TOP SEVEN: bunk beds

WITH FAMILIES LIVING in smaller and smaller urban homes, but not sticking with one child, there’s an obvious come-back in the midst: The bunk bed. Hitherto not at all pretty, things are changing. The only problem is how to choose who gets the top bunk? Here’s our selection of the best to fight over:

Best for serious investment: The Nurseryworks Duet (pictured left) isn’t cheap. But if you get your children into bunks early, you have a good few years of sleep-time for your money guaranteed. 38″ w x 4′ h x 73″ d. £3,400 from Mumsaid in the UK - for international stockists, see www.nurseryworks.net

Best for ethics: The bunk by Warren Evans is the ethical option: it comes in a choice of 9 wood finishes and 5 colours, and this award-winning ethical company has sold beds to the likes of James McAvoy, Katie Melua and, er, Russell Brand. Plus it also comes in various sizes for bigger or smaller rooms. From £595.

Best for eco warriors: Guilt free sleep comes in the form of Amber in the Sky from Perludi, €2100 (Euros) at www.kidslovedesign.com. It’s made of recyclable plywood covered in an eco loden fabric skin. Not a true bunk, the lower base can be a play area, or mattressed up for siblings or sleep-over guests. Great for smaller rooms because of its small dimensions (135cm high), and just top marks for great, innovative looks and materials. A choice of 8 colours.

Best for modernists on a budget: The Alston from the Great Little Trading Co is great, affordable-ish attempt at Modern. Storage is inbuilt so it’s ideal for rooms with little or no room for lots of cupboards and shelves, and the colour-block shelving units are reversible: all in all you get green, pink, blue and orange colour options to choose from. From £799 unassembled. Dimensions: 245cm l x 114 w x 171 h.

Best for retro looks: The Austin from DucDuc - based in NYC - doesn’t just tick the super happy colour combo boxes (they do bright orange, etc), but it’s got all the necessary eco / non-polluting qualities too. It divides into two equal parts beautifully. DucDuc will ship to the UK from the US. Contact them at www.ducducnyc.com for more details. US$2250.

Best for low funds/second homes/the grandparents’: Oh, so you didn’t know pine was making a comeback? The Hemnes stained pine bunk from IKEA is simple enough and budget enough for most tastes: just jazz it up with some cool bedlinen. The beds also detach to make two singles. £181.06 in the UK - see www.ikea.com for international stockists. Dimensions: 207.5cm l x 100.5 w x 179.5 h.

*FINALLY: If you live in the Netherlands, you can commission a bunk bed from Piet Hein Eek - almost worth moving for…