Bunk Room Project

Perhaps my biggest project for the summer has been the bunk room at our summer cottage at the lake. It was quite an undertaking but I am very pleased with the results.

I started by selecting bedding which I found at TJ Maxx. I wanted something bright and cheerful since this room is the only one in the basement that doesn’t have a window. (FYI, by building code standards, this space cannot legally be called a bedroom because it does not have more than one exit or a window.) My goal was to make the room more welcoming than a dungeon!It took several weeks of going from TJ to TJ to gather 4 matching quilts, 4 sets of sheets, and the accent pillows. I then selected the paint color for the walls and got busy painting. The next step was the construction of  the beds. Why, might you ask, did I build the bunk beds instead of buying them? The answer is that I wanted very sturdy beds since the room will be used by friends of my children. Actually, my children are legal adults. They are college students but they are still my children! All of the bunk beds that I saw for sale appeared to be built for kids that weigh 50 pounds. I don’t know anyone who weighs 50 pounds. So, off we went to the home improvement store. The frames are constructed of 2x6’s attached to 4x4 posts. The plywood for the headboards and for the mattress supports is 3/4 inch thick. It is very heavy and sturdy. I will be reinforcing the ladders soon with some scrap 2x2’s. The finials on the bed posts are fence post finials.             I chose to use bedpost hardware to attach the rails to the headboard and footboard just in case I ever wanted to move them out of this room. As a finishing touch, I added a swing arm lamp to each bunk.





         




      

                                                                                                                                       The lamps were purchased at Lowe’s and I switched out the round shades for rectangular ones that were purchased at Target, allowing the lamps to rest closer to the wall. The two sets of bunk beds take up most of the room so there won’t be a need to accessorize. I think it’s now big kid ready!