Storage Bed: Reclaiming the Unused Space! (Captains Bed)

Have you ever thought of your bed as wasted space? Or been frustrated by the junk(or "stuff" as some call it) that always gets shoved under the bed and forgotten about. I realized the solution to both of these problems is to own a storage bed. It allows you to use the space more efficiently and keep everything clean and organized. In this instructable I will show you how to create a storage bed for a lot less money than they retail for. I found they usually retail for over $1000! The finished cost of this bed and headboard was somewhere between 300 and 400 dollars, and i finished it in the colour I wanted!

The bed is a north american queen sized bed and has a total of six drawers. I used gorilla glue for a lot of the project as well as an assortment of brackets (I will explain the brackets more in each step). A tool that is very helpful but not necessary is a frame clamp(it helps with the drawers and the legs).

Tools List:

-Hammer

-Drill

-Saw (circular saw will work but miter saw is preferred)

-Table saw

-Sander

-Frame Clamp

-Measuring Tape

-Painting supplies

Materials List:

-Wood Glue

-Finish Nails (several sizes)

-Screws (several sizes)

-Sandpaper (Assorted grits ranging from 60 to 220)

-Lumber (exact numbers and dimensions are stated in each step)

-Pre-stain wood conditioner

-Wood stain

-Clear coat (e.g. varathane)

Step 1: Bed Legs

Tools:

-Saw

-Frame Clamp

-Hammer

Materials:

-2" Finish Nails

-Wood Glue

-3 Finished 2x6x8'

To start I build the legs. I took Finished 1x6 and cut 2 pieces for each leg the height I want the bottom of the rails to be at (I went with 12 inches). The other two pieces for each leg I cut 3.5 inches longer ( width of a 2x4). You will understand why in a later step. I took these pieces and glued and nailed them together using finish nails, attaching 2 pieces together at a time in the shape of an L. I then attached two of these together to make a square. This is where the frame clamp comes in handy to keep everything square. Make sure the two longer pieces are adjacent and the two shorter pieces are adjacent. there will be some excess wood on one of the longer pieces which can be removed by table saw or hand saw. This is to allow for the rail to rest on the shorter pieces.

Step 2: Rails

Tools:

-Saw

-Hammer

-Drill

Materials:

-2" finish nails

-2 Finished 1x12x72"

-2 Finished 1x12x96"

-4 Metal Corner Braces

-5/8" screws

-Wood Glue

Assembling the rails are fairly easy. I was building this bed in my basement, so to account for me having to remove it someday i glued & nailed two opposing corners and attached brackets to the other two. This way it can be taken apart and brought up the stairs. Cut the rails to the length and width required for the size mattress you have plus an inch for room around the mattress. a queen mattress in Canada is 60 inches by 80 inches so the inside dimensions of the frame is 61x81. make sure to account for the extra thickness of the side rails when cutting your head and foot rails. If the thickness of your rails is 3/4", you must add double that to the length of your head and foot rails e.g. 61+3/4+3/4=62.5. Make sure to set the nail heads, fill them with wood filler and sand them.

Step 3: Attach the Legs

Tools:

-Drill

Materials:

-8 shelf Brackets

-5/8" screws

For attaching the legs to the rails I placed them on the rails as if the bed was upside down. I used normal shelf brackets for these joints because they are strong and cheap. Place the shorter parts of the leg on the rails and the longer parts inside the frame. NO GLUE OR NAILS FOR THIS STEP!

Step 4: Attach the Cleats

Tools:

-Saw

-Drill

Materials:

-Wood Glue

-2" screws

-2 2x4x8'

-1 2x4x10'

The cleats are what will hold the plywood on the edge of the bed and the joists. They also stiffen up the rails. Cut them to be a little smaller than the space between the shelf brackets. I glued and screwed the cleats flush to the bottom of the rails. Because the legs of the bed are 3.5" above the bottom of the rail, they will support the plywood at the corners. Layout on the cleats for your joists. i made the spacing a minimum of 12" on center, but made it 8" near the center of the bed.

Step 5: The Joists

Tools:

-Saw

-Drill

Materials:

-Joist hangers (2 for each Joist) (I used 14)

-2x4x10' (1 for every 2 joists) (I used 4)

-1 1/2" screws

Measure and cut all of the joists. If your rails are correct they should all be about the same length. Screw hangers onto the cleats to hold the joists. I did not screw the joists to anything they sit in the hangers for easy removal. Use a scrap of 2x4 to set the height of the joist in the hanger to be flush with the cleats.

Step 6: Drawer Frame

Tools:

-Hammer

-Table saw

-Saw

-Drill

Materials:

-1 1/2" screws

-Wood Glue

-5 1x4x8'

-2 1x2x8'

The next part to build is the drawer frame. I used 1x4 for this part which I ran through the tablesaw to remove the chanfers and then I sanded each piece. This is the part which the drawers will sit within. These are built on the two longer sides and are made to fit between the legs. Make sure that the frames will not touch the ground as they may make the legs not touch the ground if the floor is uneven. These frames are just made from two longer pieces and some vertical blocks. Screw and glue every joint. Make sure to make each opening for the drawers equal. I then measured back on the middle blocks the thickness of the drawer fronts for the doorstops which are 1x2 (I was using 1/2" ply and 3/4" thick 1x2 for my drawer fronts therefore I set the doorstops 1 1/4" back from the finished edge.

Step 7: Attaching Drawer Frames

Tools:

-Drill

Materials:

-1 1/2" screws

I setback the drawer frames 3/4" from the face of the rails. and i made it tight to the bottom of the cleats. Screw the frames in as they will support the drawers.

