20 Of The Best IKEA Kura Bed Hacks
This post is part of our archived content. While we’ve shifted focus, it still may be useful.
My husband recently constructed an IKEA KURA bed for our best friends.
He was able to do it just an evening and while finding the best configurations, did lots of research into the best IKEA KURA bed hacks.
Your KURA can be anything from a bed for triplets to a simple reading nook.
With a little ingenuity, you can get creative and turn a simple bed into a bespoke piece of furniture.
We’ve rounded up over 20 hacks to turn your IKEA KURA from basic to brilliant.
If you have little ones, the IKEA KURA reversible bed is one of the best buys for kids’ rooms.
Looking for an IKEA KURA bed hack?
Read our roundup of practical but inspirational ideas and let us know in the comments if you’ve upgraded your KURA!
1. KURA + READING NOOK
Read the full story behind this fabulous, eclectic bedroom in Brooklyn on Domino.
Molly Guy used a few brilliant techniques to create a gorgeous ‘botanical dreamworld’ bedroom for her daughters.
Be inspired by her design for your own space-challenged home as it’s perfect for younger children.
The wallpaper on the side of the KURA adds personality to the bed.
In Molly’s case, she used the Garden Creme wallpaper by Nathalie Lete available from Made in Design.
For a more affordable version, consider the peel-and-stick vibrant floral wallpaper from Kids Coloray on Etsy.
Hang curtains from the bed frame to make a hideaway that can cover the KURA mattress.
This is such a fun and easy way to give your child a cosy reading nook and is an extra space to use when friends are visiting.
Pile up the cushions, provide some useful storage and add photos and artwork to personalise the space.
You can find similar cushions at Urban Outfitters and the pom pom basket from one of my favourite new discoveries, Olli Ella.
The artwork is from my talented friend Emeline at ProjectM via Society6 who is mum to two beautiful girls.
2. KURA + MAKE IT STRETCH
This is an inventive way of adapting the KURA to accommodate two kids.
The ‘chateau fort’ has additional wooden boxes and framing, so one child sleeps above and one below but with extra storage and interest.
See the behind the scenes photos and directions on how to achieve this on the French blog Bidouilles IKEA.
These cloud shelves can be made by adding painted plywood to the IKEA MOSSLANDA picture ledge.
I used the Rust-Oleum black matt chalkboard paint recently when styling a friend’s house and I will warn you – it’s sloppy and gloopy but looks fab when it’s done!
Bright Lab Lights can be custom-designed to suit your colour scheme and the length you’d prefer. Love ’em. Go crazy.
3. KURA + 3 IN A BED
This London family simply arranged two KURA side by side and customised one of the beds to sleep two children.
The space under the other bed is a great option for creating a play corner.
When kids share a room, take a bit of time to create individual zones for them.
In this London room, each child has their own bookshelf.
Use a mixture of wooden boxes to create a personal area of the room for your children.
Keeping the room tidy when there are already three beds in it is a challenge and toy storage is key.
A wooden storage trolley from Vertbaudet can be pushed under the KURA bed and brought out into the room for playtime.
Use a vibrant play rug to anchor the space under the bed. This one is from JoJo Maman Bebe.
We’ve used the IKEA LUROY bed slats to make a bottom bed; be sure to allow enough room between the floor and the KURA mattress to avoid mould.
4. KURA + WOODLAND WONDERLAND
This project may take a few days so plan ahead and go for it – imagine how happy you’ll make your kids. Bedtime will be a breeze.
I love the circular windows and the hanging animals.
An advantage of the KURA is the soft wooden frame; add interesting items to the bed such as this bug hotel from Tiger – the spider is optional.
This beautiful decal from Etsy seller Chocovenyl is gorgeous and will easily transform a room.
I love the combination of white and green in this room. An IKEA KURA painted in Rust-Oleum chalky white looks wonderful.
Having a few different lighting options in a shared room is a good idea.
String lights, sidelights, and lamps like this cute rabbit lamp mean that if one child wants to stay up and read, he won’t have to disturb the other child.
4. KURA + COLOUR
Create a vibrant, stimulating environment for your child by painting the KURA in a bold colour and going a little crazy with accessories.
