Our Kemah sailing cottage on Galveston Bay is a practice in restraint with one exception - the bunk room. our completed weekend cottage now features six bunk beds in a 200 SF loft space.

In Lake and Land Studio’s original plan, the room was simply a loft that was open to the living area below, but because we had visions of a high-capacity bunk room, we worked with our contractor to close the pony wall and figure out how to maximize the 8 x 20-foot space. Read more about the cottage floorplan here.

Thankfully, after my husband spent a father-son weekend on an aircraft carrier, he had an idea: build the bunks narrower than standard twins (only 30-inches to typical 36-inch widths) and stack them to the ceiling, just like a ship’s berth.

It worked!

The builder and HVAC subcontractor moved the attic air duct from the bunk room side to the living room side for a few more inches of ceiling height. The bunks are a combination of drywall and expert carpentry, complete with portholes to let light (and giggles) through. And as an added bonus, the roller window shade (hidden behind the custom lambrequin) doubles as a movie screen.

This cozy room sleeps eight (with the trundles) and fits the home which, while comfortable, is merely a place to rest your head and the real draw is outside on the water.