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Fitting four kids in a tiny house pretty much ensures we need bunk beds, but I’ve never been a big fan of the rather frumpy designs available. I’ve also been thinking about having the beds built into the home in order to save more space. With single beds there are more options, like murphy beds that can be put away during the day so the kids have more space to play, without being too cumbersome to actually use. I don’t think I would actually use a queen sized murphy, so I’m not considering it, although they are perfect for small home designs.

The Lollipop bunk beds by Bonbon in the UK are exactly what I’ve been thinking about for the kids rooms. At just 31 cm deep (someone else can do the math to transform that to inches) it’s the perfect size, I love the modern clean lines, the storage at the top, and the ladders for the top bunk that are designed just for the bed. They can also be painted for a personalized touch which is wonderful for kids.

Lighting plays a bigger role in how we feel in our homes than we think. Just think about the last time you walked into a bathroom and wanted to scream, hmm, hopefully that’s not just me! Natural lighting, incandescent lighting, up lighting, down lighting, spotlights, the options are endless and the effects can be breathtaking.

The Beam Bed from Lago is inspired by the suns rays with a lighting system that illuminates the space between the boards. I love the lighting affect on the room, and wonder if a dimmer and remote is included. The way the boards are packaged also make it easy for installation in a tiny house with narrow stairways or loft access.

Although we aren’t expecting to have another child anytime soon, or ever, I think it’s important for the future of Tiny Houses that we design with the idea that our house is open to a baby, even if it’s just a grandchild. If tiny houses can function as family centers, then an entire new market will open for sales. I’ve found a few things that are pretty cool for babies and children, but this tops my list.

A cardboard cradle.

It’s ingenious! Seriously, how long do you use a cradle? Not very long, then you have to find somewhere to store it or someone to give it to, and eventually it ends up in a dumpster for all of eternity. The cardboard cradle stores flat, is recyclable, and even TRAVELS! Hello! Your baby would be snug as a rug, and it wouldn’t kill you to move it from room to room when needed.

This cardboard cradle meets all the usual standards. It’s flame retardant and meets the EU’s safety and performance for cribs and cradles. However, unlike traditional cribs, you won’t need any tools to assemble it and you can either store flat when done or recycle the cardboard.

This cradle can be ordered from Rose and Radish.

Moving into a small house with no guest bedroom can be an issue for people who live away from family. While my family doesn’t visit that often, making it kind of unnecessary to have an entire room waiting for them, when they do visit, I don’t want to send them to a hotel. So finding a sofa bed that meets my design criteria is high on my list.

I love this sofa bed and I think it would work even for someone living on their own as their main bed. It looks so comfortable and the design is so clean. You could easily spruce it up with colored throw pillows. The white does scare me with kids, but not so much that I haven’t done it before and will probably do it again at some point.

The wood is mahogany stained cherry wood frame and it supports a bultex mattress and cushions upholstered in white cotton. You can find more information at FutureSeen.com