Last year after we gave our teenage son’s bedroom a makeover in the style of an urban loft apartment, albeit a very mini one, we were keen to start decorating the middle bedroom, which is shared by our other two boys. We began painting the room a bold ‘superhero red’ to brighten up the bland walls, but as soon as we had finished the first wall, we realised it was a mistake. Although it’s a fairly decent sized bedroom, it just felt too enclosing and didn’t work with the beech wardrobes. It also wasn’t helped by the boys’ grey metal bunk bed which already felt a bit looming in the room, so we knew it was time to look at childrens beds, too.
It was clear that a ‘quick fix’ was not going to cut it in this bedroom. A proper re-design was needed if we were to make the most of it – so it was back to the drawing board!
We had to lighten the room, but I didn’t want flat white or magnolia walls. The brick effect wallpaper in our other son’s room was very effective, so I began to think that perhaps a different textured wallpaper, perhaps a wood plank style in washed white, might be a good way to add texture and interest without darkening the space.
Our other plan was to replace the bed with something better and less intrusive. We had already tried before putting two beds side by side (by separating the bunk beds into two singles), but they took up the whole floor space with nowhere left for the boys to play.
Whilst I was considering our options, Lakeland Furniture happened to get in touch to see if we’d like to review one of their furniture items on the blog. It was great timing! I was already familiar with the company for their huge range of Eames-style chairs, but I hadn’t realised they also had a bed department. So when I saw their fantastic Alaska wooden triple bunk bed in white, it really got my brain ticking over.
Our 7 and 10 year olds often like to sleep side by side – they have done since they were little – but as they’re getting bigger now it’s harder for them to sleep comfortably together on a single mattress. So a double at the bottom would give them the option to sleep next to each other with a bit more space. And whenever they wanted to sleep separately, or if a friend came over to stay, they would still have the top bunk.
The bed frame doesn’t comes with mattresses, but they can be ordered separately from Lakeland Furniture if you wish. We opted to do this and everything was delivered to us really quickly.
This was the old bunk bed being dismantled:
Then the new bed brought into the room, in lots of pieces!
There were many parts that looked similar to each other and we got a bit confused at one point about which post went where, but if you study the instructions and are methodical, it all comes together beautifully in the end. Ta-da!
Isn’t it lovely? The Alaska wooden triple bunk bed is snowy white in colour and the frame has a lovely smooth finish. It is chunky and sturdy and even though it is large, being white it manages to feel light and airy. Although the base is a double, it isn’t nearly as wide as two single beds placed side by side were, so there is still be plenty of floorspace to play on.
Even though it is tall, the top bunk is not as high as our previous one, so it doesn’t seem to block the window as much and it makes me feel happier about safety. As does the way the ladder leans at an angle – again it seems safer and easier to climb than the straight ladder that was on their previous bed.
The boys are thrilled with the triple bunk bed; there is much more room to spread out and sleep and the mattresses are wonderfully comfy and springy! All of us have had a go at sleeping in this bed since we built it up and we are in agreement that it is a pleasure to sleep on. The top mattress doesn’t feel too lofty when you lie on it and the bottom bunk is roomy and spacious, unlike a normal bottom bunk where it can feel a bit hemmed in.
Now I can’t wait for us to get cracking with decorating the room. I’ve been pulling together a few design ideas and here is a sneak peek at what we have planned:
Huge thanks to Lakeland Furniture for the opportunity to review their white Alaska wooden triple bunk bed. Do look out for further room updates coming soon!
© Copyright 2016 Antonia, All rights Reserved. Written For: Tidylife
Wonderful idea. The cat is part of the design, right?
Ha ha, yes she loves the lens and is always trying to get in shot! 😀