(+54 photos) DIY podium bed with drawers drawings

If you like minimalist design and want to make your own podium bed , then you have come to the right place. In this article, we have collected a dozen step-by-step instructions from which you can choose the appropriate option for your home project. There are bed frames in different sizes, from single children's podium beds that are ideal for a child's bedroom to large podium beds with storage drawers . The simplicity of the design combined with natural wood and straight lines is a great addition to any bedroom. Look at all the examples, master classes and step-by-step photos with drawings on how to make a podium bed - perhaps it’s time to update your bedroom interior.

Required materials and tools

To make a simple podium bed with your own hands you will need:

• A standard set of tools for cutting, preparing and fastening wood materials (hacksaw, screwdriver, drill, tape measure, level).
• Solid timber with a cross section of 50*50 or 50*100 mm, used to assemble the frame.
• Well-dried durable lumber: plywood for the bottoms of boxes 10 mm thick, chipboard or MDF boards from 16 mm, OSB-3, boards with a thickness from 22 mm.
• A set of fasteners and accessories, including anchors for fixing the frame in the walls, wooden dowels, confirmations with a length of up to 70 mm, self-tapping screws with a cross-section of 4.5 mm, metal corners to strengthen the structure, guides for drawers or a pull-out bed, handles, rollers or wheels.
• Wood glue for coating joint areas or reinforcing fasteners.

Materials for finishing or decoration: carpet, foam rubber, textiles, thin floor coverings, laminated wood boards or laminated wood for facades, varnishes, paints, stains, LED strip.

Taking into account its close location to the floor and constant loads, it is recommended that the bed podium be made from materials with high strength.

Deviation from the specified parameters of slab materials to a lesser extent is not allowed. If possible, the sides or base of the bed are cut from sheets with a thickness of 19 mm or assembled from dry boards.

When working with laminated materials or planning to install a backrest with a soft headboard, additionally prepare a construction hair dryer, tapes, and a furniture stapler with staples.

Create a drawing

Drawings of the podium bed are drawn up based on exact measurements of the room and the planned dimensions of the mattress. Small rooms are simply covered with a podium into parts with different heights; in other cases, the length of the bed (as well as the dimensions of the drawer with the sleeping bed) is adjusted to the mattress.

The width of the furniture varies from 1.2 to 1.5 m for children’s models, 1.7–1.9 m for double models. The height of models with drawers of any type varies between 40–70 cm.

Deviations in the smaller direction are not recommended; in the larger direction, they are permissible when installing the bed in a room with high ceilings and strengthening the strength of the frame.

Detailed sketches of beds are made on paper or electronically, using online editors or furniture design programs. If you lack experience, you should use ready-made drawings, scrupulously observing the specified indents and gaps. It is also very important to purchase materials of a given thickness.

If it is necessary to change the length or width of the frame, the dimensions of the retractable elements and external facades are simultaneously adjusted.

The intervals between adjacent boxes and the specified gaps must remain unchanged. In particular, the width of the drawer placed under the bed in any case should be 2.5 cm less than the box itself, and the minimum permissible distance from the bottom to the floor is 1 cm.

Styles

The functional and aesthetic components of the product are very important. But the combination of the bed with the rest of the interior items and its style are no less important. You need to choose a model that will fit well into the environment and become a harmonious part of it.

The classic style presupposes a strict, but not devoid of decorative elements, appearance of the bed. An excellent solution would be to choose expensive fabric for upholstery. You can cover both the frame and the head of the bed. The number of decorations should not be large, but a certain amount - tassels on the bedspread, exquisite drawer handles, etc. - is acceptable. Most often, however, niches, drawers and shelves in classic models are disguised.

It is better to choose children's models in soothing colors. The single folding model can be equipped with a lifting mechanism and can be converted into a double bed when unfolded. You should choose natural materials for both the podium and the mattress. The latter must be rigid, orthopedic - to form correct posture. Modern manufacturers offer a lot of environmentally friendly solutions.

Design Features

Depending on the type of frame, there are two manufacturing technologies: a bed on a podium with drawers or with a pull-out mattress. In both cases, they use available building materials and tools that are in the arsenal of every owner.

This means that you can make them yourself. At the same time, the products differ fundamentally not only in installation technology, but also in purpose.

Let's take a closer look at them.

With a sleeping place in a niche

The product is a hollow structure that rises 40-70 cm above the main floor level. In the lower part there is a large cupboard. At night they sleep on it, during the day they hide it in a niche. The upper plane above the pull-out bed is actually a raised floor.

