DIY podium bed

There are many reasons why you should make your own podium bed. It will be much cheaper than buying a ready-made bed. You can individually choose the dimensions and method of planning the room, select the design, and veneer it to your liking.

Important nuances when making a podium bed

There are many ways to make a podium bed, but they all come down to two types:

• the sleeping bed is inserted inside the podium;
• the sleeping bed is installed on top of the podium.

The latter type of design looks best in a large room. For low ceilings, the height of the steps is no higher than 25 cm. The simplest solution is a frame lined with fiberboard on four sides, with a mattress on top of the lamellas or a continuous floor covering.

To rationally distribute the space of the room, drawers are installed in the structure, which replace the closet. You can organize a cabinet near the bed or arrange shelves, there are many variations, but this solution will be much more difficult to manufacture.

Retractable structures are most often made by owners of small premises. But this bedroom must have enough space for both a podium and a pull-out bed.

Attention! The retractable design is a good replacement for a classic sofa; a workplace can be organized on top of the surface or this area can be used for other tasks. The frame and cladding must be reliable, since these elements need to withstand high loads.

How to make a podium bed with your own hands

The main advantage of this solution is practicality and space saving. Another advantage is ease of assembly. The design is not difficult to manufacture, so you can assemble it yourself.

The disadvantages include the fact that the height of the podium truncates the room. Therefore, making this bed for small bedrooms is impractical.

Materials and tools

For assembly you will need the following set of tools:

• marker;
• roulette;
• hammer;
• electric drill;
• screwdriver;
• electric jigsaw.

The fasteners you will need are:

• self-tapping screws;
• anchor.

Attention! If carpet is chosen as decor, you will need a stapler.

Drawings and measurements of the podium bed

At the initial stage, it is necessary to prepare a design drawing and also calculate the material. Most often, the length of the pedestal is the width of the room. The smallest width should correspond to the width of the bed.

The height must be at least 45 cm, in which case the sleeping bed can be freely inserted into the podium. It is necessary to draw up a design drawing on paper, determine the location and dimensions of the steps.

Do-it-yourself podium bed: step-by-step instructions

First of all, you need to choose the place where the podium will be located, make sure that the berth will move out normally, and take into account the diagram to make markings on the floor:

1. Along the perimeter of the structure, fix the racks of beams vertically to the floor, fasten them on four sides using metal corners. The size of the racks must be less than the expected height of the pedestal; this space is required for the timber when making the frame.
2. The beams, which form the top of the frame, are fixed to the racks using metal corners. It is necessary to check that the racks are perpendicular to the floor level, their upper part is horizontal and all parts are securely fastened to each other.
3. Markings are made for the internal drawers, the beams that form their frames are fixed to the bottom of the racks, and lintels are placed on them. Jumpers are not installed all the time, but it is advisable to use them, since they additionally strengthen the structure.
4. If the mattress is located on top of the pedestal, and it will be used exclusively for night rest, you can choose laminated fiberboard for the lining. If the upper part is made of lamellas, then the side parts must extend a few centimeters beyond the horizontal surface, thus forming sides that will fix the mattress. In this case, a small gap is required between the sides and the wall. If the surface of the pedestal is solid and made of fiberboard, then it can be larger than the dimensions of the mattress, in which case the sides are not required. A high panel is often installed at the headboard, which forms the backrest; on the side it can extend beyond the overall dimensions of the structure.
5. For a pedestal that will be subject to increased load, fiberboard is not suitable. Therefore, for retractable elements, cladding is most often made of OSB, and a laminate is laid on top or carpet is used.The plywood is attached to the frame with self-tapping screws, the carpet is fixed with a construction stapler. If a laminate is chosen for the final cladding, then a substrate must be laid between the coating and the base. To further secure and disguise the connections, PVC corners are usually glued around the perimeter.
6. The bed itself is usually made in the form of a box into which a mattress is inserted. The simplest option is to buy a ready-made structure of slats for the mattress, nail the sides and secure the rollers.
7. The bottom can also be made solid. If the dimensions of the podium are quite large, then drawers are installed on the sides of the bed, which are assembled from plywood. It is necessary to clearly measure the angle of the elements that are connected with a square to avoid distortions.
8. The runners are fixed to the sides of the box walls, and the rails are fixed to the frame jumpers. The main thing is to secure the rails and guides at the same height. The boxes must be inserted into their places, make sure that they can move freely, then be removed and numbered. The size of the runners should not be more than 70 cm; if you make the drawer deeper, it will be difficult to pull it out completely.
9. After making the sliding parts, they begin cladding. As a rule, the same material is used for this as for cladding the entire structure, but you can experiment with colors. The front panels must almost completely cover all parts of the frame, without going beyond it. There must be a small gap between the panels of adjacent drawers so that these elements do not catch on each other.

The structure is ready, next you need to put the mattress in its place and insert all the drawers.

There are many options for assembling podium beds.Whether to install this structure in the bedroom or not is up to each person to decide individually. We must not forget that in large rooms the podium will look stylish and elegant, but in a small Khrushchev it will visually make the room smaller.