On average, a person will sleep for 229,961 hours in their lifetime. Needless to say, we spend a lot of our lives sleeping. So ideally we should have a mattress that’s comfortable and a bed frame that’s sturdy. That could be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be when you build your own bed frame like our next (and final) My AMLI DIY contest winners, Kelsey and Talon.
Not only is their bed frame sturdy, but it’s also a functional piece of furniture with extra storage in the foot board…and it’s gorgeous! We asked Kelsey and Talon more about their project and found out everything from their inspiration, design style, and advice they have for other DIYers.
What is your design style?
Our design style is modern and eclectic.
How does your project fit in with your design style?
The bed we built fits perfectly in our design aesthetic; it’s simple and functional with great wood textures which is something we both love.
What were your goals for the project?
Talon (my fiancé) and I had a hard time finding a bed frame we liked with added storage and in our budget. After building several bookshelves, a table, and a desk, we naturally thought about building a bed ourselves. So we started drawing plans and I had an idea to add a bookshelf at the end of the bed since we are always in need of extra storage. After building it, we actually saw a very similar frame at Crate & Barrel for ten times the price (not an exaggeration)!
What is your favorite element of the project?
It’s a tie between the headboard and the bookshelf footboard. The footboard is a one-foot bookshelf that, when holding books, adds a lot of color and textures to the edge of the bed. The headboard is made up of recycled 1 x 3 cedar boards that we stained in three varying shades in order to add subtle visual depth and interest.
What materials did you use?
- 1 x 3 recycled cedar boards for the headboard
- Oak wood for the bookshelf and footboard
- Oak wood for the platform bed
- 2 x 4 (used to create a slatted bed base)
- Gold screws
- Three shades of stain (Kona, cherry, and walnut)
- Polyurethane
- 10-inch school chair legs
What was the total cost?
Total cost was around 50.
What do your friends say about the project?
Most of our friends are surprised we actually built it ourselves and that it’s lasted over a year without collapsing!
What was your biggest challenge when building/creating your project?
Patience. When we start a project, we really like to finish it in a day or two; but this project took about two to three weeks to build since we had to wait on each coat of stain and polyurethane to dry. Well, and strength. The bed is extremely heavy.
What’s your best advice for other DIYers?
Don’t discourage yourself before you even start! We never thought we could actually build a bed frame that wasn’t going to fall apart as soon as our cat jumped on it, much less one that had all of the design elements we loved. Let yourself dream big and do as much research as you can before you start.
That an official wrap of our My AMLI DIY series. But don’t freak out if you missed the boat. You’re always welcome to send us pics of your latest and greatest creative triumphs via Facebook with the hashtag #AMLIDIY. There aren’t any prizes to win, but we might just feature you in a blog one day. We hope you enjoyed learning about these fantastic DIY projects as much as we did!
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View All Posts by Yvette Pistorio