It is usually used to organize:

• recreation areas;
• work or study space;
• children's playroom

This allows you to create a “hidden” bedroom in any room without compromising its space. If the shape of the room is elongated, you further zone it and add functionality.

The limitations are the dimensions of the room. A ceiling that is too low creates discomfort for tall people. Mounting the frame in a very small room will also not work. There should always be free space nearby to pull out the shelf with the mattress.

With storage area under the bed

Externally, the bed on the podium with lower drawers is practically no different from the classic one. It is raised a little more above the floor, and in the space below there is a storage system. It allows you to completely replace the cabinet or part of it.

The design is suitable for installation in an apartment of any configuration. If you install it against the wall in the middle of a large room, you will get comfortable, shallow-depth cupboards.

When the size of the house is very limited, the end part of the room is used. In this design, it is not necessary to make long, bulky cabinets. It is enough to divide them lengthwise into two zones: hidden and quick access. Put everyday items in one and seasonal items in the other. Access to the distant niche is limited. She hides under the mattress.

This storage option is great for winter jackets, unclaimed children's toys or clothes that kids have outgrown.

What is this

Podium bed with a berth on top and a beautiful canopy for zoning the berth

The podium bed is a raised platform in the form of a step with a mattress laid on it. The main difference from a regular bed is that there is a fairly large amount of free space on the podium around the mattress. It can vary from 25 cm or more.

Podium with pull-out bed and workplace

The berth can be located directly on the podium, or it can also be retractable, that is, located in one of the niches of the podium. In the latter case, the elevation is used to organize a work or play space, or a recreation area.

Stylish and comfortable bed on a podium behind a screen in the corner of the room

Making a podium bed with drawers

Before starting work, it is important to pay attention to the design of the future structure. You can draw a project with a pencil on a piece of paper, or make it in an online editor or specialized program.

When visualizing, gaps, thicknesses of parts and the relative position of all elements are taken into account. This allows you to accurately calculate the amount of materials and avoid inconsistencies during the work process.

Frame

The basis is a beam 50x50 or 50(h)x100. It is used to make racks and load-bearing beams. The supports are placed near the walls and in the space between the cabinets. To ensure strength, you need to maintain a distance between longitudinal guides of no more than 50-60 cm, and between supporting elements of no more than 80-120 cm.

If the structure is located between walls, crossbar guides can be attached to them without supports.

It is important to place the load-bearing elements on the racks from above, and not to attach them to the sides on the corners. To prevent the wood from cracking, smaller diameter holes are drilled for the screws. Rubberized gaskets are installed between the wooden parts at the places where they are attached. They allow you to avoid squeaking during operation.

When you start making a podium bed with drawers with your own hands, do not forget about the stability of the frame. Therefore, after installing the bars, it is imperative to make the bottom trim from plywood or OSB. Cut strips 150-200 mm wide and fasten all the supports with them. In this case, the sheets are screwed to each with at least two self-tapping screws.

This allows you to avoid distortion of the product during use. To increase reliability, all joints are coated with wood glue.

Pull-out sections

The base is assembled from laminated chipboard, thick plywood or furniture panels. The bottom is made of fiberboard. If the cabinets are small or they are not intended for storing heavy things, the bottom is secured from below with nails or self-tapping screws. When a more reliable structure is needed, a groove is made in the side walls with a milling cutter and a fiberboard is inserted into it.

This option is more technologically advanced, but requires a special tool. At home, the groove can be replaced with thin 10x10 mm support rails.

It is better to mount the lower shelves on wheels so that they can be completely rolled out to the side. This will give you access to the cleaning niches. The upper glove boxes are mounted on full extension guides. They need to be installed before facing the frame.

Sheathing

For finishing you can use any materials. Typically, chipboard or painted plywood is installed on the vertical faces. A similar floor covering is laid on the upper part. They cover the entire surface or just the area around the mattress. To fix it, a side about 5 cm high is installed around the perimeter. The plane inside can be solid or consist of a set of lamellas.

If possible, all elements are secured with self-tapping screws from the inside. By pulling out the drawers, you get full access to hidden elements. This means that the screws will not damage the outer surface.

Start of assembly

The base of the bed is made of three blocks; the back and sides must be connected at right angles. The central block is the middle of the bed, two parts on the sides will fill the boxes, which will move using roller wheels along the slats. We fasten the headboard of the bed and the side blocks with bolts. We choose nuts to taste, wing nuts or regular ones. The use of a bolted connection allows you to assemble or disassemble the product in any situation. Side panels and cross members can also be made collapsible.

