Fancy Arch King Size
My husband calculated the dimensions to extend the plans from a queen to a king size bed. It was our first project together and we're both really excited about how it turned out!
My husband calculated the dimensions to extend the plans from a queen to a king size bed. It was our first project together and we're both really excited about how it turned out!
Wanted to make a loft bed for my 4-year-old son's room that could accommodate a toddler bed beneath it for when my 1-year-old daughter eventually starts sleeping on her own. I was torn between the Chelsea and Cabin bed plans, but eventually settled on the Chelsea because I liked the look of the headboard better.
I looked through all the brag posts to get modification ideas. I ended up mostly stealing ideas from "chadwickstafin", and like him took the great idea from "groovymom2000" to use chalkboard paint (though I only used it to paint the side of the desk end, since I knew the bookshelf end would be mostly blocked by a ladder). I decided to skip the decorative feet and just extend my 2x2s to the floor for extra strength, a mod that most people appear to be doing with this plan. I saw some people using 2x3s in place of 2x2s for added strength, but I can confirm that 2x2s are plenty strong enough on their own (2x2s are stronger than people give them credit for, and there's 8 of them here to distribute the load).
Like chadwickstafin, I cut my headboard a little differently, and I used short lengths of scrap 2x2s cut at 45-degrees to brace the top and bottom corners of both end units. There is no wiggle to the bed at all, it's stabilized so well. I also added a middle support to the short rail, just for a little extra safety, and secured the inside ends of the railings to the headboard/footer with pocket screws. I skipped the filler pieces for the railing, and just did a little extra sanding to make sure all exposed corners were smooth and splinter-free. I made the opening to the bed a bit wider than the plans, 15" instead of 13". I used 2x3s for the ladder, which gave me the sturdiness I wanted without the full bulk of using 2x4s, which looked especially chunky next to a loft unit made with mostly 1x boards. I played with some different angles, but eventually went with a 15-degree ladder. There were some leftover plastic handles sitting in my garage (originally from an outdoor playset ladder before I replaced it with a climbing wall), so I added those near the top of the ladder for some extra safety. I put some color-changing strip lighting under the bed, so there would be plenty of light for the desk and bookshelves (my little guy loves to just plop down on the ground beneath his bed and read).
I spaced the 1x3 slats about 3.5" apart (used scrap 2x4 blocks as spacers). Because my wife or I will lay in bed and read to our son at night, I easily added a couple 2x2 support rails under the 1x3 slats for extra mattress support. I'm a big dude at 6'3 and 250 lbs, and the slats alone WERE strong enough to hold me when I did a test, but they bowed just enough in the center (unnoticeable to me up on the mattress, but I had my wife watching the slats for me below) that I felt I should add a bit more support. Now there's no bowing at all.
I also used Ana's Top Bunk Organizer plans to give my son a little extra storage up top (and a place to set a glass of water during the night), and painted it to match the bed's color scheme. Everything was sanded, painted, sanded again, repainted, and then given a couple coats of polycrylic (the painting process took longer than the cutting & assembly!).
Cost-wise I was extraordinarily lucky. We have a Habitat For Humanity ReStore near us, so I was able to get my paints and a 3x6 sheet of MDF for $15 total. I also had some rebate cards from Menards (regional hardware store, similar to Lowes or Home Depot), plus happened to go there on a week when pine wood was on sale, so I got all my lumber for less than $60.
I could not be happier with the end results, and my son absolutely loves his new bed.
We are in desperate need of toy storage in our playroom. We are planning to build several more of these bulk bins.
Mon, 05/04/2015 - 10:59
You did great! Thanks for sharing, now fill those things up:)
Sun, 11/20/2016 - 10:39
It was just standard pine. We painted afterwards with grey paint leftover from a kitchen project.
Built this Folding Sewing Table for my daughter.
- 18 mm Baltic Birch
- Birch leds
I followed a killer bee plan for a rustic cooler that I found on your site. tweaked it a little and I'm still adding to the décor on the outside
Hello everyone! I built the Logan entertainment center for our apartment and it is amazing! I used Ana's plans with a few modifications. This was the first projected I finished and while it's not perfect, I love it and I learned a lot in the process. Because I was learning to build as I went, it might have taken me longer than someone who has more experience. I built this project over several months and it took a long time, but it was totally worth it. Check out more details about my experience over at my blog.
