Help me setup my DCs' room please

[MumNeedsTea]

We moved into our current home about 2 years back, but never got around to decorating it properly and I want to start with converting the guest bedroom into a proper room for DCs. They are currently sharing the box room with DC1 (almost 8) in a high sleeper and DC2 (3.5) in a cot bed under the high sleeper.

I've attached a picture with rough dimensions of what would be their new room. I cannot decide whether I should get bunk beds or 2 single beds. If you had to design this room for 2 kids with beds, a wardrobe, a desk and some storage for toys and books, what would you do?

There is a radiator under the window and the window looks onto our south facing garden and can get really hot during the day.

I'm really bad at imagining spaces and can't afford an interior designer
Probably why I'm yet to decorate our home

Any tips would be highly appreciated!

The drawing is not to scale

@Lowprofilename that's a good idea, but I'm wondering if DC2 (3.5) maybe too small for a loft bed. And I detest having to climb up and change the sheets on our current high sleeper, so having to do it for 2 beds puts me off!

I'd do a scale drawing on squared paper.

Then get online and get dimensions of possible wardrobes, beds etc.
Cut their floor area out to scale and have a play with your scale drawing.

Get them to sit on the floor and play a game and see home much floor area they take up.

Ask them whether they want bunk beds, high sleepers, or cabin beds (though the youngest is too young to be high up at the moment.

Think I'd get a bunk bed and put it in the corner opposite the door with the long side along 3.7m wall. I'd put the desk in the diagonally opposite to the door corner with the window on the left with some cubby holes for craft supplies (and maybe books?) and a couple of shelves for books over the desk. On the wall adjacent to the door I'd put it cupboards / wardrobes as per whatever you need. Would probably also bung a bean bag in there. (Have had various ones over the years. Been well used) Would either have a double-layer blind on the window (screening against sun on first layer and blackout on the second or some kind of venetian blind.

@TeenPlusTwenties that's a good idea! DS1 wants to share a trundle bed with DS1. It is tempting as it would give them more floor space during the day, but I'm not so sure.

@yomellamoHelly Thanks! I could almost imagine that
The plan is to replace the current curtains with shutters as DS1 has dust allergy and I would like to reduce the amount of dust collecting items in the room.

Move 5he 8 year old into the big room and keep the little one in the box room. Why not if you have room?
Single bed in each.

We got mid high sleepers when DSes were 3.5 and 6 and sharing a room. Never any problems with falling out but a real pain to change the sheets.

We then moved less than a year later and now they have their own rooms I regret them not having simple beds each as they can sit and play on the beds too.

Also both of mine went through phases of refusing to sleep up in their beds and sleeping on mattresses on the floor....was related to sleepwalking, and needing a wee in the night.

@Prettybluepigeons the final plan to extend into the loft and that would mean we would lose most of the box room, which would then become a small office. DH and I would move into the loft and our current bedroom would become the new guest bedroom.
We do need a spare guest bedroom as my parents live overseas and visit us every other year and stay for about 3 months. You could argue that they could stay on a sofa bed, but I want them to be comfortable and have their own space when they're here.

@InvincibleInvisibility DS1 went through a a similar phase during lockdown and started sleeping in the guest bedroom instead. He's back on his high sleeper now. Changing the sheets is definitely a pain!

I'd do bunks, plus desk for the big one.
That would still give max floor space to play. You could get bunks that separate if it can change at a later date.

(Changing sheets on bunks is a pain too though.)

I would give them their own rooms with the understanding that when gran and grandad are here they give them one. Or is the spare room to be decked out as a play area when they aren’t here? A visit every other year is a long time for a room to sit empty! And I say that With similarly aged kids who share and love it. But if I could no question they would have their own rooms

You don't need to get them both bunks immediately. Get the older one a bunk with desk and wardrobe/storage and put the current mattress for the younger one on the floor. When youngest is old enough for bunk, get the same.

Or keep the one you have for now and put a mattress under it for the youngest until old enough for bunks.

DC 1 should be able to change the sheet himself (with supervision at first).

@cupoftchaiagain That's actually a good idea. That would mean I would have to get some sort of day bed/trundle bed in both rooms, which could be used as a single when they are sleeping in separate rooms, but can be converted into a double or 2 singles when my parents are visiting.

Does anyone have the ikea day bed and would you recommend it?
I've just measured the Bix room and realised that I could just about fit the ikea day bed in there. So in case the grand plan of the loft conversion doesn't pan out, then maybe the DCs can still share the current guest bedroom and my parents could sleep on the ikea day bed in the box room. Thoughts?

Would your parents be ok with getting into bed when it's so low to the floor?

I'd say put a trundle bed in the box room and a double bed in the bigger room. Your parents can use the double bed when they visit.

Agree that it's madness to force kids to share a room for 21/24 months

Go with the shared room if they’re doing ok sharing for now, why not!? People have strange ideas but many many children share very successfully for the whole of their childhood. Time enough to split them up later if you have to.

I’d go for bunks but the kind of bunks you can turn into two single beds if needed.

Then whilst they’re happy this way, give them the bunks, get a Kallax style storage unit with boxes along one walk, and they have space to play. If/when they get to wanting a bit more privacy, you can split the bunks down into singles, one along each walk, and use the kallax as a room divider between the beds.

If you go for a day bed with trundle which pops up to proper double bed height for the spare room, then you could have that as a playroom for them when it isn’t a guest room.

Alternatively, when you go up into the loft, is there any way to create two smaller singles up there for them whilst you keep your own room and the bigger room becomes the spare?

DD has the IKEA daybed. It's really good. Sturdy, pulls in/out easily, and look are of storage in the drawers.

We have the Ikea day bed...it's fantastic. Uses two single mattresses which you can then lie one on top of the other and push the trundle bed away. The drawers underneath are truly massive too!

Thank you all for your inputs!

@TheBeesKnee I hadn't thought of that! Will check how low it sits

@SilenceOfThePrams those are some great ideas! There are happy to share a room and hopefully that'll last for a few years! I'll look into a trundle bed too. I was looking at the ikea day bed only because of its storage value.

I'd also give them their own rooms.

Have the trundle in 'guest room' as ds 1 bedroom. Then ds 2 can sleep in there as and when they want.

But you then also have the option of them sharing when your parents stay and them having the other room.

This continues to work when you go into the loft and still have 2 rooms.

Just seems so daft to have a room empty for 21 months out of 24.

We have the hemnes day bed with the best mattress Ikea had for them. It is so comfy. Pulls out into a great sized double and the storage drawers are huge. We keep all put sheets and duvet covers in it (no airing cupboard.) mil sleeps on it every Christmas

I'm almost convinced on getting 2 daybeds/trundle beds now. That way the DCs can have their own room and also share when my parents are here.

MN to the rescue again!

I still like the idea of the hemnes daybed for its storage. Any recommendations for a decent trundle bed? I quite like the look of this one