Under Bed Storage for Kids: A Simple IKEA Hack
This Ikea Mydal bunk bed hack is the perfect under bed storage solution for kids’ bedrooms! Use the extra space to organize toys, clothes, or bedding!
Hello! Now that the holidays are over, I’m getting back after the girls’ boho bedroom makeover. And since it’s POURING rain right now, it’s the perfect time to write about a clever (if I do say so myself!) under bed storage hack. And nothing cheers me up on a dreary day like a good Ikea hack!
Update: The girls room is done at last! Check out the completed room here!
I used to find all sorts of junk under the girls’ old beds. Books, socks, snacks, you name it! It’s always been a bit of a pet peeve of mine. The space under their beds wasn’t working very hard for us. But no more!
Ikea Bunkbeds For the Win!
We got the inexpensive MYDAL bunk beds from Ikea, which I love! (Did I mention this is the 4th time I’m using these particular beds in a design?) We first used them in the beach house bunk room. They’re great because they’re cheap, very functional, and nice-looking as-is, or you can finish them however you like! But you will notice that there’s a nice big gap under the bottom bunk. And although it would make a good hide-and-seek spot, I wanted to maximize storage space in this small bedroom.
Hemnes Under Bed Storage Boxes
Ikea does have these Hemnes under bed storage boxes. They’re basically rolling drawers, and they fit perfectly under the Mydal bunk bed. The problem? They don’t come in a wood finish. And they won’t close all the way under the Mydal bed because of the ladder. But never fear! I’ve got a simple hack to make these under bed storage boxes work with the Mydal bunk bed.
Here’s What You’ll Need:
- 1 Ikea MYDAL Bunk Bed frame
- 1 set (of 2) Hemnes under bed storage boxes in dark grey stain, twin size
- orbital sander (this is the inexpensive one I like)
- orbital sandpaper disks
- saw horses or a table
- oscilating multi-tool
1. Sand the Drawer Fronts
When I bought the Hemnes under bed storage boxes, I was expecting that the drawer fronts would have the dark grey finish on them, and the rest of the drawer boxes would be unfinished pine. Not so. All the pieces were finished in dark grey, so I sanded them ALL. But if I did it again, I would just remove the finish from the drawer fronts to save a ton of time and elbow grease!
The lower the grit number on the sandpaper, the rougher it is. This means it will remove a lot of material from your wood quickly, which is what we want. We’ll start with 40 grit.
2. Sand Again
Next, we’ll sand with 80 grit sandpaper. It’s finer, and will create a smoother finish.
3. Sand Again
Last time, I promise! Sand with 120 grit. This will smooth everything out. There should be no black or grey spots left when you’re all done.
4. Assemble Drawers
Follow the instructions that came with your Hemnes drawers to assemble them, and place them under the bunk bed.
5. Cut the Bunk Bed Ladder
Now you can see that the storage drawers are almost a perfect fit under the bed. The only thing in our way is the bottom of the left side of the bunk bed ladder, which doesn’t allow the drawer to close all the way. (If you assemble your bunk bed the other direction, the ladder will be in a different spot, but you’ll still have the same problem.
We marked the bottom of the ladder with a pencil, and used an oscillating multi-tool to cut about an inch off the bottom of the ladder.
And that allows the drawer to slide in all the way.
That’s it, we’re done!
We’re using the drawer space under the kids’ beds to store dress-up clothes for now. But these drawers could also be used for clothes, toy storage, extra bed linens, or whatever. When it comes to storage for kids’ rooms, you can really never have too much!
A.
B. Purple Duvet Cover Sets (similar)
E. 6″ Memory Foam Mattresses– these are the best & most comfortable inexpensive mattresses I’ve found after trying 3 different brands!
F. Waterproof Mattress Protectors– again, third time’s a charm. These wash well & can even go in the dryer. Also they don’t leak!
I. Aitliving Embroidered Throw Pillow Cover
The girls’ boho bedroom makeover is a work in progress. I would love to have you join us for the journey! If you want to follow along with our progress, CLICK HERE!
We used this same under bed storage IKEA hack in the beach house bunk room. The only difference was that we stained the drawers to match the bunk beds.
Alright, now go make use of the space under your kids’ beds!
More Kids’ Bedroom Ideas…
A Very Beachy Bunk Room: Part II
Organize Kids’ Clothes for School!
Toy Storage Ideas: How We Tamed the Playroom Chaos
Can I use the malm under bed drawers or only the hemnes ones work?
Hi Katerina! Are you using the MYDAL bunk beds? I think the main thing is that MALM series usually has a veneer. So if you wanted to just leave the veneer you could, but whatever is underneath the veneer is probably not pretty. The reason I used the HEMNES ones is they’re made of solid wood, so you can refinish them. Good luck!
Is it easy to roll the drawers out on carpeted floors?
Hi Kristina! Yes we haven’t had any problem with the drawers on carpet. We also have these same drawers in the beach house bunk room and they’re on a rug.
Hi Jess.
Great Idea! Will it be possible to do with any other color of the drawers? Or only the grey paint can be pilled off?
Thank you! The important thing is that there is real solid wood under the stain or paint. I think we chose the grey stain because it was solid wood that could be sanded down. Sometimes the white-painted versions of the same products aren’t real wood, but you would probably need to see it in person to tell for sure. Good luck!
Hi! I love this idea. I just wanted to give you a heads up. The Hemnes drawers are no longer solid wood, they are mostly particle board. I was able to sand them down (super ugly) but if someone is trying to stain or leave “naked” this won’t work. Luckily we are painting all of it, so I bought a quality primer and I think they will turn out great! I can’t wait to be finished and have them in our girls’ room. Just thought you’d want to know because it isn’t exactly what yours look like, I can send a pic if you’d like.
Hi Erin,
Oh no! Thanks for sharing! Yes if you don’t mind to send a pic that would be great! Which finish did you use of the drawers?
We got the grey drawers. I sanded them, and used a primer. I am starting painting today, we are painting the bunk bed and the drawers “clover fields”, it’s sherwin Williams sold at Lowe’s. It’s a pretty green.
I can’t seem to upload a picture to this comment. I can email them to you if you’d like. 😁
Ok thanks! Darn my beloved Ikea has betrayed me! I was about to do this same hack for my new queen-sized bed. I’m thinking I’ll just replace the drawer fronts with pine boards instead. Thanks for sharing this! I hope your project turns out great!
I noticed you didn’t purchase the ikea mattress sold to go into this bunk. Is there a reason? Thx for all the information.
Hi Kristina,
We actually did buy the mattresses from Ikea when we first purchased the bunk beds. They ended up being 3-4″ too short. I have no idea why.