We make holes in the blocks using a drill, insert pins and assemble the blocks. We coat all contacting sides of the blocks with glue, compress them with clamps and leave until the element is completely dry. The shortest central part rests on four square struts. In the two top panels we make recesses according to the size of the transverse rail passing through them.

Making a podium with a pull-out bed

When developing such a design, special attention should be paid to zoning. If a playroom for children is planned on top, you can start from the dimensions of the mattress. But when you want to place a workspace or relaxation area on the second tier, it is important to consider the size of the future table or sofa. In this case, it is necessary to draw a preliminary design.

Frame

When the sleeping place is in a niche, the base must be more durable - it can withstand the load from furniture and people. The general principles of the design of beams and crossbars are the same as in the version with retractable drawers.

The main differences are the increased cross-section of the load-bearing logs and the pitch of their installation. It is allowed to place bars 50x100(h) on the edge. In this case, in order to avoid tipping over, they must be fastened together with intermediate slats. An alternative option is to install beams with a smaller pitch of 40-50 cm.

It is important to pay increased attention to the overall geometry of the supporting structures. A large cupboard should easily slide into and out of the niche. When calculating its height, the space occupied by the mattress, bed linen and pillows is taken into account.

On the sides, it is necessary to accurately maintain the installation gaps within 1-2 cm and ensure perpendicularity. In this case, focus on the measuring tool, and not on the distance from the walls.

Pull-out section

Its base is assembled from a 50x50 mm bar. A flat sheet of plywood, type-setting lamellas or a ready-made factory base are laid on top. Limiters made of laminated chipboard are screwed to the side, and a façade decorative panel is screwed to the front.

The cabinet moves on furniture wheels. We only need to get linear motion, so we use non-rotary ones. Each of them is designed for a specific load, which is indicated in the technical specifications. It consists of the weight of the following components:

• Base materials.
• Mattress and bed linen.
• Human. 100 kg per single bed, 200 kg for one and a half and double beds.

We multiply the resulting amount by a safety factor equal to 1.4. We divide the result by the number of wheels. We get the load that each one must withstand.

Sheathing

The principles of cladding remain the same. But, if you plan to place the structure in the nursery, you need to pay attention to safety. On a slippery surface, it is easy for a child to fall and get injured. Therefore, carpet is often laid on top.

Advantages of podium beds

Podium beds have recently become popular due to many factors:

• the opportunity to bring originality to the design of an apartment or house;
• significant savings in living space, which is especially important for small apartments;
• relatively small financial investments in the manufacturing process;
• ease of installation;
• functionality.

You can make a podium bed with your own hands in two versions:

1. a sleeping place located on a raised platform and with separate sliding compartments in a niche;
2. pull-out mattress, which does not take up much space and is convenient for low ceilings.

The advantages of this type of bedroom design are that the apartment is immediately transformed and freed from excess furniture. With such a bed, there is no need for large cabinets and shelves, since clothes and other items can now be stored in under-bed drawers.

Such sleeping places are ideal for children's rooms, which allows you to put not only bedding in them, but also toys.

Behind the partition

This move is very often used in one-room apartments or studio apartments to zone the space. In this case, every centimeter is important, so the podium is usually slightly wider than the mattress. The emphasis is not on external effect, but on rationality.

It is advisable to leave a little space on the sides so that everyone can approach the bed from their own side. And sleeping close to the partition is not the most pleasant experience. Don't forget to provide separate lighting for this area. Ceiling lamps with a long cord are in fashion.

If there is very little space, it is better to abandon the side racks. Firstly, dust accumulates more actively on the shelves. Secondly, things can be accidentally touched. Thirdly, they create unnecessary visual noise. Simplicity and conciseness are the key to comfort.

Kinds

Podium beds can be divided according to several criteria. First, let's divide them according to shape: round and rectangular designs are considered the most common. However, here everything depends on your imagination.

You can make the podium triangular, polygonal or even intricate in shape. But for this it is necessary to make an appropriate frame, which adds complexity to the matter.

We can talk about such a criterion as the use of a podium. This refers to the location of the sleeping place. It can be located on top of the podium, and additional useful space is represented by a podium, which can be used as storage boxes. The second option is a pull-out bed.