Step 8: False Drawer Fronts

Tools:

-Saw

-Hammer

-Drill

Materials:

-3 1x2x8'

-1 4x8 sheet of Sanded 1/2" plywood (used in more than one step)

-Finish Nails

-Screws

-Wood glue

To build the false drawer fronts at the foot of the bed I built a frame using 1x4 and 1x2. I then slipped a piece of the drawer front plywood into the frame behind the center piece and the side pieces. I then attached 1x2 to the plywood to mimic the look of my drawer fronts.

Step 9: Drawer Slide Frame

Tools:

-Saw

-Drill

Materials:

-1 1/2" screws

-6 1x4x8'

To build the frames to mount the drawer slides on, use 1x4s and attach them as joists from back of doorstop to back of opposing doorstop. Make sure to leave a gap between the bottom of the 1x4 joist and the bottom of the drawer front frame (see picture). Attach each joist to each other with blocks to stiffen them up and make the spaces even.

Step 10: Pre-cutting the Drawer Pieces

Tools:

-Table saw

Materials:

- 1 4'x8' sheet of 1/2" sanded plywood (used in more than one step)

-1 1x6x10' (drawer front)

Now the fun begins! You can build your drawers however you want, whether you use butt joints or biscuits or rabbets or whatever. I used rabbeted joints. Looking at the pictures will help you understand what the pieces look like better than I can explain them. The drawer sides and backs are 1/2" ply and the piece for the front that attaches to the drawer front is 1x6. The back and the front of the drawer only have dados (actually called plows because they go with the grain) cut out for the drawer bottom which is 3/8 ply. The sides of the drawer have the ends rabbeted half their thickness for the other pieces and dadoes. I cut all of the pieces on the table saw. The finished drawer fronts are built and attached later.

Step 11: Drawer Assembly

Tools:

-Hammer

-frame clamp

Materials:

-Precut drawer pieces

-Wood Glue

-1" finish nails

To assemble the drawers put a generous amount of glue in each rabbet and dado. Then insert the plywood drawer bottom into the dado in the drawer back, next insert into the two sides and nail the sides into the drawer back. I used 1" smooth finish nails as they are only there to hold together while the glue dries. Next attach the front with the same method. Use the frame clamp to hold the drawer pieces together while you nail the joints. Remove the frame clamp once all the joints are nailed. This can be a very time consuming process but I managed to complete six drawers in about an hour and a half.

Step 12: Finished Drawer Fronts

Tools:

-Saw

-Hammer

-(optional) router

Materials:

-1 4'x8' sheet of sanded 1/2" plywood (same sheet as used in the other step)

-5 1x2x8'

-1" finish nails

-wood glue

Cut out the plywood for your drawer fronts making them slightly smaller than the space they will go. Cut the 1x2s to fit flush to the outside edge of the plywood. You can use mitres or butt joints like I did. On the top piece for each draw make a drawer pull slot on the backside. I did this by placing the 1x2 on my miter saw then sliding the piece sideways along the fence slightly lowering the saw blade with each pass. This left a nice smooth curved drawer pull. **I DO NOT recommend using this method. I am experienced in doing this with the mitre saw, but if done incorrectly it can result in serious injury or amputation** Use a router to make the drawer pull if you have one, or hand chisel it out. You can also just attach a store bought drawer pull to the front of the drawers. To assemble the drawer fronts apply a bead of glue on the backsides of the 1x2s and then nail them flush to the outside edge of the plywood. Nail through the backside so there are no holes to fill.

Step 13: Attach the Drawer Slides

Tools:

-drill

Materials:

-Drawer slides

-3/4" screws

You can buy any type of drawer slide you like. Installation may vary based on the type you buy. Follow the installation instructions for your specific drawer slide. Make sure to install the drawer slide so the drawer stops further in than the drawer stop, this will ensure a tight close.

Step 14: Attach the Finished Drawer Fronts

Tools:

-Drill

Materials:

-1" screws

-1 1/2" scews

To attach the drawer fronts place the drawer in the slides and push in all the way. Place the drawer front in the space it goes making sure to leave a small gap on all edges. Screw the drawer front on from the inside of the drawer. You may need to place shims between the drawer front and the drawer to ensure everything is flush. use 1" screws when screwing the centre of the front, and use 1 1/2" screws around the edges.

Step 15: Build the Headboard

Tools:

-saw

-drill

-hammer

Materials:

-1" screws

-1" nails

-13 1x4x8"

-2 1x4x8"

To build the headboard cut 10 1x4s to the width of your bed. Lay them out on the floor tight together with the nice side facing down. Place 4 1x4s (48" in this case) perpendicular to your slats with 1' to 2' of the board hanging past the slats. Place on screw into each slat on each vertical. Be sure to keep the slats tight with minimal gaps. once assembled flip over and nail a 1x2 piece flush to the top and a piece flush to each side. Then nail a 1x4 flat on top of the top slat and 1x2.

Step 16: Sand, Stain and Finish

Tools:

-sander

-paint brushes

-rags

-drop cloths

-vacuum

Materials:

-sandpaper

-pre-stain wood conditioner

-stain or paint

-clear finish (e.g. varathane )

Sand everything. This will take a while but it will pay off in the end. Be sure to vacuum all of the dust off. Apply a pre-stain wood condition to prevent a splotchy look. Test your stain or paint on the inside of one of the rails to get the right shade. Apply the stain based on the directions on the can. Once finished applying the stain apply the clear coat. Use several coats to get a nicer finish. The staining process took me a total of 3 days.

Step 17: Conclusion

You're done! Now you can slap a piece of plywood on the joists and throw on a mattress. I have found this bed to be very sturdy and will probably last for years to come. Take your time on this project to get it perfect as you will probably spend 1/3 of your day in this bed every day. Please ask any questions if you have any and post your finished version in the comments for everyone to see.