DIY podium bed

Today, podium beds are very popular, and this is understandable, since it is original and fashionable in modern design, in addition, it is a significant saving of space, which is important for small apartments. A multifunctional podium with a bed and additional sections will allow the owner to store a huge number of things in convenient drawers. Having made a podium bed with your own hands, you eliminate the need to purchase a bed as such, bedside tables, a chest of drawers for storing bedding. Today we will consider several options for such versatile bedroom furniture and tell you how to make a podium for a bed with your own hands.

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Benefits

The bed-podium is a sleeping place located on a certain elevation relative to the floor of the room. The advantages of such furniture are obvious:

1. Functionality. This option of furniture makes it possible to combine a bed and other pieces of furniture, as well as parts of the apartment, for example, a window sill.
2. Space saving.
3. Easy installation.
4. Elegant, modern look.
5. Suitable for both adults and children.
6. The relative cheapness of the design.
7. Save money on other bedroom furniture.

Important! The only drawback of the podium is the reduction in the height of the room. Therefore, in an apartment with ceilings of 2.5 meters, it is impractical to establish such a design.

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Bed Podium Options

The design of the catwalks can be divided into the following types.

Podium over pull-out bed

The structure is hollow and is located on a certain elevation. The bed frame is made on casters for the convenience of rolling into the structure and rolling out at night for sleep.

The advantages of this design are significant space savings. If you install a podium above a pull-out bed in a narrow room, then this option will allow you to visually adjust the shape and make it more square. In addition, the use of this design will allow zoning the room and separate the rest area from the working part of the bedroom.

Important! At the top of the podium you can install a work desk, a bookcase, and in the room for the child - to establish a children's corner.

Upstairs Podium

This is the most common design option due to its simplicity and functionality. Convenient drawers and sections for storing various things can be equipped in the niche under the mattress.

Advice:

1. If you make a podium over a pull-out bed across the entire width of the room, then, in addition to the berth, inside the structure you can place built-in sections for bedding, clothes, shoes and other things.
2. If you place a podium with a berth at the window, then the space of the room is clearly divided into two parts. In this case, the floor and the podium must be made of the same materials, for example, use an environmentally friendly floor material made of natural wood. As the finish, you can use the laminate.
3. If you decide to design a bedroom in the oriental (Japanese) style, then a compact podium (slightly wider than the mattress) with hanging drawers at the head of the bed is suitable.
4. Shelves on the podium bed can be made open, this interior is suitable for a man’s bedroom.
5. If your apartment has a large area, then you can build a multifunctional podium and fence off a sleeping place with a rack or cabinet.
6. If the family has two children, then the podium can serve as a bunk bed. As an option - place two berths for children inside the pedestal, and place a play area on top. This option will significantly save the space of the children's room.

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What to do?

The following materials are used to make the podium frame:

• Metal. Such a frame involves working with welding tools and it is quite difficult to assemble.
• Wood. With proper handling and proper assembly, the wooden frame will last long and reliably.
• Concrete. The concrete structure is only suitable for a private house or apartment on the ground floor, since the concrete frame is heavy. Although the material is durable, durable, does not leak moisture and is not subject to decay.

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DIY bed podium

Now we’ll take a closer look at how to make a catwalk with a do-it-yourself bed out of wood, as this is the most affordable and environmentally friendly material.

Stage number 1. Preparation of the design scheme and calculation of materials

First of all, determine the location for the installation of the structure and its functionality. And in order to correctly draw a drawing and calculate the amount of necessary material, listen to the following recommendations:

• It is best to take the width of the room for the length of the bed, for example, 3.5 m. The minimum width of the podium should correspond to the preferred width of the berth plus 10-20 cm. For a baby bed, 1.2-1.5 m is enough width, and for a double bed 1.7-1.9 m wide. The height of the podium must be at least 50 cm so that the bed moves freely under it.
• If the room has high ceilings, then the height of the podium can be made 70-80 cm so that the inner drawers have a large capacity.
• Be sure to put the design diagram on a sheet of paper, mark its location, specify the width and height of the steps.
• Decide on the number and size of drawers, and also specify in which direction the doors will open.

Necessary materials:

• Bar 5x5 cm for building the frame. Calculate the amount of timber according to the constructed scheme.

Important! Pay particular attention to the dryness of the boards. Before use, soak the wood with an anti-rot agent.

• OSB sheets 9 mm thick for sheathing the frame.
• Furniture facades and accessories for drawers.
• Wood screws 7-10 cm long for fastening the structure.
• Metal corners.
• Set of slats.
• Joiner's glue.