It is also worth mentioning the type of podium: monolithic and frame. The first is made of gypsum block, sand-cement mixture or foam concrete. More often this type is used for kitchens and bathrooms in private homes, since the design is quite heavy and adds additional weight to the floor. Frame podiums are most often used for beds.

The idea is to construct a metal or wooden profile, which is then covered with plywood.

Functional load

The type of structure used will directly depend on what tasks are assigned to the podium bed.
Such designs can act as a separate decorative element that sets the tone for the room. In this case, the bed is made of a non-standard shape, attracting additional attention. It is possible to close the podium, but not if the shape of the room is incorrect. Inconvenient architecture will play into its favor, and the bed will turn into a key element of the bedroom. It is preferable to decorate the room in an oriental style, where such designs come from. Inside the podium there can be containers for storing things and bed linen. Externally, shelves are allowed that are suitable for storing small decorative structures. The technical podium will perform several functions simultaneously. The platform is made as a full-fledged orthopedic base, and the remaining space is used for storing household items. If there are no drawers, the remaining space should be filled with communications that should be hidden from prying eyes. If the room is small and every centimeter counts, you should give preference to multifunctional podiums. The sleeping place will be a retractable structure that will be rolled out at nightfall. During the day, the podium can serve as a work area or a space reserved for games.

Preparatory stage of work

Any job requires preparation. And such a thing as making a podium bed with your own hands requires careful preparation. This stage includes:

1. making measurements;
2. drawing up a design project;
3. selection of material;
4. base processing;
5. preparation of tools.

First you need to take measurements of the room. The dimensions of the podium are determined by the size of the room. We suggest making a rectangular podium across the entire width of the room. Determine the length yourself as far as the dimensions of the room allow.

You also need to take into account the size of the mattress to determine how much free space will remain.

In accordance with the received measurements, we draw up a design project. It includes all stages of work, from the choice of material to the design of the product.

We choose the material. To make the frame you will need strong wooden beams. Laminated chipboard or several sheets of plywood to cover the podium frame. You will also need several chipboards (chipboards) for the side walls of the bed.

The tools you will need are a tape measure, a pencil, a screwdriver, a drill, a hacksaw, a set of screwdrivers, self-tapping screws, a hammer, a construction stapler, and a construction level.

You need to buy material in accordance with the measurements received. In this case, you will not have extra elements or shortage of material. Initial processing is not required, since wooden beams and chipboards are sold ready-made. Processing will occur during work as the material is cut and fastened.

What to make it from?

The following materials are used to make the podium frame:

• Metal. This frame requires working with welding tools and is quite difficult to assemble.
• Tree. With proper processing and proper assembly, a wooden frame will last a long time and reliably.
• Concrete. A 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, strong, does not allow moisture to pass through and is not susceptible to rotting.

We make a frame

After the preparatory stage, we begin work. It all starts with the basics. And our work begins with constructing a podium, which will become the basis for the bed and drawers.

1. We start by placing the podium. To do this, in accordance with the measurements, draw the height of the fixed beams on the walls, and then check the marks using a building level so that the resulting podium is level.
2. Then we take the prepared wooden beams and fasten them to the floor and walls with anchors horizontally.
3. Then you need to attach the beams to them vertically, additionally attaching them to the wall.
4. The distance between the logs should be no more than 40 cm for structural strength. We also attach wooden beams to the vertical beams on top, duplicating the bottom layer.
5. It turns out to be a kind of box. This is the frame of the podium.
6. Now you need to determine the location of the mattress on it.
7. Depending on the location of the mattress, attach three bars to the base of the podium to secure the slats.
8. One should pass strictly in the middle of the proposed mattress, the other two along the right and left edges.
9. Then stuff the slats onto special beams - this will be our sleeping place.
10. It is also necessary to attach several boards to the base around the perimeter of the mattress to secure the mattress.
11. Along the edge of the frame we attach a slab of plywood or chipboard (depending on the rest of the material for the bed) to the wall and base, which will form the future headboard.

Now you can proceed to the manufacture and fastening of additional parts.

We add details

• In our case, additional parts are drawers. This is a very practical and easy-to-use option. You can also make drawers with hinged doors or shelves. However, we recommend using drawers.

Having made measurements, you can order the finished product and just insert it into the frame. But we suggest making the boxes yourself.

Moreover, it will not take much time and effort. It should be noted that the width of the box should be 2.5 cm less than the box in which it will be located. In accordance with this, we proceed to the manufacture of boxes. We will need a sheet of plywood for the bottom, 3 chipboards for the side walls. We fasten these parts with glue. We take another particle board and attach a handle to it, after which we attach this board to the rest of the box. The box is ready.

