You can watch our Youtube video on the process below
Don't forget to check out our latest build on instagram https://www.instagram.com/zo_agape/
LETS TALK THE BUILD
A floating bed frame is great because it looks great and does not require that much lumber so it keeps the price lower. However, if you were to buy one of these from a company the price would be enough to make you want to scream into a pillow.
Tools that are needed
Circular Saw or a hand saw if you have a lot of free time
Screw gun and screws
Sand paper (I use 80 grit first, 120, and then 220 grit. No need for anything else)
Stain
Tung oil finish (just wipe it on)
Router (Not necessary, but it just softens the edges)
Dumpster Diving skills are optional as well (This saved me $55 on this project alone)
For the how-to portion of this, I will display the info in the order that we made it. I had my Dad here for a few days helping me with some projects, so if you see a good looking man with gray hair in the video on YouTube video, that is him. Our first employee, Tom, is also on the video. Make sure you go meet him if you haven't seen the video yet (The link is at the bottom of this blog). The first thing we did was build the border with 2x8’s from Lowe’s. We only used three 2x8’s and cheated with the fourth one because we used a 2x4. No one will see the back side unless they are replacing their mattress which doesn’t happen very often, according to our mattress salesman. The measurements in this step are kind of important here because it determines everything. For our queen mattress, I made the outside border 4 inches wider and two inches longer than a standard queen mattress. That will create a 2 inch border around the sides and the front of the mattress. The back of the mattress will be flush against the wall. The back will be hidden, so you have to take advantage of that and SAVE THAT MULAHH!! That 2 inch border gives it the platform look that we were going for. So if all of that made zero sense to you, that is ok. Here is what I am saying:
Queen mattress = 80 inches x 60 inches
This Queen Platform bed frame = 82 inches x 64 inches
When we cut the border pieces at a 45 degree angle, we cut two pieces with one pass of the saw. It is difficult to get two 45 degree cuts to match perfectly, especially with my janky saw. When we cut the two boards with the same cut, it gives them a very snug fit that has no gaps in between. We used scabs to connect them together. The scabs honestly look terrible, but it is on the underside and holds the joint together without any special tools. And let’s be real, no one will ever know, so it is perfect.
One of the biggest things I have learned in woodworking is that there are a lot of illusions in this form of art. For example, those great looking oak cabinets in everyone’s kitchen have more plywood than they have oak wood. There are some very clever techniques for hiding that plywood. In the same manner, whoever will be sleeping on this bed frame, will be sleeping on scabs and wood from dumpsters!! But the part that you see looks good and that is all that matters. Just for reference, this is a scab. Professionally installed.
Next, we built the support for the perimeter. This is where we started saving the mulahh (money) even more. The rest of the lumber that we used, I acquired through some highly sought after resource locations. What I mean is that I got them from dumpsters. We put one 2x4 down the middle. We used smaller 2x4’s to branch from the middle 2x4 to the outside border. These would have to be solid joints because this is where all the weight will be resting.
We used four 4x4’s for the support that is going to the ground. Just screw those 4x4’s to the supports and be careful with the placement. If you place the legs too far in the middle, the first time you sit on the edge the whole bed will flip up. There is a fine balance that you will have to tinker with in order to tuck the legs back so you can’t see them, but still have a sturdy bed.
The plywood needed to make a strong bed frame can get pricey, and I would look at OSB plywood if I were to buy some for this. That is what I used to come up with the $100 that building this would cost. However, I was able to find enough in people’s dumpsters that I did not have to buy any. In fact, the only thing that I had to buy for this bed frame was the 3 2x8’s. So this bed put Jen and I back $45 dollars. We are okay with that. We are trying to furnish our house for as little as possible. Anyways, whatever plywood that is used will be covered by the mattress and the sheets. It doesn’t have to be pretty and mine is the perfect example of that.
The last thing to do is to sand, stain, and finish it. For this project, I started with 80 grit sandpaper, then 120, and finished with 220 grit. We used Special Walnut stain and I finished it with 3 coats of Tung oil. Nothing too crazy. After throwing the mattress on and putting some lights underneath, I always take a step back and think about what a journey it has been for that pine tree. The poor little guy had no idea what was in store for him.
Thanks for reading and I hope this was helpful to at least one person! Even if it wasn't I had fun documenting it!! Jen and I will be doing more DIY blogs and videos because we really enjoy it! Here is a link to the video of how we made it -->
ZO AGAPE // LIVE LOVE