Pros and Cons
Multi-tier and multifunctional furniture has undeniable advantages, but you should also know about the features of such complexes.
The photo shows a three-seater bed with a reading armchair and shelves for books.
Recommendations for choosing
A loft bed is a complex structure that must be safe, durable, comfortable for an adult and a child. In a furniture store, you can buy a ready-made loft bed or order one according to your own design.
- It is necessary to take into account the recommended height depending on the age of the children. The height of children’s loft beds does not exceed 160 cm, teenage beds are made up to 180 cm high, and a loft for an adult is installed higher than 200 cm.
- Sellers of children’s furniture are required to provide a certificate of quality and environmental safety of the product.
- The fastening and fittings of the loft bed should not raise doubts about reliability. There should be no traces of rust or chips on the fastenings, and after assembly, the product should not be unsteady or creak during use.
- The loft bed for children should have high sides, a fence around the sleeping area is also recommended for adult models.
Options for combining a loft bed
A loft bed is combined with various pieces of furniture: a desk, a second bed, shelves for books and toys, wardrobes or a chest of drawers for clothes, a sports complex.
With a table
Most often, the lower area is equipped with a desk. You can use a traditional desk with a pedestal, a light roll-out table, a dressing table with a mirror. A roll-out table, if necessary, frees up space under the attic for playing or cleaning. In the photo below, an example of a desk for a schoolchild with bright red details and a study for an adult made of natural wood. In both cases, the attic is fenced with 40-centimeter-high railings.
With a play area for children
Play is a way for a child to learn about the adult world. It is important for children to have a space where they not only play, but also learn to maintain order. A loft bed allows parents to organize a play area even in a small apartment. The bed is combined with a slide, shelves for toys, mats for active games.
In the photo, the children’s room is equipped with a low slide and a sleeping module on loft in the form of a house.
With a sofa below
A loft bed solves the problem of choice: sofa or bed? In studios, the living room serves as a kitchen, dining room and living room, so it is logical to raise the sleeping area up and not attract the attention of guests to it. The sofa can come with a loft bed, or there is free space left under the bed for it.
With two beds
In a children’s room for two or in student housing, it makes sense to use the lower floor for a second sleeping place.
With a wardrobe
The free space under the loft bed or next to it can be used as a wardrobe. The children’s wardrobe is equipped with drawers and shelves so that even a preschooler can get the necessary thing without the help of adults.
The photo shows a children’s room in the English style, an open wardrobe is placed under the attic.
With a wall bars
Children’s health directly depends on physical development. Exercises on a sports complex develop coordination of movements, flexibility, endurance. The most popular sports equipment for many years has been the wall bars. It is mounted on the side or end of the bed, as a connecting element between the attic and the lower tier. The photo on the left shows a children’s room in a marine style for a schoolchild. The sports complex includes a horizontal bar, rings, a rope, and a Swedish wall.
With a crib for a newborn
If the area of the room does not allow you to install a crib for a newborn next to the parents’ sleeping place, then you have to use a compact loft bed. In this case, it is better to choose the option with lighting under the attic, because parents have to go down to the baby several times a night. It is not advisable to use the upper bunk for another child, as children may disturb each other at night.
Bed sizes and shapes
A properly selected bed size and shape guarantee comfortable sleep for both an adult and a child.
A double bed for adults
To place a double bed a loft bed under the ceiling, requires reinforced fastenings and a frame, since we are talking about the safety of the sleeping person.
The photo shows a loft bed in a Scandinavian interior, the loft sleeping area is designed for two people and is attached to the ceiling with steel pipes.
One and a half
A one and a half loft bed is used from adolescence. The standard width of such a bed varies from 120 to 160 cm, the length reaches 190 cm.
Single
The standard width of a single bed is no more than 100 cm, this size will be comfortable for a child or a person with an asthenic build.
Corner
Corner furniture allows you to use every square meter of the room to good use. For stability, a corner loft bed is attached not only to the floor, but also to the wall. In the photo on the left is a loft bed in a classic style with two sleeping places, storage drawers and a desk. In the photo on the right, the perpendicular arrangement of the beds forms a right angle, and there is free space on the side for a wardrobe and stairs.
Low
A low loft bed is suitable for those who feel discomfort while sleeping at a height. In this case, the space under the upper tier will be no higher than 70 cm and is suitable for additional storage. A bed that is located not high above the floor is called a semi-loft.
High
A high loft bed can be placed under the very ceiling like a mezzanine; designers offer such sleeping places for youth interiors.
In the photo, a loft bed with a voluminous mattress is located at a height of more than 2 meters; a recreation area is equipped under the bed.
Colors of beds
When choosing a loft bed for a child’s room, parents should listen to the child’s opinion. At the same time, it is worth setting children up for light, clean colors that visually expand the space: blue, peach, light green, green. In the segment of adult furniture, brown, gray, and beige colors hold the lead.
The photo shows a children’s room in turquoise. A staircase with gentle wenge-colored steps leads to the second tier.
Shades of pink and lilac combined with white create airy marshmallow interiors for young girls.
The photo shows a children’s gray furniture set with orange trim.
