Building with Bunk Beds in The Sims 4

Bunk Beds have finally made a return to The Sims franchise! As of the latest patch (March 2021), the Sims Team have added two bunk bed designs to the Game. This tutorial will walk you through how to use bunk beds in The Sims 4 and hopefully give you some inspiration for the kinds of spaces you can create using these new objects!

Using Bunk Beds in your Game

Bunk beds can be found in the Beds category of the Buy Mode Catalogue. The latest patch added 4 new beds to the Game. Two of these are loft beds and two are bunk beds.

As you can see, the design of these new beds are based on existing Base Game beds.

One of the nice features about these bunk beds is that the bottom bunk is interchangeable. You aren’t limited to the swatches available with the bunk bed, you can actually swap out the bottom bunk for any single bed you like (including toddler beds).

All of the single-beds in the Game will automatically snap into the bunk bed frame. You can also remove the bottom bunk to turn a bunk bed into a loft bed (or vice versa!).

As of the Patch released in May 2021, the space under the loft bed can be utilised by your Sims. This means that you’re able to place double beds, sofas, desks, and all kinds of other interactable furniture underneath the loft bed. Any two tile object can be placed in this space without enabling MoveObjects.

Below are some examples of ways you can utilise this space in your own builds. Loft-beds are a really great space-saving tool to use in tiny houses, or just to give your Sims more room for activities.

It is also possible to customise ladder placement. By default, placing a bunk bed or loft bed against a wall will automatically cause one of the ladders to disappear. When you place a bunk bed centrally in a room, it will have two ladders.

This feature is toggleable, however. When you are in the Comfort or Bedroom category of Build Mode, there will be a small widget in the bottom right of the menu labelled Auto Bunk Beds. This functions very similarly to the Auto-Counters Tool and can be turned on and off depending on your preference.

Building Ideas

Although there are only two different styles of bunk beds, the ability to swap out the bottom bunk means it’s possible to use bunk beds in a variety of different builds. I managed to create a really effective looking boho dorm room; a children’s bedroom; and a traditional, boarding school inspired bedroom.

One of the best things about bunk beds is how much space you can save. I built this dorm room in one of the existing dorm rooms on the University of Britechester’s campus. This room ordinarily contains three beds and three desks. By using bunk beds, I was able to include a small living room area, and a kitchenette in addition to those items.

I just know bunk beds are going to be really useful when building tiny houses. Bunk beds will allow builders to create super realistic looking trailers and caravans, as well as making it easier to house large families whilst still sticking to the tile limit.

A good trick for making the space under the loft bed look furnished and decorated is to use wall décor. Wall decorations (thankfully!) don’t prevent Sims from climbing into bed. This means that you can use shelves, paintings, and wall lights to fill out the space.
Despite the fact that both of the bed frames are quite traditional in design, bunk beds can work well in modern builds. By being creative with the bed coverings you choose, and the objects you place around the bed, you can create a space that feels contemporary.

I opted for the metal frame in this kids’ room. Although the frame itself is perhaps slightly more traditional-looking than the other bunk bed’s frame, the bed coverings available are much brighter and more vibrant. They definitely suit contemporary builds!

You can see an example of how you might style bunk beds in traditional builds in this boarding-school dorm room!

This room allowed me to make use of the double-sided ladders. Although double-ladders might look a little strange in a residential home, I think they really suit a school or university environment. I can also see myself making use of them in a barracks or prison build to give the space an institutional feel!
Click here to download the University Dorm Room! 

Click here to download the Kids’ Room! 

Click here to download the Boarding School Dorm!