My other half and I are nomads currently living in Boulder, CO, til we figure out our next move. Being nomads means we've been sleeping on a mattress on the floor for a few months. Urban camping is fun for awhile, but we needed a change. When he went away on a business trip recently, I decided to surprise him and make us a bed. Plus it had been awhile since I built something and my brain was itchy. I captured the process with my iPhone.
Here were my design protocols for the bed building project.
1. Storage underneath. I drag a lot of books around.
2. Simple to Build - I don't have my power tools with me, so it had to be simple E.g. No sawing or cutting to size.
3. Simple to Dismantle - For fun, I also decided to see how I could get away with out drilling or nailing stuff together.
4. Inexpensive - the budget was $23.
5. Bonus Protocols :: Has to look good, be sturdy, & it has to be possible for one person to carry & transport the materials without a truck or van. (Bike transport possible if you have a bike trailer!)
Here's what I did and how I did it.
Here were my design protocols for the bed building project.
1. Storage underneath. I drag a lot of books around.
2. Simple to Build - I don't have my power tools with me, so it had to be simple E.g. No sawing or cutting to size.
3. Simple to Dismantle - For fun, I also decided to see how I could get away with out drilling or nailing stuff together.
4. Inexpensive - the budget was $23.
5. Bonus Protocols :: Has to look good, be sturdy, & it has to be possible for one person to carry & transport the materials without a truck or van. (Bike transport possible if you have a bike trailer!)
Here's what I did and how I did it.
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Signing UpStep 1: Step 1 Gather Ideas
First, I looked up what others had done for building a quick bed to get ideas. There's this guy who put a mattress on top of his file boxes. Clever! But I didn't have storage boxes like that and I wanted something a little more interesting. Then I looked up some other platform beds, but most involved sawing and screwing (imagine that.)
Finally, before heading to a retail hardware store like the famous McGuckin's of Boulder, I decided to go check out ReSource, an architectural & building salvage shop in town. I'd check out McGuckin's later if I needed to. I'd been going to these places for years for other building projects but I wasn't sure yet what I'd find there, or how I'd do it. (The places I've been to are Bring in Eugene, OR, Build It Green in New York City, and ReStore in Philadelphia, PA. IF you're lucky, there might be one in your city too.)
Materials I considered included ::
1. Pallets (too splintery and not enough storage)
2. New 2 x 4s or 2 x 6s with plywood or OSB combo (ruled out because of budget, sawing, & screwing)
3. Salvage dresser drawers (could have structural issues),
4. Salvage doors (a good choice for size & sturdiness, but not in the budget, and what would they rest them on?) and
5. Old milk crates (not so easy to find these days, also they're plastic, I like natural materials better.)
6. Scraps of hardwood flooring
7. Salvage cabinetry
Check out Step 2 to see what I picked.
(Note, photo credit for the cabinet picture:: ReSource website.)
Finally, before heading to a retail hardware store like the famous McGuckin's of Boulder, I decided to go check out ReSource, an architectural & building salvage shop in town. I'd check out McGuckin's later if I needed to. I'd been going to these places for years for other building projects but I wasn't sure yet what I'd find there, or how I'd do it. (The places I've been to are Bring in Eugene, OR, Build It Green in New York City, and ReStore in Philadelphia, PA. IF you're lucky, there might be one in your city too.)
Materials I considered included ::
1. Pallets (too splintery and not enough storage)
2. New 2 x 4s or 2 x 6s with plywood or OSB combo (ruled out because of budget, sawing, & screwing)
3. Salvage dresser drawers (could have structural issues),
4. Salvage doors (a good choice for size & sturdiness, but not in the budget, and what would they rest them on?) and
5. Old milk crates (not so easy to find these days, also they're plastic, I like natural materials better.)
6. Scraps of hardwood flooring
7. Salvage cabinetry
Check out Step 2 to see what I picked.
(Note, photo credit for the cabinet picture:: ReSource website.)
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I must say that I would still be very concerned for your lovely wood floors, as even mild movement will cause your sleepers to shift and scrape the floor. Perhaps a few well placed rubber backed welcome mats might work to protect the floor...?
I'd suggest both cabinets 5 and 6 for this task. I weigh in at 132 kilos (300 pounds and 6'4"...) and I would assume you and he weigh less than me, combined. I'd be splitting the OSB if I rolled to the center, and I'd be a bit concerned for the cabinets should I put my shoes on while sitting on one corner of the bed. Your mileage may vary.