Stacked: 14 Bunk Rooms that Celebrate Form and Function

Whether you’re planning a children’s room, anticipating visits from multiple grandkids, building a lake house fishing retreat, or looking for the perfect beachside rental for a reunion among friends, the functionality and appeal of a bunk room cannot be denied. Luckily, there’s a style to fit every need, so if your circumstance dictates that the bunk bed exists only as a stop on the way to a more-adult bed or you envision the bunk as a more permanent fixture, delightful design options abound. One of our favorite takes is the chic and modern room by KEN LINSTEADT ARCHITECTS (above), which could comfortably accommodate occupants of any age. A room that’s stylish and able to sleep up to eight people at once? Yes, please.

Given the choice between stacked or solo, kids will choose bunk beds every time. The above room, captured by CHRIS EDWARDS PHOTOGRAPHY, merges youthful design elements with a serious aesthetic sophistication. We especially love the medley of oranges and blues and the bold, broadside-inspired posters.

ORRICK & COMPANY’S bunk setup is innovative and utterly unique. The clean design has a versatility that makes the space seem ready for children’s sleepovers or adults visiting from out of town.

Set up along a narrow room, and with curtained storage compartments, this bunk room from HERLONG & ASSOCIATES has the look of the bygone sleeper car. Small lights at the head of each bunk reinforce this impression (and allow each guest to choose his or her own lights-out time).

SUTRO ARCHITECTS’ quaint room is perfect for the youngest bunk-room boarder, replete with sitting chair, calming colors, and matching curtains and pillows.

We love how this room from LUCY AND COMPANY was perfectly put together for its pint-sized occupant. From the low-to-the-ground bottom bunk to the eye-level art and chair that seems ready to envelop whoever climbs into it, this is a space that caters to kids.

HERLONG & ASSOCIATES (left) utilizes an open floor plan for this nautical-inspired bunk room. The distance between two sets of bunks (out of the frame) makes it brighter than the typical bunk room, and the subtle yet whimsical play on a nautical theme with conservative stripes and portholes is so much fun. CAROLINE EDWARDS’ design (right) is so simple and streamlined, with a floating top bunk that makes the setup look that much more modern and refined.

SUMMERHOUSE’S mod patterns, punchy lime motif, and shag rug bring the ’60s into the modern age in a sleep space that is compact yet comfy. The sophisticated color scheme takes the bunk bed concept, traditionally associated with kids, and elevates it to a more mature level.

LIZ CARROLL INTERIORS’ room is clean and casual with a few kid-friendly elements. When the occupant outgrows the bunk bed setup, it’ll be an easy update—simply add a big kid bed and the room will be ready.

The bunk look is not exclusive to stacked beds— as shown in this KARA ADAM INTERIORS-designed room, the appeal still exists in unstacked twins arranged in a style to suit the needs of the individual occupants. Curtains offer privacy in a shared room, and—for the kid in all of us—supply a perfect hideout; small mirrors brighten up dark corners; and deep drawers under the beds provide ample (and subtly placed) storage.

MARY EVELYN MCKEE’s design (top, left) is the epitome of cool kid-room getaway. The imaginative design, which includes gaps to move in between bunks, makes this room part play-house, part sleep space. The ROBINSON FINISHES room (top, right) is brimming with bright colors, with the graphic headboard doing double duty keeping little heads from bumping while bringing together colors in the rest of the room, and the trundle is the perfect sleepover solution. A light and bright HERLONG & ASSOCIATES design (bottom) is spacious yet cozy. We love how the guardrails have been reimagined as a significant architectural element, and the stacked beds leave plenty of room for a cozy space in which to sit.