Mini-lofts make enough space for two sisters

Sunset, Dec, 1990

Sharing a room could make sisters feel crowded. But Megan and Dana Barnes have a sense of spaciousness in their quarters, thanks to a pair of mini-lofts built by their father. One loft runs the width of an I I -foot wall; a smaller loft on the opposite wall leaves room for a door to swing open. Both have 2-by-6 frames lag-screwed to studs in the back and end walls.

The longer loft combines a bed and a toy-storage platform. The top of the 43- by 79-inch bed frame sits 5 feet above the floor; its twin-size mattress rests on a platform of 5/8-inch plywood, let into grooves in the frame and cross-braced with 2-by-3s. A ladder with 2-by-4 rails and 1-by-4 rungs supports the corner. Resting on and secured to the foot of the bed, the toy platform extends 54 inches to the end wall. It's 9 inches narrower than the bed (to clear the window), and sits 51/2 inches higher (to allow headroom in the desk area below). Mounted to the opposite wall is a second carpeted play loft, this one 37 by 66 inches and approached by a step-up bookshelf. Its outside corner is supported by a 2-by-4 that's notched at the top and anchored to the bookcase at the base. Design: David Barnes of Menlo Park, California.