Cozy cupboard bed suits grandchild
EXCELSIOR, Minn. — Al and Mary Hermansen have a favorite room in their home, and it’s the smallest.
When the Hermansens decided to downsize, they moved into the house that Mary’s father had built in 1948 and undertook a full remodel.
“We designed it to age in place,” Al said.
The home’s open floor plan includes wide doorways and just one bedroom. It was perfect for the two of them, but where would their youngest grandson sleep when he came for visits?
“We started thinking, ‘We want him to stay overnight. Where can we put him?’ “Mary said.
So the couple borrowed a few square feet from their front entry hall and built a 6 -by-8-foot bedroom inspired by the Dutch or “cupboard” beds they’d admired in Europe.
“When we were traveling, we’d see places using space so well, so cozy,” Mary said.
And it fit the couple’s less-is-more philosophy and playful spirit. “I wanted it whimsical,” Mary said. “I wanted a fun house. You don’t need a lot of square footage.”
The Hermansens’ cupboard bed is barely bigger than a single mattress, but it’s packed with charming built-ins including a wooden headboard, a roll-out drawer under the bed for storing toys, a bedside table with bookshelves and even a TV.
Mary designed the room — “I was up many nights with pencil and paper,” she said — and Al did the construction, using materials salvaged from other projects, including a vintage paned window from the home’s basement.
“We try to repurpose as much as we can — and keep things out of the landfill,” Mary said.
The room’s sliding doors can be opened to overlook the couple’s garden or closed to create a tiny private retreat.
Three windows let in plenty of light, and the couple also hired an electrician to install “mood lighting” in a ceiling beam. “I like it looking like candlelight,” Mary said.
For a finishing touch, they hung a distinctive and nostalgic piece of artwork, a photo of Mary’s father icefishing that was enlarged and mounted on rustic wood.
Grandson Matthew Mikkelson, for whom the room was built, is still in a crib and too young to sleep in Walter’s bed, but he often plays there.
“He loves it!” Mary said. The room is getting more use than the Hermansens expected; sometimes the adults retreat there for a little R&R.
“It is perfect for an afternoon nap, late-night TV-watching or just a place to relax with a good book,” Al said. “… very comfy.”