I love my dogs, but their wire kennels were an eyesore. Removing them completely was not an option, but I was tired of looking at them. I went back to my first-ever rehab project, and took it one step further to create a one-of-a-kind castle for my pups.
The original piece of furniture was an old console-style TV cabinet. Sliding doors on the front revealed the TV, and two lids on top contained the tuner and a turn-table.
Armed with screwdrivers, hammers and a dremmel, all components were removed form the cabinet, leaving just the shell. (PLEASE be sure you remove all sharp, potentially dangerous, screws, staples and what-not’s from the inside of the cabinets, to avoid injuring your pet! The dremmel allowed me to cut off and grind down stubborn screws.)
To cover the holes in the top cabinets, I used old checker boards. The cubbies are now a great place to store dog treats and leashes.
OPTIONAL: The back panel of the cabinet I used had holes from the TV components. I elected to replace the back board with a new sheet of peg board. (The peg board allows for much-needed ventilation.) In order to get the size perfect, I traced the old back onto the new and marked the original screw holes.
I vacuumed the inside to remove all construction debris and polished the exterior with Pledge. Then, I inserted an old comforter into the kennel, and stood back as my two pups launched themselves into their new abode.
The doors can stay open during the day for them to enter at their own will, and close for bedtime. And my eyes no longer hurt.
Thu, 08/11/2011 - 18:41
This was such a great idea. I love the old console. I love to build but I love it so much more when I can use old wood or repurpose parts of old furniture and industrial pieces. I feel creative. The checker boards are great. Do you have a blog?
This project was fun. The hardest part was trying to find barn door hardware. I did end up finding one on amazon but it was still too long and had to cut it down. Very doable in a weekend.
Thanks for the inspiration! First time building something this massive. I have 10 foot ceilings. Bookcases are about t 9 foot tall.
Fun and easy project. If I did it again I would definitely follow the directions to stain the wood first. My first Ana-White project. I’m hooked!
Fri, 03/03/2023 - 11:54
Way to go, can't wait to see what you build next! Thanks for sharing.
Seen this awesome plan on Anas site and had to build it in KING SIZE. The drawers are enormous, the bed is rock solid. I love it
These planters are exactly what we needed to warm up this blank siding! The smaller planters are made from pine, the larger from cedar.
I wanted my kids to have more space in their shared room, but I did not want to pay a ton of money for a new bunk bed. My husband and I found a plan for this bunk on Ana-White and fell in love with the design. It turned out so great that we will still be using it in our next home whether it's needed or not. We did change a couple of things on the plan that we didn't care for. The first is that we added a side rail for safety. Secondly we also traded the 1x6 boards on the head and foot boards for 1x4s on the top but kept the 1x6s on the bottom.
Mon, 01/09/2012 - 17:39
With pocket screws on the bottom and then one screw through the 1x4s into the post before the 2x4 on the top goes on. And then the 2x4 is screwed onto the 1x4 and post with trim screws.
Wed, 03/28/2012 - 13:02
Cost us about $300 and over an entire weekend of time spent on this project.
It's not for beginners. My husband has had many many years of experience in carpentry and woodmaking.
Good luck to you.
Also, he changed a few things in the plans we found in order to make it look better.
Thank you
Jillian
Wed, 03/28/2012 - 12:59
Cost us $300.00 to make and almost non-stop making it for the whole weekend. And then stained for hours.
This is with many years of experience in construction and woodmaking.
This is not a beginners project and then expect it to look amazing.
My husband changed these plans a bit to make it look better than the other ppls that we've seen on here.
But, good luck to you and make sure to have plenty of room and time.
Also, we had to make this bed in 10-15 different pieces and put together in the bedroom we wanted it in. There is absolutely no way it will fit otherwise.
Jillian
Sat, 10/25/2014 - 22:25
I don't see how you could put the fill/twin over a queen since the queen is longer. Obviously you could spin the queen around and make it an L-shape but then you are looking at a different build.
