How to build a platform bed
A few months ago Heather and I had finally had enough of our old, lumpy bed. I was waking up with back pain so bad I had trouble getting into my car and we both were getting lousy sleep. I got out the measuring tape and found my side of the bed dipped 2 inches from the foot to the middle and Heather’s side was worse. After talking it over we decided if we were getting a new mattress we might as well upgrade to a king size.
King size is pricey and we didn’t want to spend the money on a bed frame that wasn’t going to match our dressers so we looked into platform beds. I found a few plans online, but the basic design was so simple that I decided to just wing it and make my own plans using standard construction lumber. We made the trip to our local furniture store and fell in love with a foam mattress. We placed our order, took some measurements and after Thanksgiving I built our new bed in a busy afternoon. Here’s how I did it.
First the materials
- 2 x 4 x 96 – 10 pieces ($2.11 ea)
- 2 x 10 x 8 – 6 pieces ($7.99 ea)
- 3/4 x 49 x 97 MDF – 2 pieces ($22.99)
- deck screws
- wood glue (optional)
The tools
- miter saw
- circular saw
- power drill/driver
My basic idea was to build 2 frames and stack them on top of each other. The framing is much like framing a wall. The bottom is smaller so you don’t stub your toes (like kitchen cabinets) and taller (so the bed fits over our radiator and flush to the wall – no headboard!). I topped it all off with the MDF. Here’s the step by step photos.
 |
| For my base I used 2×10s. This gave me enough height to get my second tier over the radiator and allow us to push the bed flush to the wall so we didn’t need a headboard. In retrospect, 2×8s would have been better. The foam mattress was thicker than we expected and our bed is slightly taller than our old standard height bed.To determine the dimensions I added 1 inch to the height and width of the mattress we purchased. I then subtracted 12 inches from each dimension to give us the inset to protect our toes and enough space for the radiator to do its thing.For example a standard King size mattress is 80 x 76. The bottom frame would be 69 x 65. There is a lot of room for adjustment her since you never see this layer. The important thing is that your frame is level.All lumber was screwed together using some old 2 1/2″ deck screws. I drilled pilot holes to prevent splitting and used a little wood glue to create a strong bond. |
 |
| Next I used my scrap pieces of 2×10 to create blocking. This prevents my frame from twisting over time as the wood dries. This is the same technique used in floor joists.Make sure to offset them like I did so you are able to screw in from both sides. No exact science here, just make sure they fit tightly in the spaces. This might have been overkill, but I figured it was better to overbuild with an extra $20 of lumber than take the bed apart later and fix it. |
 |
| For the top layer I used 2×4s. I followed the same strategy, but this layer will be slightly larger than the mattress. Once again I screwed and glued everything taking care to keep everything square and level. This layer is very visible so take the time to do it right. |
 |
| Next I placed the top layer on top of the bottom and centered it. I toenailed the top layer into the bottom at all intersections with the deck screws (remember to drill those pilot holes first).When I was done I was surprised just how solid the hole thing was. Ethan immediately declared it was a pirate ship and start climbing all over. |
 |
| The last step was attaching the mdf to the top. I had these pre-cut at Lowes. Their sheet cutter is more accurate than I can be with a circular saw and it saves me time. I attached these with 2 inch deck screws about every 12-16 inches. Overkill again.The end result isn’t very glamorous, but I plan on using the scrap MDF to side the upper tier of the bed and create a lip to keep the bed in place. This is why I made the platform slightly larger – to give us room to put the sheets on when the lip is in place.There you have it. The sturdiest bed you’ve ever seen for about $100 and an afternoon. I was worried it might tilt when you sat on a corner, but it does not budge at all. It is HEAVY and will need to be taken apart if it every needs to leave the room. |
 |
| Jamie also loved playing in the framing. There is plenty of room for adding storage, but we decided against it. We were more interested in having a bed where toys, tissues, dog hair, dishes, etc could NOT get lost underneath. |
 |
| There was one frantic step I did not photograph. Notice the open framing in this picture. If I left it this way it would be possible for someone to reach into the framing from below and deposit something INTO the bed frame. To prevent this I used some scrap MDF and plywood to block all the spaces between the outer edges of the top and bottom frames.In a couple places, however, I screwed the plywood over the bottom frame, but left an opening. This created a hidden shelf. I have one on my side of the bed where I keep a book and my book light. One at the bottom of the bed is used by kids as a cave where their toy frogs live. |
We’ve been very happy with the end result. The bed frame is incredibly solid and our new mattress is wonderful! My back aches are completely gone and we are sleeping so much better. Feel free to post any questions on the bed and I’ll help where I can. I also plan to post an update after I get the sideboards on and the whole thing painted.
*Here is a post about the twin beds I made for the boys.
