Bed Design Tips

Here are a few bed design guidelines and related design considerations to help get you started building your very own bed. Or perhaps to customize a bed plan that you already have in mind.

Selecting a Bed Type

The most fundamental question to answer when building a bed, is what type of bed? If building a child's bed, you probably already have some idea in mind, perhaps a bunk bed, a loft bed, or a theme bed such as a race car bed. For an adult-sized bed, there are many different bed types, styles, and design considerations. Examples: Do you want a classic bed design, a platform bed, an ornate poster bed, or perhaps a fold-up wall bed? Do you want storage under the bed, integrated into the headboard, or no storage? Slatted or solid headboard/footboard? Bed spring or not? The first task is to answer these types of questions after which you can focus on the design details.

Size the bed properly

For maximum comfort, the bed should be about a half foot longer than the height of the longest person that will be using it.  In terms of width, 30+ inches per adult seems to be a reasonable rule of thumb now-a-days. Back in the 1960's, the double bed was a common choice for couples but it only allows 27" of width per person. If building the bed for two people, go with a queen or king sized bed. For a single person, a twin XL, full, queen, or king size bed will suffice. Consult this table of standard bed sizes to help select a bed size.

Bed height matters

The height of the bed affects both the aesthetics and usability of the bed. A lower bed makes a room look larger than a higher bed. It also creates a less formal appearance. Many beds are designed so the top of the mattress is 16" to 24" from the floor. If you want to be able to sit on the bed without your feet dangling above the floor - generally a good idea - factor this into the design.

Allow clearance for bedding

In designing the bed frame, make it slightly larger than the mattress to allow clearance for mattress pads, sheets, and other bedding materials. No more than 1/2" should suffice. Tip: Pick out your mattress before building the bed frame so there won't be any unpleasant surprises later.

Allow for wood movement

Because wood fluctuates in size due to changes in seasonal humidity, it is essential that the bed design allow for this movement. This is especially the case if the bed has a solid wood headboard. A common approach for attaching headboards to corner rails is to use a double mortise/tenon joint with one mortise slightly oversized  and unglued, allowing the tenon to float in place. Solid wood rails also require allowances for wood movement. An easy way to achieve this is to use knock-down hardware for attaching the rails.

Provide adequate mattress support

Conventional beds support the mattress with a box spring that rests on wooden slats situated cross-wise on the bed frame. If you go with this design, consider using a center rail for additional mattress support for larger beds such as queen or king. You also want to use good quality slats that are sufficiently thick so they provide some give without breaking. Slats are typically about 3/4" thick and 2"-3" wide. Laminated spruce or solid poplar are popular wood choices for bed slats.

If you're planning to build a platform bed, the obvious requirement is for a solid platform base to support the mattress but keep in mind that you're building a bed, not a deck. 1x rather than 2x lumber will often suffice, especially for interior base pieces that rest firmly against the floor.  However, if the base will have pull-out storage drawers, you may need to beef up the top rails that span the length of the bed if the rails will only be supported in a few places along their length.

Design for Mobility

It's a rare bed that doesn't get moved several times during its lifetime. Therefore, it makes sense to assemble a bed with knock-down fittings so it can be easily dismantled for moving.  There are several types of knock down fittings for attaching bed rails and frames to the bed post.  One of the more common is the plate-and-hook bed rail fastener. This consists of a slotted post plate on the bedpost and a matching post on the rail with protruding hooks that fit into the slots on the post plate.  Depending on the hardware, the plates can be either surface mount or recessed into mortises. Another common knock-down fitting is the bed bolt.  This involves a bolt that passes through the bedpost into the rail with an optional bolt cover to conceal the bolt head.

Wood finish - many possibilities

Beds are "generally" not subjected to the same type of abuse as other types of furniture such as kitchen tables and chairs. This includes the type of abuse that wears out wood finishes - spilled liquids, utensil scratches, high heat, etc. This means there are many viable options for a bed finish, whether it be shellac, lacquer, polyurethane, or even a basic hand-rubbed oil finish. If you expect the bed to be exposed to water, alcohol, and other liquid spills, you may want to consider a polyurethane finish because it will hold up better than most other finishes.