How to Build your Own Wall Bed

How to Build your Own Wall Bed

Putting together your own wall bed can be a daunting task, if you don’t have a good idea what you are doing.  In this article, we’ll give you an overview of the whole process, so that you have a “big picture” view and decide whether or not building your own is right for you.  

 

We find that construction and installation is much easier if you know where you are headed with each step.

  • Gather Supplies

First, you will need to gather all of the hardware, lumber, and equipment necessary to build your wall bed.

Lumber

  • Four 2×4 wood boards.

  • One 2×12 wood board

  • One 1×6 wood board
  • One 2×6 wood board at least 80” long (or two boards of 40” each)

  • Two sheets of plywood

Supplies

  • Hinges
  • Screws
  • Large L-Brackets

Tools

  • Saw

  • Drill and bits

  • Level

  • Hammer

  • Sand Paper

Furniture Pieces

  • Mattress

  • Two bookshelves that are at least the same height and depth as the mattress

 

  • Measure and Prepare Lumber.

Second, you’ll need to take a look at the room in which your wall bed will live.  Measure how big your wall bed is going to be and where you are going to put it.  After this, you’ll be able to prepare your lumber by cutting it to size.

 

Preparation- Measurements

Measuring where you will place your wall bed is a critical step.  This will help you visualize where best to place your bed and to maximize both comfort and space.  As well, it will make sure there are no unwanted surprises after you have built the entire thing.

 

  1. Choose which wall you will use to store the wall bed.  Make sure it is wide enough for both the mattress and for two bookcases on either side.

 

  1. Determine the size of bookcases you will need:
    1. For the width, remember that you must fit two of these bookcases on either side of the mattress on a single wall.
    2. For the height, remember that it must be at least as tall/long as the mattress.  
    3. For the depth, make sure that they are as deep as the thickness of the mattress plus one or two inches (to account for the frame.)

 

  1. Either buy or build two bookshelves to these dimensions.  In either case, make sure that the bookcases are fairly durable and sturdy.  We recommend buying, since you can be sure of their durability in this case.

 

  1. Once you have the bookshelves (after buying or building them), put them into place, leaving the mattress frame width between them.  You will need to probably mount the bookshelves on the wall, so be sure to mark their placement on the wall with pencil.

 

  1. If you have baseboards, consider taking a section of them out where the wall bed and bookcases will be placed.  This allows the wall bed to be flush against the wall for safer storage.  If you are renting, do not worry about this step.

 

  1. After you have marked where the bookcases will stay, find the studs behind the wall.  Mark them, then secure the book shelves against the wall studs with 3 inch wood screws.

 

  1. Measure the length, width, and depth of the mattress.  These dimensions will be used to create the wood frame for your wall bed.

Preparation – Lumber

Before starting construction, we recommend that you prepare all of your lumber before hand.  This helps ease the construction process and allows you to have all of the component pieces ready before so you don’t have to keep alternating back and forth between building and cutting.  

 

  1. First, you’ll need to create the wood frame for your mattress.  
    1. To make the sides of the bed frame, take two of the 2 by 4 wood boards and cut them to the length of the mattress plus 4 inches.  (This is probably going to be around 84 inches)
    2. Next, to make the head and foot of the bed frame, take two of the 2 by 4 wood boards and cut them to the width of the mattress.

 

  1. Now, you’ll want to create the supports for the head and feet of the bed.  
    1. Do this by taking the 2 by 12 board and cutting it to the width of the mattress.
    2. Next, take the 1 by 6 inch board and cut it to the width of the mattress plus 4 inches.  
    3. Finally, cut each ply wood sheet to measure half of the length (probably 42 inches) by the width plus 4.

 

  1. Next, we’ll make the wall bed’s feet.
    1. Take the 2 by 6 board and cut it into 8 pieces (each 10” long.)

 

  1. Finally, make sure that all of the wood is nicely sanded, without any splinters.

 

  • Put it Together.

Next, you’ll put together your wall bed frame, screwing in and fastening all of the lumber, supplies, and hardware you prepared during the last phase.

 

  1. Put the 2 by 4 boards together into a rectangle.  The shorter 2 by 4’s should sit inside the the longer boards.  Make sure that your mattress will sit snugly within this frame.  Drill two screws (or hammer two nails) into each corner, securing the rectangular frame.

 

  1. Next, we’ll put together the floor of the bed box.  The floor is made out of the plywood sheets you cut earlier.  Put one plywood sheet flush with the top edge of the wood frame.  Drill screws every few inches to securely fasten it to the two by four frame.  Do the same with the second plywood sheet, making sure that the plywood sheets are as flush as possible.  In order to cover the place where the plywood sheets meet, screw the 1 by 6 board over that line, anchoring it into the wood frame.  This will help add durability and act as a cross beam or a support beam.

 

  1. Now, take the bed box and flip it over.  Along one edge of the width of the bed box, space out the flat hinging brackets and screw them in with smaller screws.

 

  1. Next, we’ll put together the feet for the bed.  Take two of the 2×6 boards and screw them together so that they form a more stable “leg.”  Do this twice.  (We’ll only be making two of these “heavy feet.”)  After this, you should still have four 2×6 boards remaining.  Take those remaining feet and attach them securely to the 2×12 board.  Two should be on the outside edge, with the remaining two spaced evenly between them.  

 

  1. Now, attach hinges to the “heavy legs” and secure them to the bottom of the bed.  Putting hinges on them will ensure that when the bed is stored vertically, the feet will fold nicely backwards, lying flat next to the bed box.

 

  • Install it.

Finally, you’ll install your wall bed frame, mattress, and secure the hinges that allow the unit to go up and down.  You’ll also anchor the wall bed and bookcases to the wall for durability and security.

 

  1. Find the studs on the wall you are placing the wall bed.  During the preparations, you should have marked their location.

 

  1. Now, put the head piece (the 2×12 board) and place it next to the wall.  Attach the head piece with L-Brackets to the wall studs.  Next, put the gate hinges on the head piece.

 

  1. Lift the bed box vertically so that it is sitting on the head piece and laying flat against the wall.  Using smaller screws, attach the hinges to the plywood in the bed box and longers screws in the 2×4 frame.

 

  1. To help secure your bed when it is in vertical position, drill a hole in each bookcase on either side of the bed box frame.  Put a holding pin into each of these holes, that will help hold the bed vertically when not in use.

 

  1. Paint, polish, or stain your new bed box so that it blends in nicely with the bookcases and the rest of our room’s decor.