Camp Loft Bed with Stairs/Junior Height
We (hubby & myself) found these plans on your site and thought the bed would be perfect for our 13 year old son with special needs. He's been sleeping on a queen bed, but also had a privacy tent in our front room when he wanted to be alone. He never went into his bedroom unless he was sleeping for the night.
We decided to keep the queen mattress for him on the bottom, but wanted to save as much floor space as possible. We put a twin xl mattress on the top (added 5 inches to length), so the queen could fit underneath in the same direction. We built a headboard for the lower queen (1 x 6s) and added accessories like a light, cup holders, small shelf and a book holder to compensate for the nightstands we removed from his room. We decided to purchase a three inch bedframe for the queen in case the bottom space is used differently in the future.
Since our son needs extra stability, we added stair treads and a hand rail to the stair/platform area. We didn't want the space underneath the platform to go to waste. It is perfect for his stuffed animals. I used eye hooks and bungee cord to create a safe enclosure for them.
In order to provide him with the ultimate privacy, we used 4 x 4s for the bed posts and ran them up to the ceiling. This allowed us to run blackout curtains on the front and on one end of the upper structure. We also installed a light on the top level.
The instructions were great, especially the cut list. I can't give you a project time. Due to our schedules, we built it relay race style. My husband picked up the wood, and I cut it while he was working. He'd have some time to router the edges, and I would sand (80/150/220 grit), prime and paint all of the pieces. We worked together to assemble the bed in our son's room. I finished areas that needed filling/painting and added the accessories.
We are very happy with the results. This bed changed the whole dynamic of the room, and our son is finally hanging out in there.