This bed was featured on the design blog Fru Silver along with another fabulously colourful version.
The Rosebud Fabric by Orla Kiely is a perfect choice for a colourful, slightly retro bedroom.
I love everything that Julia Staite makes, especially this Lion toy.
The panels on the side of the KURA bed can easily be covered in wallpaper. I love how in this room a bold polka dot wallpaper has been used everywhere.
I think Ferm Living Half Moon paper would also look amazing used in the same way.
The top frame of the bed has lights wrapped around it; consider creating something similar with these wonderfully colourful lanterns from The Conran Shop.
Looking for more IKEA KURA bed hack ideas?
Turn the KURA bed into a bunk bed
Do you wish to add another sleeping space in the bedroom and make it a room for two without having to take up extra floor space or necessarily add new furniture? You can do that.
Transform your KURA bed into a bunk bed by flipping it over to make it a high loft. The space underneath can be made into a bed space with a few modifications.
You can choose to raise it higher off the floor or let it rest on the floor. Either way, put a cosy mattress there, throw in some soft and fluffy pillows, a beautiful blanket and voila!
You can have two bed spaces and two people can use the bedroom.
Make the beds individual and make use of colours and themes to brighten things up. You can drape a tent curtain over it or paint some pictures on the panels.
Check out this fantastic resource for 12 easy IKEA KURA Bed Hacks for toddlers.
Add storage to your bed
The space underneath your KURA bed when in the loft side can be turned into a great storage space. This is a great way to maximise your small bedroom space.
The size of storage space you add depends on the form your bed is being used in. If it’s single-use, the space underneath can take up a storage space as big as a dresser.
If the bed is being used as a double bunk, it can be raised higher from the floor to make space underneath to build in storage or chest of drawers.
You can also take advantage of the staircase to make a storage space.
With some boards and panels, your bed staircase can be modified to look more sturdy and the space below it can be a great place to put some storage boxes or pull out drawers.
This is great for storing toys and shoes.
Read this guide for 55 ways to turn your IKEA KURA bed from drab to fab.
Build a bookcase under the KURA bed
If you are a book lover or your kids love books and you have been wanting to make or get a bookcase or bookshelf for them to organise their storybooks in but your small bedroom space is limited you, you can change that.
With a Kura bed, you can have a bookcase right under your bed. There is no need to take up floor space with a standard shelf when you can install a bookcase after putting your bed in a loft position.
It’s pretty much the same way you build storage but storages aren’t the only things we can use that precious space for.
The bookcase can be a small one that just stays on the wall of your bed or on its frame overhead if the bed is in bunk form.
However, if it’s for single use and all that space is left below, you can go ahead and add a large bookcase there to keep your lovely books in.
You can also add stairs to your IKEA KURA with their Trofast.
Make the space underneath the bed a study area
This is a brilliant idea, especially for your kids. You can add a nice study table, a chair and a reading lamp and turn that space into a comfortable reading area.
The study area needn’t be a table and chair kind of thing. It can be a cosy couch where your child can sit to read their favourite books.
It can even be a calming corner for the children and even yourself when you need some alone time.
If you are going to be making this into a study area, be sure to make it as comfy as possible. Use the right size furniture and the right type of light for reading rooms.
Keep it airy and make it look homely and interesting with paintings and stickers so anyone who goes in there will feel like staying. You can use a theme to make it more inviting. Consider your child’s preferences when choosing a theme.
Add curtains to your KURA via this easy tutorial.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What age is the IKEA KURA bed for?
IKEA hasn’t set a particular age range and how you use it depends on how you build it. If you use it with guard rails, it can work for toddlers as they won’t roll out of bed.
If you build it without any bed/guard rails, it may be better suited to older children.
The bed can be built quite low to the ground but you don’t want a little voice crying during the night that they rolled out of bed!
When the bed is used as a loft bed, it is recommended for kids 6 years old and up.
How much weight can the IKEA KURA bed hold?
IKEA doesn’t have a tested weight limit for the KURA bed, but they recommend not exceeding 220 lbs (or 99.7 kg).
What size is the IKEA KURA?
The IKEA KURA is 90 x 200 cm.