Small but perfectly formed.

As a child I dreamed of having my own cabin bed…

At the end of 2016, I planted the seed in Bobby’s head that we should make the transition from a toddler cot bed to a cabin bed (for Stanley).

Finally, I was going to get my chance to design the cabin bed of my dreams…

Stanley’s room is a compact 2.9 x 2.7m with windows on two sides which presents in itself, some design challenges. After half a dozen layouts, we’d agreed upon the optimal layout and configuration.

Initially we thought we’d build the bed but one day I happened to search #cabinbeds on Instagram and discovered the Ikea Kura bed. I got the tape measure out, only to discover the bed was just a couple of centimetres off what I had designed.

It was meant to be!

Plywood

Plywood is a central theme throughout our apartment – from our kitchen to our bathroom, so it felt natural to follow that flow into Stanley’s new room. Bobby measured up the Birch Ply and we decided upon having two doors that could open (underneath the bed) so Stanley could build a den.

We also added a head board, steps and the shelf.

Lighting

As the roof isn’t conventional, we didn’t want spot lights and we couldn’t insert a ceiling rose as the bulb would get in our way. Instead, we incorporated the design classic Plumen bulb (in miniature) into Stanley’s shelf to create a reading light. However miniature it may be, it’s luminosity is ample in a room of that size.

Shutters

Our roof terrace is south facing and the window closest to Stanley’s bed is parallel with Norwich City Football Club, so his bedroom gets the most daylight (plus any floodlight at night from the ground). As Stanley is an incredibly light sleeper we commissioned shutters with piano hinges and, just to be on the safe side, my mother-in-law made some additional curtains to match the grey of the window frame.

It really is all about the detail in a small space.

I am really pleased with Stanley’s room. We gave every decision a lot of consideration and it took a good 6 months from start to finish but it’s even better than I had hoped.

He has a playroom which is messy and an explosion of colour (everything that childhood should be) but this, in contrast, is his zen zone and sanctuary. A place to sleep, a place to rest.