Travel and spending time outdoors have been an integral part of Sarah’s life for as long as she can remember, and her entire family - which includes her husband and three boys ages 13, 11, and 9 - shares a passion for adventure and maintaining an active lifestyle.
Of course, keeping everyone comfortable when traveling with that many people can be difficult. That’s why the family made the smart move to maximize space in their new vacation home by furnishing the shared second bedroom with an Adult Bunk Bed from Francis Lofts & Bunks.
On the Move
For many years, Sarah’s family’s trips consisted of RVing around the country, usually visiting National Parks and looking for opportunities to go snowboarding. Sarah and her husband have been avid snowboarders since high school, and it’s something they have shared with all three of their sons as soon as they were able to start.
This affection for the slopes meant the family took many trips to the Rocky Mountains over the years. Specifically to Montana, where they would often visit Glacier National Park, home to some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the contiguous United States.
Whitefish Residence
Eventually, their trips to Montana became frequent enough that it made financial sense to invest in a property in Whitefish, a bustling resort town in the northwest corner of the state roughly 30 minutes from Glacier National Park. This would give them their own place to stay while they’re visiting and a short-term rental property to generate income when they’re not.
In March of this year, the opportunity to purchase a freshly built condominium in Whitefish arose, and Sarah and her boys decided to do it. It was an easy decision due to the convenient and desirable downtown location, which meant it would be a popular choice for travelers looking for a place to stay in the area.
However, at just 960 square feet and with only two bedrooms, the condo didn’t provide as much space the five of them required. It also meant there were limits to how many potential guests they could reasonably fit in their rental property.
“We were buying a vacation home, but we were also making an investment,” said Sarah. “We needed to maximize our space and be able to fit more people.”
Luckily, Sarah had encountered Francis Lofts & Bunks years earlier while furnishing a cabin the family purchased. She remembered being impressed by the quality and durability of our bunk beds, even though they weren’t exactly what she needed at the time. Now, it was the perfect solution to their current space problem.
One Bunk Bed to Fit Them All
Because she had experience using bunk beds to create space in a vacation home - and because Sarah’s husband is a big guy at 6’2” tall and 200 lb - Sarah understood the value of investing in a bed that could safely accommodate multiple kids or adults and would last for many years to come. Between the constant wear and tear from her “little depreciators” and the revolving door of renters who will soon start occupying the unit for most of the year, getting a sturdy and dependable bunk bed was worth a hefty up front cost.
“We wanted a solid product that would really last,” Sarah explained. “We needed something with some serious strength, and there are so few options available.”
Our heavy duty, handcrafted Queen Over Queen Bunk Bed fit the bill, and thanks to our convenient trundle accessory, they were able to add even more sleeping space in the condo’s small second bedroom without the boys (or their guests) tripping over each other. It also ensures that each of the kids can sleep on their own individual queen size sleeping platform without having “beds all over the room.”
“[The trundle is] nice, easy, and functional,” said Sarah. “The boys even like to use it to make a fort.”
Preparing for the Future
Purchasing the condo in Whitefish came at the end of a long and arduous year of being cooped up inside due to COVID-19 lockdown measures. For a family that emphasizes being active and seeing as much of the world as possible, the quarantine experience was particularly difficult, and they all agreed that they wanted to get back out there as soon as it was safe to do so.
Sarah’s family has been staying in the condo for the last few months, enjoying their new space and preparing it for the incoming renters. Luckily, Sarah is friends with an incredibly talented amateur designer who has been helping her put the place together, including making some of the final decisions about their Adult Bunk Bed.
Whitefish was recently featured in Vogue magazine as one of the nation’s top vacation destinations for 2021, and the demand thus far indicates there is some truth to that statement. Sarah’s rental is already booked for most of the summer.
Moving forward, the family - who are based out of Northern Oregon - plans to spend around a third of the year in Montana, but for anyone else interested in experiencing the majesty and beauty of Glacier National Park, the condo is currently available to rent on AirBNB.