First Build - "Platform" Bed and Hailey Headboard

Submitted by stsa84 on Tue, 01/07/2014 - 10:25

After finally getting fed up with having our mattress on one of those cheap metal "frames", and no headboard, I decided to try my hand at a platform bed and plank headboard.

I followed the headboard plans to a T, with the exception of using 1x4's for the front trim instead of molding (at HD/Lowe's, the cheapest option would have set me back $40), and making it higher and wider to fit my bed plans. Everything came together very easily.

For the bed, I drew up the plans myself. I wanted clean lines and a modern look, with short wide legs. Instead of having the mattress rest on slats, I elected to hide the box spring within the wood frame, with the mattress sunk down 4" below the lip of the frame.

Total cost for headboard: $100
Total cost for bed: $80

Do NOT waste your time going to Lowe's or HD to buy any of the 1x's. The only frustrating part of this project was finding un-warped wood, and the big box stores had me pulling my hair out. Find a local wood place in your area, give them a call, and ask if they sell to non-contractors. My local yard was actually cheaper than the big box stores, and their wood was straight as a board, as it should be.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Stain: Minwax Jacobean
Clear: Minwax Satin Polyurethane (3 coats)
Recommended Skill Level
Starter Project

Comments

amt47

Mon, 03/10/2014 - 04:29

This looks great! Can I ask, is it a solid board at the bottom, or two boards? What did you use for the nail heads that you can see connecting the bottom boards? I'm fairly new at this. Is that just decorative or are they the screws holding it together? How do you get that look?

Thanks! I am going to try to do something like this.