I'm often asked how families or couples with children can all fit into one tiny house. Others want to know how they can find the space to host guests in their tiny houses. Well, it's not easy to find extra bed space in a tiny house, but if you get creative with bunk beds ideas for tiny houses, you might just be able to do it!
That's why I've put together a list of bunk bed ideas for tiny houses.
I haven't actually come across many tiny houses that have bunk beds, so the ideas in this article are mostly just that – ideas. Often they're examples of bunk beds meant for traditional houses, but I believe they can be adapted to be turned into special bunk beds for tiny houses.
I'd love to hear of any real life tiny house bunk bed examples, so please do share any you know of in the comments below. Otherwise, here are some of the most creative ways to sleep more people in your tiny house using bunk beds.
Bunk Bed Ideas for Tiny Houses
1) Vertical Fold-Out Bunk Beds
The first thing to point out is that (usually) we don't need access to our beds in the daytime. This means you could buy or build a fold-out bunk bed set that disappears during the daytime.
You might need to do some careful planning and rejigging to work out exactly where in your tiny house a fold-out bed system like this would fit, but I imagine it's possible. The height would probably be the main issue, so maybe this idea would only work for smaller guests or children. What do you think? Who's going to be the first to build this one out?!
2) Horizontal Fold-Out Bunk Bed
Alternatively, you could install or build a fold-out bunk bed that pulls out from the wall lengthwise rather than from the top down. Which option you choose will likely depend on the space you have available to you.
If you like the fold-out bed option, there are lots more variations on it here.
Photo courtesy of Tiny House Living
3) Sofa-Bunk Bed
One way to solve the problem of needing space and seats during the daytime and beds during the nighttime, is to have your sofa turn into a bunk bed. Obviously the example in the photo below probably wouldn't work in a tiny house, but you could adapt this idea to build a custom sofa-cum-bunk bed.
4) Triple Decker Bunk Bed
You'd have to work out the height specifications quite carefully, but if you're going to build a bunk bed for your tiny house, why not go the extra step to build a bunk bed with three beds?
Some RVs and mobile homes do this, so I'm sure it's possible for tiny houses too. What a great way to squeeze more kids in!
Photo courtesy of Practical Caravan
5) Slide-Out Bunk Bed
Building on the triple decker bunk bed idea, why not have three beds, one under the other, on wheels, that can be slid out come nighttime? Obviously these beds would have to be quite narrow to fit alongside one another in a tiny house, but I could see this working. Maybe you could even have the first bed double up as a sofa in the daytime.
Photo courtesy of Lavida Lucia
Note: There are lots of great space-saving suggestions in the Lavida Lucia article that features this idea. Take a look!
6) Bunk Bed over Another Part of Your Tiny House
A bunk bed doesn't necessarily have to go over another bed. It could instead slot on top of another part of your tiny house, kind of like a loft does.
Photo courtesy of Tiny House Swoon
7) Bunk Bed Curtains
If you're concerned about privacy, particularly if you're sharing your tiny house with your kids, it wouldn't take much work to install some curtains with your bunk bed. They'll give your kids their own mini bedrooms and you can choose fabric that will add a bit of style to your tiny house.
Perhaps you could even install lamps, shelves, and other extras to help your kids feel like this space is truly theirs.
Photo courtesy of Top 10 Design Ideas
8) Cut Corners
If you're really short on space, why not cut corners… literally?! This could be the difference between being able to fit in extra beds or not. Particularly if your kids are only little, this bunk bed idea could make all the difference.
9) Bunk Bed Windows
If you're going all out with the mini bedroom idea, why stop at curtains and lamps? When designing your tiny house, plan in some little windows at the right heights. You can never have too much light in a tiny house, and it's so much easier to wake up in the morning when the sun is streaming in.
That said, adding extra windows to your tiny house isn't a small job. Before going ahead with this one, make sure you've considered all of the implications. Tiny House Decisions will help you with this.
Photo courtesy of Blue Moon Rising
10) Dining Space to Bed under Loft
Although the last of these bunk bed ideas for tiny houses wouldn't technically be a bunk bed, I'll include it because it could enable you to fit two queen-sized beds into your tiny house.
Picture a dining and seating area, like the one in the photo of the caravan below. Often, these caravan sofas fold out using an extra wooden slat and some cushions stored under the sofas, to become a double bed. You could position this lounge-diner-bed area under your loft, essentially giving yourself two double beds.
Check out The Miter Box tiny house by Shelter Wise to see what I'm picturing in the context of a tiny house.
Photo courtesy of Caravan Guard
There are Plenty of Bunk Bed Ideas for Tiny Houses!
Who would have thought that there would be so many creative ways to squeeze a set of bunk beds into a tiny house?
Whether you're looking for a permanent set of beds, a way of making your bunk bed more inviting, or a clever way of fitting a bed in around everything else you'll need, I hope one of these bunk bed ideas for tiny houses works for you! You may have to design and build your own, but I think it'll be worth it, if it means fitting in an extra bed or two!
Are you planning to incorporate a bunk bed into your tiny house? Have you come across any other creative ideas? Please share any more bunk bed ideas for tiny houses below. I'd love to see them!
