Queen Platform Storage Bed DIY

Shopping List:
Headboard/Footboard
1 – Sheet 3/4" Plywood, MDF
2 – 1x3 @ 8 feet long
2 – 2x3 @ 8 feet long
1 – 1x2 @ 8 feet long
4 – small moulding pieces 8 feet long
3/4” finish nails
1 1/4” pocket hole screws

Storage Bases
2 – Sheets ¾” plywood or MDF cut into strips 15 3/4" wide, referred to as 1x16 boards throughout this plan
2 – sheets ¼” plywood or other backerboard
4 – 2x4 @ 8 feet long
2 – 2x2 @ 8 feet long
3– 1x3 @ 8 feet long (for the slats – try and burn up small scraps here)
7 – 1x6 @ 8 feet long OR 1 sheet ¾” plywood cut into strips 5 1/2" wide, used as 1x6s for drawers. You could even use 5/8” thick material
4 – 1x8 @ 6 feet long
Optional drawer moulding
24 (or 12) – Drawer Knobs or handles
12 – 14” long drawer slides, the white euro style bottom corner mount ones will work best
1 1/4” and 2 1/2" pocket hole screws
1 1/4” finish nails

CUT LIST
Headboard/Footboard
1– 3/4" plywood or MDF @ 60” x 25" (headboard)
1 - 3/4" plywood or MDF @ 60 x 23" (footboard)
2 – 1x3 @ 60”
2 – 1x2 @ 60"
2 – 2x3 @ 47 1/2”
2 – 2x3 @ 27 1/2"
2 – 1x3 @ 67”
8– Moulding pieces ... i will have to measure these
8 - Moulding pieces (again i need to measure these (long point to long point, both ends cut at 45 degrees off square, not parallel to each other)

Storage Bases
4 – 1x16 @ 80”
8 – 1x16 @ 14 7/8”
2 – ¼” plywood @ 80” x 16 ¼”
4 – 2x4 @ 75"
4 – 2x4 @ 10”
2 – 2x2 @ 80"
14 – 1x3 or 1x2 scraps @ 7”

DRAWERS ( I need to double check the drawers
24 – 1x6 @ 14”
24 – 1x6 @ 21 ½” (I think I added a smidge to the length of the drawers Bu need to measure... I think I used 23 3/8")
12 – 1x8 @ 24 5/8” (Drawer Faces) measure and build to your exact drawers though
12 - ¼” plywood @ 23” x 14” (Drawer Bottoms). Again I think I added an inch or so... will need to measure to confirm)

This was the BIG summer project!  The plan when moving my son to his own room (which happened to be the bonus room) was to eliminate the need for a dresser.  Partly due to space and low ceilings.  After much planning we decided on the Fillman storage Bed that Ana-White had posted.  It was for a twin size bed.  I calculated and measured and came up with a queen size based on those plans.  I will update with my cut list and sizes if anyone is interested.  For now here are the pictures!  I did add 2 wooden knobs to each drawer (stained to match)  Need to get an updated picture!

THE BED!  12 Drawers queen size... I can't believe I built this!

Headboard and Footboard trimmed out

Checking in on my goals for the year

OK, first off... I am way behind in my blogging, and my apologies!  As I sit here and ponder my unfinished fireplace... well, I feel behind, unaccomplished, slacker, you name it... haha... I feel like I have been super busy though with project after project, keeping up with my business, kids, house, etc.

Tonight I decided to read my goals for the year... which mainly were house things I had hoped to accomplish.  Here is my post

Only when I read it do I realize just how much I have gotten done, and even though my fireplace is not done...  I have completed my laundry room cabinets/hanging area aside from finishing my doors for the front of the cabinets (need to blog and take pics), I did build my farmhouse bench for my dining room!  Here it is!

 and in the past few weeks we have been slowly tackling converting the bonus room into a bedroom for my oldest son.   And I have also done some projects that were not on my list... yo know all those interest inspired things LOL.

So far here is what I have done:
      built him a desk
      made DIY hanging globe lamps for above the desk area (actually hubby and son did this for me :)
     decluttered tons of toys and slowly moved many of my son's belongings upstairs
     purchased a bedding set.  Which in itself was not an easy task.  Taking my boy who hates shopping
         to store after store and trying to find something that was not too expensive, good material for
         washing and durability... something that wasn't a "theme" per my sons request... oh that day
         was fun.  Walking by the bra section as there was giggling from my son... preteen hood...
         I am not sure if I am ready for you!

