Double Bunk Beds Design for Kids and Adults

A great double bunk beds design for kids and adults. How to save space, make room for adults, and add some special touches.

The perfect double bunk beds design to make the most efficient use of a loft space with plenty of sleeping.

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I have been so excited to share this special place. However, having nearly the entire thing handmade by my dad and creatively designed by both my parents, there is way too much to share.

Let’s quickly start at the very beginning.

We have been traveling from our home in Minnesota to a cabin in Wisconsin since I was three. At that time, my dad helped my grandpa remodel an old lodge on a beautiful lake. For years, the entire extended family stayed in that one place.

When the place next door came up for sale in the late 90’s my parents bought it and my grandparents bought the little, old resort cabin on the hill. We built a new place and they fixed up the cabin up the hill. Then, the family had a little more room to spread out. Since then, even more places have been bought as the family has been expanding.

Carriage House

Last summer, my parents’ bought some land just a 1/2 mile down the road to build a garage and storage for the boat, snowmobiles, and other various things.

Since you also need to have living space to build, the ‘Carriage House’ idea was born. A loft living space above the garage with a carriage house theme has turned into more than we could have imagined!

We ran with a bit of the farmhouse feel – which from our tables, bedroom furniture, fireplace, and mudroom cubbies you know I love. It also has splashes of horse and carriage touches, including a lot of artwork we picked up on Mackinac Island, Michigan.

Social Distancing

The Carriage House has really come in handy during COVID 19 times.

We have been with my parents, but more diligent about social distancing since my husband went back to work. So, we have started staying in the Carriage House ourselves.

When we first started staying here in the Spring the well hadn’t been dug yet! We did have a pretty fantastic setup with a pump sand point well in the garage, plumbing to use for waste, a Primo water dispenser for drinking water, and a jug for handwashing. It was surprisingly comfortable!

Then, this weekend, the Fourth of July has been in the 80s and 90s with high humidity. We don’t have AC, but we made it work with lots of fans and even sleeping in the camper stored in the garage when we needed AC. We made it work!

Carriage House Double Bunk Beds

Since there are so many amazing things I could share, I need to narrow it down. Today, I’m sharing the fantastic carriage house bunks!

Since this is a loft, we needed to be economical on space. The double bunk beds work beautifully. Luckily, the ceiling is huge and makes it feel so open!

As adults are going to be sleeping in these beds, they needed to be made strong, big, and easily accessible. So, there is a wide staircase between the beds.

The bottom bunks also feel cozy but open. It’s not like crawling under a low bunk bed. The top bunks start at 5 feet, so an adult can easily sit in the bunk without ever considering the need for more head space.

In addition to the four beds of the bunks, under each one is a drawer for storage which is also as large as another twin matress and could be used as a trundle bed if needed.

Between the two bottom beds, there is a pass through behind the stairs. It feels very open when you can see through to the other bed. However, we had discussed splitting the difference and placing shelves or storage for each bed in that space.

Bunk Bed Materials

Believe it or not, the front faces of this double bunk beds design is made from doors. Each piece on the top bunks and the drawer fronts are part of one door. In fact, it’s the same type of door style that makes up our bathroom barn door.

Also Read: Barn Door Hardware DIY

The rest of the bunk bed materials are pretty standard with wood posts, plywood, and 2x4s. Another surprise material to show up in our bunk beds design is the metal pipe bed rails on the top bunks. They go so well with the iron horse hitching posts.

Bedding

Since the carriage house is only used for occasional weekends and in the future overflow guests, the beds have a really smart setup.

When the mattresses were put in, we cut the plastic off the top and left it under the mattress and tucked to the side. That way, we can just pull it up and over while not in use to keep the dust off.

By the way, we have been so impressed with these mattresses! They came rolled up in a box and we can’t believe how comfortable they are!

Duvets

Another really smart idea was to buy duvet covers instead of traditional sheets. Since this place is just seasonal and only used in warmer weather, it’s so smart to have this easy duvet as something like a light sleeping bag. You can just crawl in like you would a sleeping bag and use a light blanket on top. So easy for washing and making beds!

Our duvet covers were on sale at IKEA and they work well for this because they don’t have a zipper or buttons.

Pillows

In an effort to not spend a lot of money, the pillows are pretty cheap for now. That’s why I’ve been bringing my own pillow. I’ve been using this PineTales pillow.

I have to tell you, it was the strangest thing to get used to at first! It’s a pillow full of buckwheat hulls. It’s a Japanese size 14″ x 20″ so it’s easy to take as a travel pillow. I fold a pillowcase over the top, but it comes with a very comfy bamboo pillowcase.

The pillow feels so heavy and it’s almost hard when you lay on it… until you realize that it is molding perfectly to your head!

This pillow creates just the right posture while you sleep and molds under your neck and head. I had to travel with it, my back and neck haven’t been sore since I started using it!

Learn more about buckwheat pillows here.

Double Bunk Beds favorite touches

There are a few things about these bunks that I absolutely love. I think they are what stand out and make them so special!

Lights and Outlets

In these beds you feel like you’re in your own cozy little nook.

Even with an open room, it’s your own space and each one has it’s own light. The bottom beds also have outlets which we have used for charging phones or giving the kiddos their own personal movies to keep arguing to a minimum.

The lights in the beds are actually outdoor lights. However, they’re small and stylish, and I love them so much! They are hardwired, but did need to have the sensor disabled and a little switch placed on the top.

Giving each bed it’s own light makes it much more like individual spaces rather than a large bunk bed.

I could spend forever in this cozy bed.

Wallpaper

This is one I wasn’t sure about when I first heard the idea.

My mom is the one behind the wallpaper. At first, it was just supposed to be an interesting surprise on the ceiling of the bottom bunks. Then, she wanted it in the entire bunk.

I liked the look of everything white and my dad wasn’t thrilled about installing wallpaper. However, my mom had a vision. Now, I really do love the look of the newsprint wallpaper.

Horses

When the carriage house theme came about, we knew we needed some iron horse accents. The iron horse heads were a gift for my mom, but we didn’t have a place for them yet. Then, they came up with this brilliant idea. I love how interesting they make the top bunk posts!

The kids love to hang their stuffed animals or sweatshirts from the little rings.

It really makes the beds something special.

Hooks

One of the most economical of my favorite touches, is the addition of plenty of hooks inside the bunks.

When you have a loft space, there is very little space that each person can call their own. Storage is also always at a premium.

Adding hooks wherever you can is so helpful. We have hooks near the stairs for the lower bunks. There are also small hooks up by the lights for the upper bunks. We use them for everything from sweatshirts and bath towels to phone chargers and sleep masks.

Bunk Beds Design for Adults

This is definitely the double bunk beds design to save space and make a bunk bed adult-friendly.

When we were first considering the space, I didn’t know how I felt about putting adults in bunk beds. However, my mind has changed! These are the perfect cozy spaces for adults and kids.

If you’re thinking about creating a space-saving double bunk bed arrangement for kids and adults, there are a few things that make this one work so well.

First, you have to give the lower bunks enough space. Keeping the space underneath around 5 feet or so makes them feel large and open. More like a notched out space than being in a lower bunk.

Second, no ladder! If you want to create a lot of sleeping space that is also adult-friendly, building a wide set of stairs makes it feel so much easier to access. Whether adults or larger kiddos will be sleeping up top or you just want to make it easier to get up there for making beds, a set of stairs makes such a difference.

Third, include individual lights and hooks gives each person their own personal space. It takes it from space-saving and economical to cozy and individual.

What do you think? Would you want double bunk beds like this?

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