Sat, 10/25/2014 - 22:28
I really like the look of this ... I'm going to try to replicate!
What does the bottom of the guard-rail look like? Did you space out your slats a little more than the original design? I like the 2x4 topper instead of the 1x6.
Sat, 02/28/2015 - 16:46
We made this bed over the course of a week, both of us have extensive experience in woodworking and building. Ours is very wobbly on the long axis. We had a friend who is a structural engineer come in and take a look. He offered suggestions to shore it up and nothing really worked. The 3/4" overlap is not enough to secure the side rails, imo, and we used a variety of brackets to make it not wobble, to no avail.
This bed is coming apart in a few weeks and will be stored. If it is ever used again, it will be as two separate beds. I spent about $400 on this. My son never felt safe sleeping on the top bunk and has slept on the bottom exclusively.
Just my $0.02.
Really fun project. My dividers were a little off, but for kiddo storage- it's not too shabby. Bins were on sale at target. Because I trimmed the whole case out in 1x2s- 11x11 was the size I needed. The labels were extra, but totally worth the cost in my opinion. Loved this project and love the organization it brings!
I love this design, Ana has created the perfect toy, esp to give as Birthday presents! The size is perfect, very sturdy, I put mine together with Kreg Jig. I've made 7 so far, the first time I made it, I didn't have a 1x8, and ended up Jigging 2 1x4's together. Worked so well, I do it every time now. I like to make these, fully sanding the piece before I put it together, and letting my niece or whoever is recieving it, paint it themselves. It's a great way to spend an afternoon with your aunt
Blog is under construction, I will be posting additional high chairs as I make them
Thu, 11/15/2012 - 02:12
Why viewers still use to read news papers when in this technological globe everything is
presented on net?
https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/easiest-teen-platform-bed
This went really well thanks for posting the plans!
Made from the modified Mimi's Faux Mantle design from another brag post.
Tue, 12/19/2017 - 22:01
Are you able to tell me how wide this is from the end of one bookcase to the other? I'm trying to find out if it will fit in my living room. Thanks!
We modified Ana White’s excellent Mud Kitchen plans, adding a third section and scaling the whole thing slightly larger to be a better size for our 4 and 6 year old grand daughters. It was so much fun to make and accessorize!
I just finished shelves on both sides of my garage using your video. I built a coat rack and boot rack. I also made space for tall items like tools and ladders near the garage door. I had to also build in a gun safe, freezer and my work bench. Everything came together and now I have everything in bins on shelves.
Gary Hoffman
I needed a large box to use at the base of my stairs for shoe storage, so this is it! I made 2 compartments, and put handles on the side for easy moving. Being solid wood, this thing is heavy and a lot larger than it looks.
I wanted to do Bri-wax as a test on a smaller project before possibly messing up a larger one. Bri-wax advised me to wait a week to let the stain 'cure' prior to using the product. The stain was beautiful prior to using Bri-wax, but didn't look nearly as good when the wax took off some of the stain and kind of changed the color. I love the look of the Bri-wax finish, but probably won't be using it again (unless the finish has been cured for a long time). Bri-wax also told me not to use it over varnish or poly, as it would damage that surface. I would be interested in hearing from you guys who have used it successfully on top of other finishes.
Sat, 07/14/2012 - 21:00
Hello Joni,
I've used Briwax over a clear, satin poly finish without any damage, though typically, I apply a 100% Briwax finish on the majority of my pieces as I prefer the natural finish and find it's complimentary to the reclaimed wood I use.
Simply a personal preference.
Looking at your other projects want to commend you on your table too. Nice color distinction and accents. Very nice!
Mike
storage for totes - can be made to accommodate any size totes - just adjust the measurements basically it is "ladders " 2x4s for legs 2x2s for "runs" 2x4s across the bottom & top this is in a basement with short ceilings so if you have a taller space you can go taller or you can go shorter.
Comments
Lindseypw1
Sun, 01/28/2018 - 19:05
Dressers
Are the dressers pictured one of your designs?