Editors Note: A guest contribution from Laura Marie Johnson to The Prepper Journal. As always, if you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and be entered into the Prepper Writing Contest with a chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards with the top prize being a $300 card to purchase your own prepping supplies, then enter today!
Every serious prepper knows that their bunker has to be functional and long-lasting. Not only do you need enough supplies to last a decade or longer, you need quality furniture options that can function in a multitude of ways to make the most of your space. Today we are looking at some furniture ideas that you can either build or buy so that you can make the most of your space.
Anything With Drawers
Buffets, dressers, nightstands, and telephone tables are perfect for providing storage, use a little space, and provide something beautiful look at during confinement. A buffet in your kitchen area can store the dishes and give you extra space for more food. Telephone tables and nightstands can be used in the common area for a place to put your cup of water and store reading materials or other forms of entertainment to keep you busy. Dressers could keep clothes but also can be a storage spot for survival gear that makes it easy to get to. We highly recommend visiting a furniture store that offers Stanley furniture, an antique shop, or thrift stores for strong wood structures. They last a long time and can double as firewood should you ever need it!
The Bed That Doubles
Depending on how much space you have and how many people are in your bunker, the bed can double as storage or other furniture. If it’s just one or two people in the bunker, a futon can be fantastic for sleeping on and a couch during the day. It is especially enticing if you have a small bunker that doesn’t have much in the way of separate rooms. Murphy beds are always an option so that you can have your living room and pop the bed out of the wall when it’s time for sleep. The storage bed is a big draw for when you have separate rooms. While some beds have drawers on either side of the frame, a storage bed has drawers on one side that reside the width of the bed and pull all the way out. If you are handy, you can build it yourself to customize it to your needs and space. Aside from Murphy beds, collapsible bunk beds are also a great addition. You can easily locate these in any camping department or specialty shop. You can use easily fold them away after a night of sleep or, should you need to escape your bunker, you can use them in the woods. A very versatile option no matter the situation.
Tables For Protection
If you are concerned about your physical safety (and who among us isn’t?), tables that are modified to hide your protective gear becomes a must-have for the bunker. A coffee table that has a hidden drawer or the side table with a secret opening on the side is perfect for stashing guns and bullets (or whatever your choice of weapon is). You can try buying these in your prepper circles or you can learn how to make them on your own. Better yet, take a furniture making class so you can get the hang of the basics and figure out how to make your own designs!
Your Walls Are Your Best Friend
No matter the size of your bunker, your walls are the perfect spot for storage. You can choose to buy storage shelves or bookshelves to use as storage along the walls. Our favorite space-saving trick is to build shelving into the wall itself. Shelving is perfect for your food, supplies, extra clothing, weaponry, and entertainment. The possibilities become endless when you include strong and sturdy shelving!
Use Your Floors Wisely
Flooring can become a great space saver without imposing on the space in your living quarters. By adding hidden storage spaces under the bunker, you can add an intense amount of extra anything to space. Extra water, weaponry, survival gear, food, medical supplies, and extra entertainment to switch are just a few things you can put beneath your floor. This can be especially important if you have added a couple of extra people to the space at last minute. They don’t have to know where the backup supplies are and you can ensure that if your time in the bunker is extended, then you and your people are covered. If you worry about anyone noticing that you have created extra storage in the floor, area rugs can help hide that fact and keep prying eyes out.
Recycle Big Toolboxes
If you can find large free-standing toolboxes that people want to ditch, grab them! They are perfect for storing the tools you will need for maintenance, extra supplies of nails and electric tape, light bulbs, and anything else you can imagine that you will need for a long time. If you have one just for maintenance, another can hold all your medical supplies or any other thing you don’t have a place for. The different shapes of drawers are perfect for just about anything and the material is very long lasting.
Think Outside The Box
When stashing your weaponry, you can sometimes think outside the box and find new places to stash a few pieces should you need to grab something fast. You have all seen the famous picture of the weapon taped behind the old chain-pull toilet in “The Godfather” or taped to John McClane’s back in “Die Hard”. NOT recommended unless you are proficient at removing tape from the weapon while drawing it to save your life (a skill John McClane didn’t need because his was done with Hollywood magic disappearing tape.) Perhaps behind a flat screen television or desktop computer, tucking a weapon down in the cushion of the love seat, or taping weapons underneath every chair in the space ensures that you can have a weapon quickly to protect yourself and your crew. The downside of course is children and their curiosity so use common sense please.
If you are in the planning phase of your bunker, this is an excellent time to plan your design and think about the furniture and supplies you will need. The layout will let guide you to how to ensure you have the freedom to move around and have space for everything. If you have already built your bunker and are now working on furnishing it, this is an excellent time to look at space-saving options. You need space to keep yourself and your crew safe and minimize health risks. Once you get rolling, it will get easier!
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