Playhouse Bunk Beds

My kids are unlike most kids I know. They each have their own rooms and yet they still choose to sleep next to each other. They generally will rotate from room to room, depending on who goes to bed first. I am sure one day this will change but for now, I think its adorable.

I started looking at bunk beds so that they would be more comfortable all in the same room. It was hard. Had to rule out a lot of beds because they just wouldn’t be safe for my kids. They are climbers and jumpers. Sturdiness was another problem, there are four of them and they will all hang on the beds all at once, just because. Size was another issue. I looked into custom made beds and wow!!!!! Amazing work but never would I ever spend thousands on a bed. Never! Compromise. The hubby and I decided to build the frames for the beds ourselves. This would assure us that the structure was solid and could handle our kids.

You can actually find tutorials and blueprints for bunk beds all over the internet and Pinterest. So do some research on what works best for your space. We wanted two sets of bunk beds, connected in an L – shape to fit the room. I also wanted to utilize the space as best as we could. We knew we wanted the bottom bunk to be on the ground. This would give us more room to add the playhouse on the top bunks. That also made it easier for the structure to be solid. So what’s the size of a standard bed? Good question, we had no idea. So we looked at a few blueprints to help us get a better understanding. A few changes and we had a plan.

We hit a snag. When measuring we didn’t consider the crown molding. So when we tried to place the beds in the spot we wanted them. It wouldn’t fit. Well at this point there was no way we were going to start over. So we removed some of the molding, just enough for the bed to fit. It actually worked out nicely. The bed was then completely even with the wall, which made it that much sturdier. Because we had to remove the molding, we decided we might as well paint the bedroom. My trouble maker (the 3 Year old) decided to draw all over the walls and doors one day so it was the right time. We also put glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. My husband even recreated a few constellations.

I wanted the top bunks to be enclosed so that my son wouldn’t be able to jump off. He’s super careful and would definitely do it right, but my three year old thinks she can do everything he can. I needed it closed up…..Playhouse!!!!! I found some wood decorative pieces we used for windows and precut, pre stained wood lath we used for the roof.

We added a slide to complete the playhouse feel, and my kids are in heaven. The slide was easy to attach.