OK on with the list here!

     buillt a trophy shelf.... well actually 2 because my younger son wanted one too...
     Promise pictures are coming!
     Made a NFL Saints pillow for his couch, and a USM Eagle pillow too!
     built a room divider to section off my ribbon section from his room.  And since hubby said I was not
           aloud to slap up 2x4's and sheet rock for a real wall :-)   The room divider turned out awesome,
           with built in cubby's ,  hooks for hanging, chalk board, bulletin board, and magnetic
           board section.      Post is coming I promise!

The 2 main things I have left are to built a angled wall piece thing that will sit on a bookcase and serve as a wall to hide the remaining ribbon area visible. And the biggest, most scariest, overwhelming thing... will be building a queen size captains bed.  Complete with headboard, foot board, and 12 drawers... yes I am a little scared.  I know myself and once the project begins it will consume me.  I am not sure if my family will get a meal type of consume me :-)   I am going to purchase my wood this week!  Eeeek!  The drawers are daunting!  Once we have a bed though he can begin sleeping up there....

Here is the plan I am going to use  Ana White Fillman Storage Bed Plan

Oh and the crazy part I am trying to work into this crazy mess that drives my husband crazy?!  I am planning on taking my queen mattress upstairs for my son to have... and some how simultaneously built a king bed for my room and purchase a  king mattress set.  Yeah, not sure how this will all work out.  Thought about buying king mattresses and just setting them up on the floor temporarily.... but hubby vetoed that idea immediately...  building will take a few days, and staining with take a few more... and well throw in life and 3 kids I am thinking each bed will take 2 weeks or more.  Perhaps I can build the queen bed and use his twin mattress on it until I can get the other bed built....  hmmmm... we shall see

School goes back the beginning of August... and I will be on my own for the first time in 10 years!!!  Yes all 3 will be in school. Bittersweet, bittersweet!

DIY Desk and a plan!

our DIY desk!

This summer the big plan is to give my oldest son his own room.  He is almost 10 and shares his room with his 5 year old brother.  Come August my youngest will start big school!  And this is the summer that we planned to make the transition converting the bonus room (which has been playroom/mommy's workspace) to my oldest son's room of his very own!

Here is a picture of the playroom a few years ago.  Over the years the space has evolved and toys have changed

My youngest... always the dare devil :)  This is the main part of the room

This is a view looking back toward the door/staircase

A view from the entrance of the room.

This is a little galley next to the staircase.  It was used a our reading nook.

Little by little we have downsized furniture and toys in preparation of this big move!  All will be done on a budget of course!  I will post more pictures of the room and the challenges we will face making this change in the next week.  We have a few pieces of furniture that will remain from the playroom.  A love seat , TV/media center, and a few bookshelves.

We have given a lot of thought to what will be needed to make the space work as a bedroom, and still keep my storage space needed for my ribbon business. Mainly there is a hallway that my supplies are in right off the bonus room on the way to the attic door.  Here is a picture of that space.

This is the little hall that leads to the attic and where my ribbons are stored.  This must remain, but will be partitioned off from the main room

We decided we will have 3 zones.  A play zone, study zone, and sleep zone.

One if our biggest challenges will be a lack of closet space.  There is one small closet near the staircase to the bonus room, but it I us jam packed with supplies and crafts for my business... and maybe down the road can be cleared to another space, but for now won't be used.  It is only half tall, so not much for hanging space anyway.  The plan us to build a queen size bed with 6 drawers on each side... this will also serve as the dresser :-)

We also needed a desk and chair.  And decided to go for a narrow desk that would fit perfect when you enter the room.  More on all that later :-)

Here is the start of our summer project!  We went digging in my in laws shop.  Found some pieces of wood... one being a tabletop section of a farmhouse table my father in law made and downsized a section of it!

This is the part of an old tabletop my father in law cut down from his farmhouse table when they downsized it.  It was the perfect width for the place I wanted the desk.  We wanted a long desk area too and this looked perfect!

We stripped it down added a frame and legs.   I cut the legs at 30“ in length... mainly based on other desk dimensions and I measured off of a desk my boys have in their room currently (but is attached to the bunk beds :-)  My son chose a darker stain... which will also be what we use on the chair, bed and nightstand eventually.

