We've always loved bunk beds for how they combine function with fun, but built-ins have the potential to be even more functional and more fun than your average bunk. They're a great option for vacation homes, since even after kids grow up, a vacation house is likely to need sleeping space for lots of guests. So as Escapes Month winds to a close, here are a few built-in bunk beds we love and some thoughts about why they work so well...

FIRST ROW

• 1 These sweet bunks from Southern Living show how an awkward corner can be transformed into sleeping space for four. We love the idea of customizing each bunk for a different child rather than decorating them all uniformly.

• 2 Modern built-in bunks from Livingetc have the feel of berths on a spaceship; they're sophisticated without losing their sense of fun.

• 3 One of the glories of a built-in is that you can customize your storage situation. The closets underneath this built-in bunk (another one from Livingetc) look big enough to store pretty much anything a child might need (including the child herself, maybe for a game of hide and seek!).

• 4 More customized storage, this one from This Old House... the stairs that lead up to the top bunk each contain a drawer.

• 5 Understandably, the nautical look is popular for built-in bunks. We love the netting used as safety rails for the top bunks in this room by Steven Gambrel.

SECOND ROW

• 6, 7, and 8 Built-in bunks are a great solution for sleeping multiples in a vacation home. In such a relaxed context, it's even fun to incorporate them into great rooms and other communal spaces (even hallways!), so the kids can lounge or nap while the grown-ups sip cocktails nearby. All three photos from Coastal Living.

• 9 Lining a long wall with narrow bunks is a great space-saver. Photo from Traditional Home.

• 10 Adding curtains to built-in bunks, like these from Decorno, makes them feel like secret nooks and crannies, and creates privacy too.