Sunset Fun Childrens Furniture - Beds, Suites and Accessories made with love, kids furniture that will grow with your children
Read our 7 Point checklist when buying children's furniture

7 POINT CHECKLIST WHEN BUYING CHILDREN'S FURNITURE

1. MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A SAFETY RAIL RIGHT ACROSS THE BACK OF THE TOP BED

The saleperson might say it's not necessary to have a safety rail at the back of the top bed because the bunk stands against the wall. It really is because the bunk may not stand right up against the wall due to the skirting or it may be moved  (like when it's being cleaned) leaving a gap big enough for a child to fall into.

2. CHECK THE HEIGHT OF THE SAFETY RAIL

Most bunkbeds have one safety rail which is at a height suitable only for a thin foam mattress. This saves the manufactirer some money but is it safe for you?

Sunset Fun safety rails are made of TWO rails with a gap in between them so they are safe for to use with anything from a thin 100mm foam mattress right up to a thick 225mm sprung mattress,

Safety rails are there to do a job. Make sure that you check that they are up to their task!

3. CAN THE BEDS FIT A SPRUNG MATTRESS?

Most bunkbeds on the market are only big enough to fit a  foam mattress on them.  Sprung mattresses just won't fit into them.
When you ask about mattress options the salesperson may tell you that all bunkbeds only take foam mattresses, and that foam mattresses are perfectly fine for children.

The truth is that it is far better to have your child sleeping on a proper mattress with inner springs because they are still growing.
Sunset Fun beds and bunks can all take sprung mattresses. We sell a quality sprung mattress that is designed for children and light adults (up to 65kg) that come with a 12 year warranty. If you already have a brand name sprung mattress you don't need to change it because it will fit on our beds
(Note : The only bed we supply that needs a foam mattress is the underbed on wheels which is needs to be low enough to roll under the bed, and which is generally used only for occasional sleep-overs)

 4. HAVE YOU GIVEN THE FURNITURE A "TEST DRIVE" IN THE SHOWROOM?

Sometimes furniture that is nice from far can be far from nice. Spend some time "test driving" the furniture in the showroom to make sure it is all it's supposed to be when it gets to your home. If the shop  won't let you and your child handle the merchandise ask yourself why?

- Sit down  on the bottom bed. If the top bed is too low for you to sit on without bumping your head then it will also be cramped for your child because they will grow quickly. Remember that you sit on the bottom bed to say good night as well so it needs to be high enough to be comfotable for you but more importantly it musn't be cramped for your child who will spend many hours on it.
- Let your child climb the ladder in his/her barefeet.  If they wince it's because the ladder steps are cheaply made of round poles or thin strips of wood.. Our ladder has flat steps which are easy on your childs barefeet.
- Is there a place for a lamp or book on the top bed. Our clever bunkshelf clips onto  any of the rails on the top bed and gives you a place for a lamp and a glass or book when they are on the top bed.
- Look at what holds the mattress. If it's slats are there enough of them? If it's chipboard is it reinforced to make sure the chipboard will last for many years?
- Sit on the chair, open and close the drawers and doors, get your child to lie on the bed and do anything else you will be doing with the furniture when it's in your home. Make sure it all works well.

You are welcome to visit our factory showroom and see and test drive our furniture. Check out the times and make an appointment to be extra sure we are there to help you.

5. CAN THE FURNITURE GROW WITH YOUR CHILD?

The Sunset Fun range has been designed and developed over many years. It is made with the understanding that children grow and that their needs change as they evolve.
They move from a cot into a bed. Friends and cousins come to sleep over. Then it's onto school. They need a place to work. The room becomes to small and they need more place for clothes.

You need to move them into their own room.They begin to play sport and have games and TV's. The alst thing you want to do is have to be buying new furniture every time something changes. The beds and bunks in the Sunset Fun range are made from a few basic components. They can be taken down and re-assembled into many different beds over the years.
For example
- A double bunk bed can be taken down and made into two proper matching beds with a high headboard and a footboard when your child no longer wants to sleep in a bunkbed.
- The safety rail fitted to keep your child safe in our CYMBAL bed can be removed when you child is old enough. It then becomes a ordinary bed they can use for many years to come.
- The ladder can be fitted to the left hand side for now but moved to the right hand side if you change the room around one day
There are many more examples of how the Sunset Fun bed range grows with your child
All the other furniture like the chests, bookshelfs, desks etc are stand alone pieces that aren't needed to hold up parts of our bed. They can be moved around in the room if need be, and can even be used in other rooms like a study or guest room in the future.all our furniture is made of solid wood so they will give you a lifetime of use if properly cared for.

6. IS IT AVAILABLE IN OTHER COLOURS OR FINISHES?

With furniture its often a case of you take whats available on the floor. This is because it's imported, or that that's what the retailer has in stock or maybe because the manufacturer works

in big batches. Sunset Fun is different. We work in solid pine wood which can be stained from a very light colour like our Ivory Wash to a dark colour like our Dark Mahogany finish. We do solid colours

like the popular Solid White option and are now launching a modern French Grey colour to the market. You can add some colour to your childs room by contrasting a natural wood finish like Cottage with Navy blue for a young boy or Blush Pink with Ivory Wash for a girls room.
We don't do the finishing until we have taken your order so you can customise the finish and get exactly what you want for your room at Sunset Fun Childrens Furniture. In fact we can even match a wood finish to an existing piece of furniture like cupboard doors, paint something in paint colour from the paint shop or mix 3 or more colours in one set if you wish. This may cost a bit more but it means you get exactly the look you want.

7. IS IT MADE IN SOUTH AFRICA?

This is a good question to as. We all understand that it is important to buy local and create jobs whenever possible. It's good for the country, the community where we live and also the environment because there is less packaging and transport involved. Being locally produced also means you can easily get spares and matching items.ANother thing is that the furniture is designed using sizesthat are standard to South Africa. For example, some imported bunks have different size mattresses to ours. This is fine until you try buy linen for them.
Buy South African, we know that this matters to you.

It is worth the time spent to make sure you make a good decision when purchasing childrens furniture