For woodwork, prepare the following tools:

• Hacksaw or jigsaw.
• Screwdriver.
• Tape measure and pencil.
• Building level.
• Drill.
• Phillips screwdriver.

Stage number 2. Making the podium frame

The podium model refers to the frame structure. Advantages of this design:

• High multifunctionality.
• Light weight.
• Simple installation.
• Ability to create high podiums.

The made podium consists of the following elements:

• Area for a pull-out bed. A lattice frame is mounted in this part of the structure.
• Storage space for pull-out sections.
• Stairs.

To make a lattice frame, proceed as follows:

• Mark up along the wall.
• Dismantle the baseboard, otherwise - the stand will not be close to the wall.
• Position the supports at a distance of 40-45 cm. Reduce the step with increased load.
• Fix the supporting bars to the wall or floor, depending on the size of the niche and the podium itself. If the size of the structure is small, then simply attach them vertically to the wall using anchors. The distance between the bars should be 40-50 cm.

Important! The smaller the distance between the nearest racks, the stronger the structure will be.

• Attach the long guides to the uprights and the wall along the previously drawn line. The distance between the guides should be 40-50 cm.
• Connect the guides with short bars in increments of no more than 40 cm.
• Fasten the bars running along the wall with dowels or self-tapping screws to give the structure additional rigidity.
• Install the bars strictly perpendicular to each other, connect them with screws and strengthen the connection with a metal corner.

Important! To increase the strength of the structure, make the frame in the span above the bed from a double beam.

Stage number 3. Assembling a bed frame

The frame of the pull-out bed with a podium consists of flooring and sides:

• The beads are cut from furniture panels or MDF according to a previously made drawing. Choose the height of the side as you wish, but for reliable fixation it should be at least 15 cm.
• The flooring for the mattress is calculated according to the size of the berth plus 5 cm on each side.

The process of assembling the frame under the mattress is as follows:

1. Assemble the frame from the beam for the lower flooring.
2. Lay soundproofing material at the junction of wooden blocks so that no creaking occurs when the bars are rubbed during operation of the bed.
3. Fix in the center of the frame supporting central rails.
4. Nail thin flexible lamellas or slats to the support bars. This will be the basis for the mattress.
5. Screw (glue) the side rails to the frame base.
6. Fix the front facade, which will be part of the podium when the bed is inside the structure. The height of the front facade should not be greater than the distance between the edge of the podium and the floor, taking into account the dimensions of the rollers.
7. Install special stops between the frame and the facade. They can be cut out from the remaining material (MDF).
8. Screw the furniture castors to the bottom of the frame.

Stage number 4. Frame cladding

After mounting the structure, proceed to closing the frame and covering the upper elements. To finish the frame using:

• OSB plates.
• Plywood.
• MDF.

Important! It is up to you to decide which material to use, since for the design itself, the sheathing material does not play a special role. The cost of the construction of plywood will be less than that of OSB or MDF, but the plates have a more uniform structure (without knots, chips and cavities).

To sheathe the podium, do the following:

1. Cut out the necessary pieces of the slab according to the drawing.

Important! It is recommended to leave a distance of 2-3 mm when attaching the plates, preventing the possible deformation of the surface.

2. If the frame is completely closed, then the internal device can not be sheathed. If the structure will be open at least on one side, then trim the inside of the podium.

Important! If you plan to install the boxes inside the frame, then you need to put them before the skin of the structure.

3. Treat the wood frame and lining with a fungus and mold protector.

Stage number 5. Finish and structural adjustment

As a finishing finishing material, you can use:

• Carpet.
• Linoleum.
• Parquet.
• Laminate.
• Ceramic tiles.

Important! Choose the material that best suits the overall interior of the room. However, it should be remembered that the elevation with steps should not be slippery.

DIY tips for decorating a do-it-yourself catwalk bed:

• The most affordable and convenient materials for finishing are laminate and carpet. Carpet use the same design as the flooring in the room. When zoning the room, use a different shade of carpet. At the joints, use the finishing plinth.
• Fix the laminate with “liquid nails”. If you plan to use the built-in linen drawers, then put individual pieces of laminate on their lids.
• Finish the edges of the lids of the drawers and steps with a special profile for bordering. Durable PVC corners can also be used for this purpose.

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Stock footage

You can place a podium bed with drawers anywhere, even in the center of the bedroom, but it is better to choose a no-go zone. It is not difficult to make a podium bed according to the finished drawings.The main conditions for achieving an excellent result are accuracy, high-quality materials and creative mood. In the article we talked about two types of podiums, choose any option to decorate the interior of the room with an unusual, original and functional structure. Good luck