I don’t know about you but a good night’s rest has become the pinnacle of all goals the older I get. A restless night’s sleep equates to a less productive day after.
Research has indicated that sleep is not only when your brain organizes information but also removes toxins. When people are sleep-deprived, they have problems making decisions and trouble learning. No human can go without sleep for more than a handful of days. Research has also revealed sleep helps memories form, and it gives the body time to repair itself.
A good mattress is not the only thing that a good night’s rest depends on for me. I can’t sleep in a messy room.
Unfolded laundry?
Kid’s toys?
Those things need to be taken care of before one eye ball will close for the night.
Have you ever thought your bed frame a consideration? I didn’t either until we upgraded our bed from a queen size mattress to a king. The old bed frame wobbled and squeaked when you got in and out of bed. (It was purchased almost 20 years ago at some big box furniture store.) I never realized how annoying that was until it was no more.
When the new box springs and mattress came, we just set them on the floor until I could get the new bed frame built. After a couple of nights of sound uninterrupted sleep it became apparent just how important the new bed frame was going to be.
When I was in the design stage of this bed frame I went through three different drafts. The first design I looked at after I finished it and decided I didn’t like it.
The second design my wife didn’t like. (That was deflating.)
The third design I decided to keep simple with a low visual profile.
Eureka!!!
Do not let a project of this size fool you into thinking it is harder than it is. My #1 rule when I see a piece in its finished state is to break it down. Most bed frames you see in furniture stores are built in pieces. The head board, foot board and side rails. So lets build ours that way as well.
Deminsions:
Mattress and box springs in the United States generally follow a standard size. However, always be certain to measure your mattress and box springs to ensure you do not waste your time and money building something that is the wrong size.
I added 2" to the width and 2" to the length of our new king size set.
Cut List:
Foot Board
1 - Foot
Board Stretcher = 77” x 5 ½”
1 - Foot
Board Ledge = 77" x 1 ½” x 1 ½”
Foot Board Legs
4 – Leg
Side Pieces @ 12 ½” x 5 ½”
2 – Leg
Corner Pieces @ 12 ½” x 1 ½” x 1 ½”
Head Board:
1 – Head Board center piece @ 78” x 19 ½”
1 – Head
Board Bottom Stretcher @ 78 ½” x 5 ½” x 1 ½”
2 – Head
Board Legs @ 48” x 5 ½” x 1 ½”
Side Rails & Middle Supports
2 – Side
Rails @ 81” x 5 ½”
2 – Side
Rail Ledges @ 79 ½” x 1 ½” x 1 ½”
3 – Middle
Support Cross Pieces @ 77” x 3 ½”
3 – Middle
Support Legs @ 7” x 1 ½” x 1 ½”
3 - 2x6's = $5.44 each
2 - 2x4's = $2.98 each
3 - 1x4 furring strips = $1.86 each
1 - Roll of edge Banding = $5.75 each
Materials:
1 - 4' x 8' sheet of plywood (I used oak ply) = $49.963 - 2x6's = $5.44 each
2 - 2x4's = $2.98 each
3 - 1x4 furring strips = $1.86 each
1 - Roll of edge Banding = $5.75 each
Total Cost = $83.57
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Foot Board
Foot Board Stretcher
Foot Board Legs
Side Rails
Head Board
Head Board Legs
Head Board Center Piece
Cross Supports
Take your final width measurement and cut a few 1x4's to length.Cut a support leg and attach with glue and screws to the center of each cross support.
Final Thoughts
I am pretty happy with the way this project turned out and I learned a lot in the process. For instance, I learned that no one in my household likes big bulky pieces of furniture.
Those bed frames with storage underneath. Those work well when you do not intend to use a box spring under your mattress. Using a box spring forces you to lower the underside of the frame to a point where storage becomes pointless.
Adding storage to the foot board or head board makes the piece a bulkier focal point in the room. That is fine if that is the look you are going for. It became apparent early in the design process that that was not what we wanted.
However, that does not mean I can't share the two previous designs with you in an upcoming blog post.
Find me on Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest. Also be sure to check out my YouTube channel for lots of great project videos. If you see any of these project designs that you would like to see a video for, let me know. If I get enough interest in one I will be sure to build and upload.
Until then,
Happy DIYing!!
You da man Stan! Starting my bed today. Thanks for the plans!
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