My oldest helping sand the new desk we built

Here it is all stained and complete!  I am thrilled we have the start of our "study zone" for just the cost of stain!

My son is amazed.... we built this for free... besides my sweat and muscle in almost 100° heat and I did spend $7 on the stain... which will be plenty to do our remaining pieces.




linked up to:

New Things for a New Year!

I am going to start doing some before and after pictures to document some of my home projects.  I personally love to "see" things thru pictures, to be inspired and hopefully it will inspire others too!  I am not one for making New Year's resolutions so much.... In fact for about 25 years +/- I had the same resolution.... To stop biting my nails!  I finally set my mind to it... yeah I know after 25 years LOL but I finally did do it so that counts for something right!?!  This time lasy year I was stumped cause I had no "resolution" to make.  Instead I decided to make my motto for the year... "TO SIMPLIFY"...  Simple as that!

Through the entire year my focus was to refine my home to really work the way I wanted it to.  Keep things simple.  This included getting rid of clutter, and things that I didn't want, or simply things that I did not want to spend my precious time "maintaining".   I really was impacted by an Oprah show that aired about 2 years ago.  It focused on how people lived in other countries, and showed their homes, etc.  Focusing on women of course :)  Here is a link Inside the Lives of Women Around the World

You can also view the video specifically of the home in Denmark that impacted me so much here

Simplicty!  I remember my husband coming home from work that day and doing what he typically would do when he came home.... SWEEP THE FLOORS!!!  We have stained concrete floors which we love!  They are a burnt amber color... but with children, pets and a typical day the kitchen area would be... well in need of a sweep!  This just so happens to be one of my husband's pet peeves too, and back then with 3 young children I would just let him come home and sweep!  I told him on that day.... Think of all the time we spend CLEANING and MAINTAINING things!  Never, ever do I want a larger house!  I want to be content with what I have, get rid of the excess space takers... Reduce what I need to buy... Really think about what I "NEED" in my life.

This was a game changer for me indeed... In fact that year I skipped the trip to the pumpkin patch that I was having trouble fitting into our schedule!  I know GASP!!!  My poor children, right?  Well, no... Finances were tight, gas prices were sky rocketing and the pumpkin patch was about 30 miles each way... plus $8 per person (x 5 of us)...  This included 1 pumpkin per person.  This got me thinking.... Do I REALLY need to spend all of this money, have the stress or fitting it into our cramped schedule, & have 5 pumpkins to sit on my front porch to quickly decay in the South Mississippi heat?  "Simplify"  yes, I need this!  That year I purchased 1 good size pumkin for $4 at the local Walmart... We carved it together as a family (which has become a new tradition too... 1 "family" pumpkin).

Anyway, all of my rambling... we are onto a new year now.... 2012!  I am fully inspired to continue my journey of simplifying my life.  My head is swimming with many ideas and I plan to blog about the projects as I do them this year.  Among the big projects I hope to get to this year are:

• Building our corner fireplace complete with mantel so my stockings are not duct taped to the plastic wrap of the firebox next year :).....  We do have the firebox already purchase sitting in place! 
• Building a laundry cabinet system for my laundry room to organize dirty clothes, have a folding area, and hanging area.... 
• Building a bench for my dining room table.... 
• Deciding on cabinetry for the dining room and wall shelves
• Building a butcher block station for my bread machine on casters
• Building a trundle for under my daughter's bed....   for storage now, and a future matress
• Converting the bonus room into a room for my oldest son.  Right now my 2 boys share a room (ages 4 & 9) and the bonus room is my bow making area, sewing area, scrapbook stash area as well as family room/play room... Hopefully I will be able to figure out a system to move most all of my things out of the bonus room and redo the room for my oldest son.  My youngest will turn 5 and start Kindergarten in August so that is when I intend to do this redo.  Possibly building a Full or Double size bed for my oldest at this time too... One day we have plans to build a shop and have a studio above for my work area and guest sleeping/bathroom....  Yes one day!

Okay so I those are off the top of my head.  I know I am a dreamer!  But hopefully I will be able to accomplish these things and some others as I feel inspired :)  Pix to come!

I fully think the way my home feels and functions effects my day to day happiness!  Do you have new year's resolutions?  or are you like me and make goals?  Love to hear!