Suvi tames the child’s bedroom clutter: “Now the little one has something like their own treehouse to sleep in”
Finnish Suvi Heikkilä built a loft bed in a small school-aged child’s room, creating plenty of storage space. “Before the renovation, the little one disliked sleeping in their own room, but now they hardly spend the night anywhere else.”
Where did you get the idea for renovating the child’s room?
It all began with a practical need: my younger daughter had very little space in her room, with her things constantly scattered about. I’d done a similar project for my older daughter in a previous home, and I knew it would work well again.
I gathered ideas from Pinterest. I wanted a secure loft bed for sleeping, with a reading nook underneath. That way, we added more storage, and the room became better suited to an 8-year-old schoolkid.
Here’s what the room looked like before the renovation:
What kind of wishes did the little one have?
They wanted green. We chose a jungle-themed wallpaper together.
How did you carry out the renovation?
The space is quite small, around 10 square meters (about 110 square feet), so I couldn’t implement everything as planned. Also, the room has a slanted ceiling, which is very challenging to furnish.
First, I painted the ceiling and floor. Then I wallpapered the walls. Afterward, I built upright posts out of lumber for the loft bed and secured them to the wall. Then I started measuring for readymade cabinets to fit under the bed.
Originally, I intended to build the stairs with Ikea box shelves. I’d bought a ton of them secondhand, but they didn’t fit in the space. I had to switch plans and build the stairs myself.
I achieved a cohesive look by finishing the gaps between the cabinets with panels. Then we built the bed frame and installed the railings last. The railings were quite a task, since each piece had to match the angle of the slanted ceiling. Once the cabinets were in place, I painted everything and lined the drawers with wallpaper.
It took several weeks because I worked around my day job, and my child continued sleeping in the room during the renovation. The total cost was about 400–500 euros, including the child’s new mattress.
What are you especially happy about?
The room turned out exactly as I’d pictured. I was just looking at the pictures I saved on Pinterest, and the result matches them well. The loft bed is also extremely practical, because now everything fits into the cabinets and drawers, and the room can be tidied up quickly.
The little one is also really pleased. Before the renovation, they didn’t like staying in their own room and preferred sleeping anywhere else. Since the renovation, they haven’t been seen anywhere else at night. They love looking at the jungle wallpaper—birds and monkeys—before bedtime. They’ve brought many stuffed animals into the bed, and now it feels like a cozy nest or their own treehouse. The bed is also wider than the old one, so a friend can sleep over too.
What projects do you plan on tackling next?
We’ve lived in this house, built in 1956, for four years now. During that time, we’ve renovated three floors. Right now, I’m working on the sauna and bathroom renovation, which includes the basement, workout room, and laundry room. There’s no shortage of projects here!
