Confessions of a Bunkroom Obsessive
Where It All Started: A Murphy Bed, Two Sisters, and a Whole Lot of Dance Parties and Late Night Giggling
Growing up in Dallas in the 80s, we all lived in modest one-story ranch houses, and most of us had twin beds. A sleepover meant hauling your Strawberry Shortcake sleeping bag over to a friend's house and throwing it on the shag carpet floor. That was the whole production — until my best friend Michelle's parents renovated the area over their garage.
It wasn't a bedroom. It was a whole world. One room had mirrors and a dance bar where Michelle could practice her ballet, plus an art corner where her sister Nikki painted (with indestructible linoleum flooring, if I recall). Right next to it was a big open room with a Murphy bed that folded down for all of us to pile onto. That was where every sleepover happened — our own space, tucked away from the adults, built for giggling and dance parties and midnight taquitos and Bagel Bites. There was something genuinely magical about five to twelve girls having a place that was theirs to grow up in. I never forgot it.
I was blessed with two little girls and a neighborhood full of playmates for them so when I found out I was having surprise twin girls, I already knew what I wanted to give them one day: a space like Michelle's. I dreamed about the sleepovers I'd get to host before I ever had a nursery figured out.
The photo above isn't glamorous, and it's not exactly design-worthy — it was the sleepover room for our four daughters, each with her own bed and her favorite color bedding, and it was pure magic. It was used for all friend sleepovers and for all special nights from Christmas Eve sleepovers, birthdays, or early morning surprise trips to Disneyland. We'd listen to their little voices chattering away until they trailed off mid-sentence, fast asleep. It was everything I'd hoped it would be.
Then we built a new home closer to the girls' school, and the twins weren't ready to be separated just yet — so Bunkroom #2 was born. This one had two queen beds with a double pull-out drawer underneath, tucked into a 14x15 room that could sleep six little girls at a moment's notice. The sweetest part is most of the time we found the twins in the same bed because even separate beds was too far apart for those two.
Beautiful and Practical — Not One or the Other
Here's the thing about designing a great bunkroom: it can't just be pretty. It has to work. Built-ins that actually fit real bodies and real duffel bags, lighting that lets one kid read while three others are asleep, outlets and charging stations within reach, shelves for water glasses — the best bunkrooms are the ones that look like a magazine spread and survive an actual slumber party.
That balance — gorgeous but genuinely livable — is the whole philosophy behind how I design these rooms. A bunkroom that's too precious to actually use isn't a bunkroom. It's a photo op.
Not Just for Kids
Here's the part that surprises people: bunkrooms aren't only a hit with teenagers. Ladies' getaways love them just as much. So do the guys' golf and ski trips. There's something about a room full of bunks that just gives a group permission to be a little louder, stay up a little later, and pile in together instead of scattering off to separate corners of the house. Turns out grown-ups want their own version of Michelle's upstairs, too.
The Real Payoff
If you want to actually know your teenagers — and know their friends — give them a room like this. Keep frozen taquitos and a couple of pizzas in the freezer at all times. Be mentally (and financially) prepared for a Taco Bell DoorDash order at 1 a.m. And give them a space where they can all gather, pile up, and giggle without an adult hovering nearby.
You will never, ever regret it.
The kids are bigger and so are the beds (and storage). The #FinalFinal Bunkroom has two king beds and 2 queen beds above, with built-in drawers for stairs.
For vacation homes, find creative spaces to tuck beds! An attic space with a sloped ceiling became a Queen bunk nook in an upstairs king bedroom. And of course, the built-in has drawers underneath so the suitcases can get unpacked!
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