The More The Merrier

The new bunk room + a peek inside the August 2019 issue

Who doesn’t love a sleepover? Getting together with my girlfriends for a mountain getaway is one of life’s great pleasures as we pile in for a weekend of food, fun and laughter. That kind of togetherness is often the motivation to build a mountain home—like Joseph and Marguerite Field’s Lake Tahoe retreat that was designed around the bunk room to accommodate a revolving door of friends and cousins. Perhaps an atypical place to start, but family was the priority. The architect took direction from “the more the merrier” perspective, creating comfortable spaces large enough for group meal prep, movie watching and gathering—as well as the requested bunk room.

Mountain homes attract guests like bees to a hive, so ample sleeping quarters are important, but gone are the old days of college dorm-style bunks. Today, luxe co-sleeping spaces comfortably accommodate adults as well as children. A Jackson homeowner told me that two sets of queen-bed bunks were installed in his guest space—paneled in reclaimed wood with Ralph Lauren amenities—with his annual guys’ ski trip in mind. Our story about bunk rooms shows off a treasure trove of choices in all shapes and sizes, from whimsical children’s rooms to grown-up options highlighting sleek built-in beds, luxurious linens, bookshelves, lamps and charging ports for electronic devices that take modern bunking to new heights.

Abby Hetherington, who has an interior design firm in Bozeman, Montana, featured in the bunk room story, created just such a sophisticated spot that appeals to the young adult members of a client’s family. “It should be a privilege to be in the bunk room,” she says. 

Wherever you choose to hang your hat this summer, whether spacious suite or cozy bunk, I wish you sweet dreams.

In this issue we feature three homes in Lake Tahoe, reminding me of a wonderful trip I took last year. August is a perfect time to visit Lake Tahoe, with its annual Concours d’Elegance extravaganza of wooden boats. Also in this issue, we feature Roy Dryer, the artist who has created the event’s distinctive posters for 36 years.

As seen in the August 2019 issue