SAN FRANCISCO, Ca., December 4 — Of course your kid’s popular. (How could he not be, with those genes?) But that means slumber party upon slumber party, which means you’ve gotta keep dragging that spare bed to and from that tiny little bedroom. And don’t even talk about where you’re going to put your own second bundle of joy... better start setting aside a good chunk of each month’s paycheck to add another bedroom, right? Wrong.
How did slave labor and dank barracks put space, style, and comfort in your bedroom? In the Beginning. Nobody really gave safety or fashion a second thought when it came to the first bunk beds, which trace back to at least ancient Egypt and the not-quite-four-star quarters of the pharaohs’ slave laborers. And you can’t really credit the military for much more than sheer utilitarian space-saving. But as soon as bunk beds started making their way into homes as a creative way to accommodate broods of baby-boomer kids and their stay-over friends, those issues became, well, issues. Suddenly bunk beds had to look good, and they had to account for restless kids prone to dropping, rolling, or jumping from on high.
Innovations
Residential settings meant kids, which meant security features: ladders (free-standing or built-in) to help folks climb up; safety rails to help folks stay hunkered in. And all that industrial-chic sensibility worked fine for the Army, but houses favor the decorative touch — hence, a wide range of looks to help function complement style, not undermine it.
What’s In It For You?
Safety. As it turns out, parents had a problem with their kids falling out of bed and landing on their heads. So the manufacturers got to work fixing that, with things like side railings and ladders helping the upper-bunk occupants get up there — and stay up there.
Style. You can choose models to suit a decorator or a little kid, a SoHo loft or a cabin guestroom, a chic boarding school or a Danish furniture gallery.
Slumber parties. Like we said, we understand little Johnny (or Susie) is quite the fifth-grade social chair. So you need room to accommodate all those sleepovers. And here it is.
Sweet dreams. Okay, so Army-issued units and those industrial numbers populating your college dorm... those don’t exactly evoke thoughts of deep, luxurious dreamtime. But our models do more than look good; they provide stability, support, and all that other good R.E.M. noise.
Meet your match:
Twin over twin? Twin over full? Twin over futon? Full over full? Soft pine? Hardwood? Metal? An eye-catching combo? Metropolitan? Rustic? So many decisions. Let us point you to a shortcut and explain all about our favorites:
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