DIY podium bed

There are many reasons why you should make a podium bed yourself. This will come out much cheaper, unlike buying a finished bed. You can individually choose the size and method of layout of the room, choose the design, veneer to your liking.

Important nuances in making a catwalk bed

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

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

The latter type of construction looks best in a large room. With 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, on the lamellas there is a mattress on top or a solid floor lining is made.

For a rational distribution of the space of the room, drawers are installed in the design, which replace the cabinet. You can arrange a cabinet near the bed or arrange shelves, there are many variations, but in the manufacture of this solution will be much more complicated.

A retractable structure is most often made by owners of small rooms. But in this bedroom there must be enough space for installing the podium, and for a pull-out bed.

Attention! The retractable design is a good substitute for a classic sofa, from above on the surface they organize a workplace or use this area for other tasks. The frame and cladding must be reliable, since these elements need to withstand high loads.

How to make a do-it-yourself podium bed

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

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

Materials and Tools

To build, you need the following set of tools:

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

Of the fasteners you will need:

• self-tapping screws;
• anchor.

Attention! If a carpet is chosen as the decor, then a stapler is required.

Drawings and measurements of the podium bed

At the initial stage, it is necessary to prepare a design drawing, as well as 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 berth.

The height must be at least 45 cm, in which case the sleeping bed is freely inserted into the podium. On paper, it is necessary to draw a design drawing, determine the location, the size of the steps.

Bed-podium yourself: 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 normally extend, taking into account the layout, make markings on the floor:

1. On the perimeter of the structure, fix the racks from the bars vertically to the floor, make them fasteners on four sides using metal corners. The size of the racks must be smaller than the expected height of the pedestal, this space is required for the beam in the manufacture of the frame.
2. On the racks with the help of metal corners, the bars are fixed, which form the top of the frame. It is necessary to check that the racks are perpendicular to the floor level, their upper part is horizontal and all parts are firmly fixed to each other.
3. Marking is made for the inner boxes, to the bottom of the racks the bars are fixed, which form their frames, and on them are jumpers. Jumpers are not installed all the time, but it is advisable to use them, since they are additionally design amplifiers.
4. If the mattress is located on top of the pedestal, and it will be used exclusively for night rest, you can choose a laminated fiberboard for facing. If the upper part is made of lamellas, then the side parts must go a few centimeters beyond the horizontal surface, so the sides are formed that will fix the mattress. In this case, a small gap between the sides and the wall is required. 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 head of the headboard, which forms the backrest; on the side, it can go beyond the overall dimensions of the structure.
5. For a pedestal that will be subjected to increased load, fiberboard will not work. Therefore, for sliding elements, most often they are made of OSB lining, and a laminate is laid on top or a carpet is used. Plywood is attached to the frame with self-tapping screws, the carpet is fixed with a construction stapler. If a laminate is selected for the final cladding, then a substrate must be laid between the coating and the base. To further fix and mask the joints, PVC corners are usually glued around the perimeter.
6. The bed itself, as a rule, is made in the form of a box, where a mattress is inserted inside. The simplest option is to buy a ready-made construction of slats for the mattress, nail the sides and fix the rollers.
7. The bottom can 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 with a square to clearly measure the angle of the elements that are connected to avoid distortions.
8. Runners are fixed to the side of the box walls, and the rails to the frame jumpers. The main thing is to fix the rails and guides at the same height. Boxes must be inserted in their places, make sure that they can move freely, then get out and number. The size of the runners should not be more than 70 cm, if you make the box deeper, it is difficult to fully extend it.
9. After the manufacture of the sliding parts, they proceed to facing. As a rule, the same material is used for this as for facing the entire structure, but you can experiment with colors. Front panels are required to almost completely close all parts of the frame, while not going beyond it. There should be a small gap between the panels of adjacent boxes so that these elements do not catch on one another.

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

There are many options for assembling podium beds. To install this design in the bedroom or not - everyone decides individually. We must not forget that in large rooms the podium will look stylish and elegant, but in a small Khrushchev it will visually reduce the room.