Bunk Mates

What was planned as an open room filled with freestanding bunk beds became so much more with the creative input of project architect Timothy L. Clites, who was inspired by a view. During the framing of this addition to a 1913 farmhouse, Clites was checking out a new dormer that was supposed to be a bathroom. “Once we looked out at the view we decided it should be a place for the kids to look out, so we designed a bench with bookshelves and a trundle bed underneath to raise the bench up to viewing height,” he says. That led to seeing how many built-in beds could be fit into the space, so floor space would be left open. Six turned out to be the magic sleep number. Twin built-ins with trundles flank the bathroom entry with a lofty bunk above. Despite its “kids only” designation, the space had to fit with the rest of the house. Brackets supporting the bunk bed are a variation of period brackets designed for a new garage. The gable vent above the bunk is an interpretation of an exterior vent from the original farmhouse. And plank paneling outlining the builtins is found throughout old and new sections of the house. Builder: Walnutdale Building, The Plains, Va.; Architect: Barnes Vanze Architects, Washington, D.C.; Interior designer: Victoria Neale Interiors, Washington, D.C.; Photographer: Anice Hoachlander.