There are several things to consider if you are thinking about adding a loft bed to your home.

Tips Before Buying a Loft Bed

• Many loft beds come with bed options larger than twin-sized, so you don’t need to rule out loft beds just because you have a significant other. However, most larger beds will need to be thick and wooden to support the weight of the mattress, so don’t expect a delicate look, and good lumber is expensive, so a large loft bed can get pricey.
• To get the loft bed you want (especially if you use a mattress larger than a double), you may need to build your own or have a custom one built for you by professional carpenters. Detailed loft bed plans are available online for about $10, and materials will set you back about $200. Professionally-built elegant adult loft beds will be around $800 for a high-quality wooden loft bed.
• Loft beds can be an excellent way to “create” a bedroom if you are living in a studio-style home without a distinct bedroom. You can even store clothing and other bedroom-related items in the space you have opened up underneath the bed to create a full bedroom unit.
• If you own your home, there are many creative ways to use elegant loft beds – if you’ve got tall ceilings but are lacking in floor space, you can build your bed into the wall above the floor in a corner, and use the floor area for something else.
• Many children love loft beds. If you have multiple children sharing a room, and want to give them their own space without wasting any room, you may want to consider a twin-sized (or smaller) loft bed for each of them. Two loft beds free up the same amount of space as a bunk bed, while leaving each child the freedom to hang out under her bed. Children’s loft beds are much more common, and thus cheaper, than their larger-sized adult counterparts.

Creating a loft bed can be a rewarding weekend project for the do-it-yourself people, or bedroom space saving organization solution for those who prefer to purchase pre-built models. The picture on the right even uses an IKEA Expedit for under-bed storage. Some of the most popular loft bed sellers are LoftBedStation.com and MC Woodworks. For more guidance on buying a loft bed, check out this loft bed buying guide.

For a restful sleep and a peaceful bedroom, the calm, soothing force of yin energy should dominate your bedroom when you are designing it with feng shui in mind. Yin, the deep, slow energy of sleep and contemplation, will allow you to have rest uninterrupted by the jarring restlessness of yang elements.

The basic philosophy behind feng shui is on the movement of the energetic life force, or chi, throughout a home. Clutter of any sort halts chi and causes it to stagnate, filling a room and your home with negative energy. Those who live in small spaces will understand the difference just a little bit of clutter can make on their mood when they walk into a room. Needless to say, the clean, unobstructed flow of energy is vital for a happy home.

To bring your bedroom into alignment with the core tenets of feng shui, follow these 5 simple tips to get you started in the right direction.

1. Remove major yang elements from the bedroom. Sources of rapid energy, these items belong elsewhere in the home, not a bedroom, including televisions, workout equipment, and PCs.
2. Have several sources of lighting. Candles provide the most soothing source of light, but warm, glowing lamps and dim overhead lights will work, too.
3. Paint the walls peach, beige, or brown. Bedroom walls should be skin colors, according to feng shui, to have a restful sleep and encourage the flow of positive energy.
4. Bring in a small yang element for balance. Feng shui emphasizes that a happy life is a balanced one, so add a few red candles or a sexual painting, or another element that encourages yang energy, to your bedroom.
5. Position your bed in a corner away from doors. Your bed should never been in direct line with a door, or your bedroom will be continually robbed of life-giving energy as the day progresses. If possible, your bed should also be away from any windows, and accessible from both sides of the bed.