Photo in the interior of the rooms
The loft bed, thanks to its functionality and attractive design, can be located not only in the bedroom or children’s room, but also organically present in any living room. In the photo below, the sleeping loft is located above the living room in a minimalist style. The lower part of the bed forms the living room ceiling, covered with wood panels.
On In a summer house, due to the small living space, the attic is located under the attic vault or above the kitchen, like a mezzanine.
Loft bed design options
The idea of combining several pieces of furniture in one complex gives the opportunity to experiment with design.
In the shape of a ship
The loft bed resembles a two-deck ship. To make the loft bed look like a sailboat, designers use natural wood, steering wheels, and pirate paraphernalia.
In the form of a car
A loft bed in the form of a car will delight any boy, both the loft and the lower tier can be stylized as a car.
Airplane Bed
For children who are into aviation, there are models of beds stylized as airplanes. In the photo below, the loft railings are made in the form of an airliner silhouette.
In the form of a house
A house-shaped loft is suitable for quiet games and reading before bed.
Castle bed
A loft bed in the shape of a castle will allow a boy to feel like a knight, and a girl – a fairy-tale princess. The similarities with the Middle Ages are achieved by the presence in the design of windows in the form of loopholes, stylized turrets with characteristic ledges, and pointed flags.
The photo shows a loft bed with an awning in the form of a fairy-tale castle. If necessary, the awning can be removed for washing or repair.
With a canopy
Beds with canopies create an atmosphere of calm and comfort. The canopy is sewn from thick or translucent textiles. The fabric can be used to drape both the attic and the lower level.
With a pattern
Photo printing of current prints or favorite book and cartoon characters on a loft bed will add individuality to standard furniture models. Digital printing does not fade in the sun, does not peel off and is safe for children.
Above the door
If there is not enough space in the room, the loft bed is placed above the door, freeing up space for other furniture. In the photo below, the bed is suspended from the ceiling with iron chains, and additional fastening to the wall is made for reliability. The attic is decorated with wrought iron railings and a vintage lamp.
Examples of loft beds with a ladder
The ladder for the loft bed should be stable, with comfortable rungs. When supported by the bed frame, the stepladder should be fixed at the top with brackets or grooves. The rope ladder can be rolled into a compact roll after climbing to the attic. Rope or rope ladders are dangerous for children, they are best used in a youth interior. Stationary ladders are safe and convenient, but they take up additional space. To compensate for this drawback, such stairs are made with storage boxes.
Usually the ladder is placed on the side of the loft bed, in this arrangement it will not take up much space.
The photo shows a white loft bed in a classic style, under the tabletop on the lower level there is an additional sleeping place on wheels.
Examples of beds in different styles
Loft beds are produced both in bulk and by individual order for different interior styles.
Loft
In a loft, the ceilings should be higher than 3 meters, so a loft bed will solve the problem of optimal use of the space vertically. For loft, materials with rough textures are used: black metal, bricks, plastics. The frame of the loft bed is decorated with large metal rivets. The railings and sides of the bed are mounted from transparent impact-resistant plastic or thick glass. In the loft, free arrangement of furniture is practiced, so the bed can be suspended above the living area and highlighted with LED lighting.
Provence
Provence is a style of home comfort with vintage notes. The Provence style loft bed is made of natural light-colored wood with an antique finish. Bed linen, canopies, curtains with a small colored pattern will support the theme of a country house with a long history.
Scandinavian
Scandinavian design is characterized by natural materials, muted colors and a rational approach to furnishing rooms. In the photo below, a loft bed of a laconic shape. To visually increase the height of the ceiling in the living room, spotlights are installed under the attic.
Chalet
Wooden furniture with minimal decorative treatment is suitable for a chalet, the emphasis is on the natural texture of the wood.
Classic
Furniture in a classic style will always be in demand in the modern world, it is distinguished by proportionality and strict elegance.
Marine style
The marine style borrowed decorative techniques from the interiors of cabins and ship equipment. The basic colors for this style are white and blue. To decorate bunk beds, designers use round openings in the form of portholes, rope railings and lifting ladders.
Which material is better to choose?
The durability and cost of a loft bed depend on the material it is made of.
- A metal loft bed is stable and has reliable connections. Carbon (tool) steel is used to produce attic frames, giving it the desired shape. Painting the frame with anti-corrosion compounds increases the service life of metal furniture and preserves its attractive appearance for a long time.
- Wood is a universal material for furniture production. A bed frame made of solid oak is comparable in strength to a metal frame. Linden and spruce beds are more affordable, but such wood is not resistant to rotting and mechanical damage. When choosing a wooden bed, you need to pay attention to the absence of chips and burrs on the wood.
- LDSP stands for laminated chipboard. This material is widely used to produce budget furniture. The advantage of LDSP for the manufacturer is its ease of processing and resistance to fungus. The disadvantage of the material for a loft bed is its looseness; self-tapping screws do not hold well in the board, especially after reassembly. The service life of furniture made of laminated chipboard is no more than 10 years. Laminated chipboard can emit harmful substances.
- MDF surpasses laminated chipboard in density and environmental friendliness. Small wood chips and resins are used to produce this material, which brings it closer to natural wood. A bed made of MDF is 1.5-2 times more expensive than its analogues made of laminated chipboard.
The photo shows a loft bed on a metal frame in the style of minimalism. Orange details soften the strict forms of the product.
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