence of side restraints.
- The functionality of the structure, which is achieved using various options for completing superstructures and additional elements.
- The mobility of the product and its lightness allows you to easily rearrange and adjust the modular details of the bed to the layout of the room.
- The ability to remove and dismantle the sides on the lower tier.
- The cost of some models of such a product is significantly lower than the total price of two separate beds.
- The original design of this furniture allows you to choose it for every taste and interior preferences.
- Some versions of bunk beds are designed for babies from birth, as thanks to the lowering side rails, the lower sleeping tier can be transformed into a playpen.
However, there are also disadvantages of bunk furniture with sides:
- The product weighs a lot.
- Difficulty in self-assembly of multi-module beds.
- The possibility of a baby falling from a ladder or second tier is not excluded, the sides on which may be intermittent.
- Due to the circulation of warm air upstairs, sleeping on the second tier of the bed can be very stuffy, especially in the hot season.
- Children aged 4-5 may be afraid to sleep at a height.
- The price of some bunk furniture is high.
Models of two-story structures
At the moment, the range of bunk beds is so wide that it can satisfy any preferences and desires of even the most demanding and picky customers. Design ideas are embodied in various forms of structures and are reflected in their design styles.
A bunk bed for children can be made in several versions:
1. Two-piece furniture. Such a model has the ability to remove the second sleeping tier and, as a result, get a regular bed.
2. Two-level construction (or "bed - loft"). This model is designed for a single bed, which is located on top of the work area and space for games (on a wardrobe, table stands, drawers).
3. Bunk bed with play elements. The lower tier of this type of construction is a small playground, modeled after a castle, ship, house. Such furniture, if desired, can be supplemented with a swing and a slide.
4. Bed-transformer. The upper berth of such furniture can be turned and installed at the desired angle, and, if necessary, removed.
5. Modular bunk bed. This bed model is complemented by wardrobes, drawers, superstructures and shelves of various designs.
6. Bunk bed with non-removable tiers. This furniture is a one-piece product that cannot be separated and used as separate elements.
7. One-and-a-half-tier two-tier structures. If necessary, the lower level of the bed can be pushed under the upper level. Such furniture is small in size and does not take up much space in the room. However, this model is less sturdy and durable compared to other bunk bed options.
8. Low bunk sleeping furniture. Such a low bed is ideal when purchased for babies under the age of 5-7 years. Children's models with side restraints at the bottom and on the second tier will provide a safe rest and will not allow the child to accidentally fall during the day or night sleep.
9. Corner bunk bed. In this case, additional modules and a desk are placed in the corner of the room, and berths are installed one above the other and attached from any convenient side. This design also helps to free up some space in the nursery.
Side restraints
Two-story bedroom furniture must necessarily include in its design special side restraints - bumpers. This is especially true for the second (upper) tier, since a sleeping child has a high risk of falling during sleep. As for the lower bed, the presence of such fences is not always necessary, but still desirable. In addition to the protective function, side restraints fix the position of the mattress and create an emotionally cozy atmosphere thanks to the resulting enclosed space.
Bumpers are additional elements for decorating a child's bed, which may differ in height, shape, material and mobility.
Thus, such side attributes are:
- Solid. It is common to use solid stoppers for children's bunk furniture, made of the same material from which the structure of the bed itself is made, and are installed both on the lower and on the upper tier.
Externally, such sides can be in the form of a solid part, with interrupted lath inserts and with unusual figured patterns, and in some models it is possible to change the height of the side rails. They are strong and stable, and the rack and pinion restraints promote air circulation.
- Soft on a solid base. The idea of these boards is that foam rubber or other insulation is applied to a solid base, and everything is covered with high-quality, soft and pleasant-to-touch fabric on top. Such restraints are most often used as a component on the lower sleeping floors, which are more like small sofas, and combine decorative, comfortable and protective functions.
- Removable. Such sides are installed in special slots on the first and (or) second tier and are tightly tightened with bolts. Beds with a removable side restraint have the advantage that they can be easily removed for comfortable changing and cleaning of the mattress, for example.
- High. Most often, furniture factories produce models with a strong and high side on top. It is important to remember that the distance from the bed to the end of the side should not be less than 30 cm.
Features of sleeping places
How the child will feel, being on any of the tiers of a bunk bed, depends on the height parameters between its berths.
It is necessary that such furniture comply with generally accepted standards:
- The distance between the lower bed and the floor for children under 7 years old should be 30 cm, for children from 8 to 14 years old - 40 cm, and for teenagers from 15 years old - 50 cm.
- The gap between the upper and lower berths must be calculated based on the height of the child, whose bed will be on the first tier. In a seated position, it should not touch the bottom of the bed from above. On average, this distance is approximately 90 cm.
- A child who will sleep on the upper tier also in a sitting position should not touch the ceiling surface.
- Based on standard parameters, the total height of the bunk bed should vary from 165 to 175 cm.
Manufacturing materials
The best option would be to purchase a berth made of natural wood. This is due to the fact that this material is the most wear-resistant, hypoallergenic, environmentally friendly and aesthetic. In addition, such products have a wide range of textures and a variety of colors. However, such furniture is quite expensive.
An alternative solution can be the equally durable models of bunk beds andfrom laminated chipboard and MDF. It is important to pay attention to the fact that this material meets high technological qualities and does not contain toxic substances such as formaldehyde, for example.
Another, but not quite standard option, may be the choice of two-story bedroom furniture on the basis of a metal structure. This material is characterized by resistance and durability, and it also easily tolerates multiple assemblies without consequences for the product.
Quite common and combined models from metal and wood or natural wood and chipboard or MDF. Such furniture looks stylish, it is functional, practical, compact and durable, and its prices are reasonable and affordable.
Watch the following video for a few more bunk bed options for kids.