UPDATE from the wife on 3/11/10!: Well its over 2 years since this post was written and the bed is still the same as the 5th picture (except there is a mattress on it). John and I both have a problem with completely finishing any project! I always get him started on something new and I think he gets bored once its functionally finished. This post is probably our most viewed of all time but if you are at our blog anyway you should click on the home and see what contests we may have going on right now (we typically have 1 or 2 great giveaways)!
Related posts:
- The boys new loft bed (better DIY post on this coming soon)! John got this built so much faster than I thought...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
I just wanted to say thanks for all that have published/posted something to do with building a platform bed, instructions or otherwise…I want my hubby to build one since we’re thinking about getting a new bed anyway and this would be a much cheaper solution than buying a brand new bed set for an arm and a leg or another mortgage on the house!
But especially thanks to “John” for his pics and info on building a p-bed, yours was the first site I came into and now, thanks to your instructions, maybe I’ll build the bed myself…ha..take that hubby!! LOL..thanks John!!
Thank u so much John 4 your plans and pictures.Just 1month ago with a few modifications I and my husband was able to build this bed and we do love it lol. Thank u again Tarsha and Steve
I agree with the others…I am so using these plans to start my new bed project!!! THANKS
Some pictures of the finished product would be uber sweet!
I wouldn like to build this myself, would it be worth it having the wood pre-cut so that all I have to do is drill pilot holes and screw the peices together?
I am a single mom and live in an apartment so i’ll most likely be doing this myself and don’t own circular saw or miter saw.
help?? lol
Thank you for all the helpful instructions and pictures. This is wonderful. I was shopping for a new bed when I noticed how many platform beds there are being offered. Then I noticed how expensive the ones were that I liked. Now, I can just make it exactly how I want it without straining my budget at all and sleep better in the bargain! WOW! You deserve a prize!
John, I am planing on building a full size frame this weekend and I would like to know why did you need a miter saw. I didn’t see in your pictures any miter cuts. Of course, I may have missed them. Thanks for posting the directions.
Sorry for the slow reply. I used a miter saw…because I own one
Gotta use those tools! I actually just built a loft bed in our boys room and did it all with the circular saw.
THANK YOU!!!
THANK YOU!!! so much for this post. I have had my memory foam bed on the floor for the past six months. (which makes it very hard to get out of bed in the am) Due to the economy I havent been able to purchace a platform bed, also havent had any luck on craigslist (and even if I did I wasn’t sure how I was gong to get it home, no truck). Today I got a wild hair and thought maybe I can can build my own bed. I found this add, and was able to make my own little blue prints with all the measurements. I went to home depot and was able to tell them exactally what I needed, they even made all my cuts for me. (My bill, $101 and change) Everything fit in my explorer which was great (unloading all by your self… not so great) Any ways it took me about 4 hours and I now have have an awesome and very sturdy, king size platform bed. I cant believe I did it all on my own…. Im 25yr female, I live by my self, and never built a thing in my life.
this is so awesome…i have been pricing platforms and they are soooo expensive….did you stain this after you were done or left it as is….thanks for posting this…great job…
I’ve left it as is, but plan to paint it this year. I also just built a loft bed for my 2 boys. Spent less than $40 at Lowes, used up a bunch of leftover lumber, and it really sturdy. I’m really enjoying building with the construction grade lumber. May not be the prettiest, but it is stronger than most furniture in the stores and a heckuva lot cheaper.
A quick thought…
Next time you may want to opt to use a bunch of 1″ X 3″ slats spaced an inch or two apart rather than sheet goods for the top of the bed. There are 2 reasons for this.
First, the slats will prevent the the mattress from sliding around due to movement on the bed.
Second, the slats will allow your mattress to breathe more so it lasts longer.
Apart from that, I love your design, and hope you are happy with it too!
Good idea on the slats. We haven’t had much sliding trouble, but the bed does drift away from the wall over time.
Just a quick question–If you had a memory foam mattress and used the slats would the mattress sink in the slats? I am asking because I have heard people mention the mattress’ need to breath but I was curious about the mattress sinking in the slats and getting ruined? Or only use slats on a regular mattress and plywood for memory foam???
Help…
Thank you
Be careful with the slats, we just bought a new mattress from Sleep Country and they have the 10 year warrantys on theirs, but the slatted beds will void the manufacturers warranty. It has to be a solid piece of wood, or they won’t cover it. Just thought I’d share.
Thanks for the plans man, built one in a few days after work. no kidding its overbuilt but it will last as long as I need it to. and when I am done, let someone else deal with it. only complaint I have and I would be interested to know if you experience the same problem. I have taken the skin off my shins banging into the corners walking around the bed. need to put a footboard on the thing to protect yourself.
Yes, the corners are the foot of the bed are a hazard if you don’t have a lot of room to maneuver. On my todo list: use my circular saw to make a 45 degree cut to “round” the corners.