When Cliff Webster first told his wife he was thinking about buying a bunk bed company, her immediate response was: “Absolutely not.”
It was 2024, and Webster had recently left his job at Wayfair after a long stretch of remote work from Maine. He and his wife, Elizabeth (who grew up in Augusta) had left Boston for Georgetown in the summer of 2020, shortly after the birth of their first daughter (they now have three). The move, a long-held dream accelerated by the pandemic, was a return to Maine for both of them: Elizabeth grew up in Augusta, and Webster’s father’s family is from the Brunswick area. They settled in Yarmouth, and when Webster’s former employer called everyone back to the office, the daily commute from the coast to Boston felt like a betrayal of everything their move was meant to preserve.
So, he pivoted. For four months, he met with business leaders all over the state trying to figure out what was next. Eventually, it wasn’t a meeting but a Google search that sparked something real. “I typed in ‘Maine businesses for sale,’” he says, laughing. “And the second one that came up was a custom e-commerce furniture company. Given my Wayfair background, it felt serendipitous.”
That business turned out to be Maine Bunk Beds, a Buxton-based woodshop that builds made-to-order, solid hardwood bunk beds and bedroom furniture. Webster and Elizabeth officially took over in May of 2024, bringing with them a deep knowledge of e-commerce, a strong branding vision, and a childhood full of summers in Maine. “There’s just so much story to tell,” he says. “People associate Maine with summer camp, vacation homes, beach days, ski trips. That’s exactly where bunk beds live: in bunk rooms made for cousins, guests, and generations.”
A focus on generations is the foundation of Webster’s rebrand. The new tagline for Maine Bunk Beds is “Made for Generations,” a phrase that encapsulates both the durability of the product and the timeless joy of sharing space. “It works on a few levels,” Webster explains. “Yes, these are beds that last. They’re solid hardwood, built to be sturdy as hell. But it’s also about family. We work with so many grandparents and parents designing spaces for their kids and grandkids to come back to. And on top of that, we try to be really mindful of our environmental footprint. We use low-VOC paints and lacquers, no formaldehyde, and sustainable materials.” The couple’s two older daughters, now 5 and 3, share one of the company’s bunk beds every night—a fitting symbol of how their lives, and Webster’s career, became centered on home and family.
About 90% of the company’s orders are custom. “A lot of our customers are people who need something specific, like a certain color, height, width, or storage solution,” he says. “You’d be surprised how many summer homes have slanted ceilings, hatch doors, or odd window placements that we have to accommodate.” Some clients send in floor plans while others just call with a vision. “We’ll sketch things out, build the beds in order, and send photos of the unpainted product before finishing. That step is a really great touchpoint, and it makes it much easier for us to make any changes before we paint.”
Though the bunk beds are the star of the show, the shop, called Joy Valley Woodworks, also produces classic Shaker furniture for other Maine-based brands like Chilton and Shaker Furniture of Maine. “We have nine guys in the shop, many of whom have been working together for years,” says Webster. “Some of them even went to high school together. It’s a tight-knit crew.” While the Shaker line adds a layer of diversification, Webster sees big growth potential on the bunk bed side. “It’s a classic design that’s meant to be timeless. It’s got that campy, cozy nostalgia without being too precious or over-designed.”
Style-forward simplicity is exactly why the brand has become a go-to for boutique hotels and interior designers. Recent projects include the Salt Cottages in Bar Harbor and custom orders for hotels as far-flung as Jackson Hole and Malibu. “There aren’t a lot of companies that do what we do,” Webster says. “We can turn around one-off builds with custom configurations, which is exactly what places like Salt Cottages need.” For that project, the team adapted the beds to allow foot-of-the-bed access and to fit within quirky floor plans. “They’re photographing them this week,” he adds. “We’re excited to share those images and do some cross-posting.”
Interior designers also make up a growing share of Maine Bunk Beds’ client base. “We’ve had designers incorporate built-in shelves, phone caddies, beadboard paneling—you name it,” says Webster. One of his favorite recent builds included full-sized quad bunks with beadboard detailing for a house on Great Diamond Island. “It’s not something we normally do, but it came out amazing.”
The idea of Maine-made furniture carries weight, both aesthetically and ethically. “There’s a long tradition of craftsmanship here,” says Webster. “From Thomas Moser to backyard woodworkers, what ties it all together is this unapologetic commitment to quality. It might cost a bit more, but there’s pride behind every piece. Someone here in Maine is building it from start to finish, and they care deeply about what they’re putting into the world.”
Webster’s not on the shop floor much these days; instead, he’s steering the brand from behind the scenes, handling everything from marketing and storytelling to sales and brand building. He worked with a copywriter on the rebrand, launched a new website in April, and has doubled down on social media and outreach. “We’re also reconnecting with interior designers, building up a trade program, and starting to play with merch, like t-shirts, hats, and things like that to extend the brand.”
Despite the momentum, Webster is careful not to scale too fast. “We don’t want to grow at the expense of quality. Right now, our focus is just getting every order absolutely perfect. Word of mouth is powerful, especially when you’re doing something this niche. If we do our job right, people will tell their friends, and the reputation will build naturally.” It’s a sentiment that matches the company’s product: thoughtful, timeless, and built to last.
People associate Maine with summer camp, vacation homes, beach days, ski trips. That’s exactly where bunk beds live: in rooms made for cousins, guests, and generations.
Someone here in Maine is building it from start to finish, and they care deeply about what they’re putting into the world.