Using the scheme described above, make the remaining drawers, the number of which is provided by the existing niches.

To install the drawers you will need several guides. They consist of two parts: the first (two guides) is attached on both sides of the box, and the second (also 2 guides) is attached to the frame. This is done using screws, which usually come complete with guides and screwdrivers.

Final stage

The last stage involves the assembly of all parts of the structure, its final installation and cladding.

In essence, we only have the frame ready. Now we need to do the finishing. For this purpose it is better to use sheets of plywood. Take sheets of plywood prepared to length or cut according to your measurements. Cover the cut with plastic edging. A heat-activated adhesive is applied to one side.

To secure this edge, you need to heat it and press it tightly to the cut of plywood (this can be done using an old iron).

Now we attach the treated plywood sheets to the frame using screws. So it is necessary to cover the entire podium (for the walls of the bed we have already secured particle boards around the perimeter of the mattress, you can also use plywood for the walls). We cover the junction of the podium with the floor with a plinth.

The top of the frame is covered. We repeat these steps in relation to the sides of the frame. Now all that remains is to place the drawers in the appropriate niches and place the mattress in the designated place.

Decoration

The podium bed is ready. We manufactured the frame and main parts, carried out assembly and finishing. Now there is an opportunity to dream up and decorate the resulting product.

Decor that is not provided for in advance in the plan can be done using fabric, carpet, LED strip, etc. So the podium can be covered with carpet, securing it with baseboards; decorate the headboard of the bed with fabric; We glue an LED strip around the perimeter of the podium or drawers or drape it with fabric. Anyone can use such simple decorating techniques; they vary in all directions and techniques that you know.

You can use paper or thread, paint, varnish and other materials to achieve the desired look of the bed.

Things are different with more complex decor. This could be built-in LED lighting or musical equipment, finishing the podium with figured marble beams, etc. Such innovations require planning. They must be displayed in the design project, as they require additional design modifications.

With careful planning, you can realize any idea that comes to mind.

Useful tips

By reading some recommendations you can avoid mistakes that arise when making furniture:

• cuts of all parts must be carefully processed using sandpaper to prevent the appearance of chips;
• before painting, the surface must be wiped from any remaining chips so that it turns out uniform;
• sheets of laminated chipboard can be fixed to the surface using construction adhesive.

The assembly of the structure must be done efficiently

How to close the podium

Once the installation of the podium and bed frames has been completed, it is possible to begin closing the frame and covering the upper elements. For finishing, sheet material is used that has high strength, for example, OSB boards or plywood.

The cost of a finished plywood structure will be less, however, OSB boards have a more uniform structure, without knots, chips and cavities.

In accordance with the drawing, the necessary pieces of the slab are cut out and screwed to the frame with self-tapping screws. It is recommended to leave a distance of 2-3 mm to prevent possible surface deformation.

If a completely enclosed podium is being installed, then you don’t have to cover the internal structure. For structures that are open on at least one side, the inside is sheathed.

If the podium is planned with drawers, then they are installed inside the frame before the podium is closed. How to make and install drawers will be discussed below. It is recommended to treat the wooden frame and cladding with protective agents against fungus and mold.

Other uses

If you no longer want to use the podium as a bed base, you can find other uses for it. For example, turn it into a sofa. It’s enough just to lay down blankets and throw pillows. It is better not to skimp on textiles: without it it is impossible to create a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere.

In Asia, podiums are quite often built specifically for home tea ceremonies. For eating, podiums can also be used in the East. At first glance, this solution may seem like an interesting design idea. But if you are used to eating at the table, it is unlikely that such an addition will take root in your home.

Common mistakes at work

Let's look at the mistakes that beginners make when installing a structure:

• if the podium is located near a heating radiator, then it is necessary to provide ventilation holes inside it. They can be located on the partition between the stairs and the pull-out bed or in the vertical wall of the step. If it is possible to move the battery, then it is better to use it and hide the additional pipes in the frame of the structure;
• When installing a structure with a pull-out bed near a window, the risk that a child may fall out of the window increases. It should only be opened for slot ventilation. If possible, make a fence in front of the window from thin chrome pipes or kitchen rails. It is enough to secure 2-3 horizontal pipes at a height of up to 60 cm to protect family members;
• All side cuts and joints must be securely sealed and free of chips and snags.