Disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links, which means I may make a commission if you decide to make a purchase through one of my links, at no cost to you.
This post may contain affiliate links. This won’t change your price, but may share some commission. Read my full disclosure here.
Our platform bed in the primary bedroom is designed to give the illusion that it’s floating off the ground. In this post, I’m covering the build and sharing the free DIY woodworking plans (king, queen, full available; california king & twin coming soon!).
Alrighty; this post has been a long time coming! For several months, I’ve been promising some king size floating bed frame plans for the bed that K and I built together. I figure that with the new paint, new rugs, new fabrics, and other new things I’ll be updating you about in the primary bedroom, I should go ahead and provide these plans so you can follow along in a (semi-)chronological order!
I’m kind of glad I didn’t share these right away. Building furniture is still a pretty new concept to me, as well as sharing plans for them (building furniture feels more like a luxury when your budget is almost exclusively tied up in home repair for a long time, so I feel like this is something I’m finally more free to explore). It’s also a confidence thing; since it’s been nearly a year that we’ve been sleeping on it, I can now vouch for the two dogs and two people who consider it a fantastic upgrade from the (crowded) queen-sized bed we got rid of. I also love it far more than any MDF or particleboard furniture we could have picked up on Amazon because it’s solid wood and we made it custom for us!
I should add that, I don’t consider the design to be breaking any kind of bed design mold (what an odd concept to suddenly think about!). In fact, in hindsight, I would go back and turn the base into drawers for some under bed storage space (and may still do that someday, too). But what I like about it is that we worked together on the build, the design, and the video. I suppose in that way, it counts as our first big build that we completed together. I can both appreciate the accomplishment while noting that extra storage drawers so that these compartments don’t go unused would be nice too!
DIY Floating Platform Bed
Materials:
- Miter saw or circular saw
- Drill/driver
- Self-tapping screws (I pre-drilled and used regular screws, so I’m recommending ones that don’t need pre-drilling)
- Wood glue
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- Kreg Jig
- Kreg Jig screws
- Face clamp (optional)
I’m sharing with you the order in which I built everything, but each of the 3 main sections (base, platform, slats) are kind of their own separate building projects, so I feel like the base OR the bed slats can be built first. It definitely helps to build the base (#2) before the platform (#3) to make sure everything lines up. Cost: $160, but I think that cost may drop if you used plywood and ripped it down instead of 1x3s for the bed slats.
UPDATES:
- Full and queen sizes plans are also available, and by popular demand, twin size and california king are on the way as well!
- I’ve gotten lots of questions about where the cut list is; it’s IN THE PLANS! They’re available in the PDF download where all the full diagrams, cut list, instructions, etc. are (about 11 pages of info). To access them, you just need to head over to my woodworking plans library and follow the info on the page.
1. Build the Bed Slats (x2)
GIFs are becoming my favorite way to demonstrate these assemblies. But basically, I used my Kreg Jig to create a simple frame and then filled it in with slats. As you’ll see in the video, I have ZERO shits about the proper spacing of these slats during the actual execution. It hasn’t appeared to result in any dire consequences for K and me in this last year, but for the sake of your back, I’m still going to recommend evenly spacing things out as the plans show.
Our memory foam mattress rests directly on these bed slats, so there is no need for a box spring and allows the bed to look sleek and low profile!
2. Build the Base
The base came together so easy and quick one night… that I didn’t turn on the video camera! While I’ve certainly gotten better about that in this last year, this was the first project where it occurred to me HALFWAY that it would be good for a video. Oh well. It was also right around the time I was building the Rust-Oleum booth for the first WorkbenchCon, so it’s safe to say I was pretty distracted (WBC 2019 is happening again THIS WEEK, and I’m teaching a class this time! Many of you know how nervous I get with public speaking, so wish me luck!*).
3. Build the Floating Bed Frame
With the base built, K and I built the outer frame of the platform section, added two more supports down the middle (so that it can fully support the bed slats on all 4 sides), and then began assembling the rest of the platform on top of the base. This helped us to make sure that the additional supports that overlapped the base could line up and be fully supported by the 2x8s underneath.
In my supplies list, I’m recommending that you use self-tapping screws. I’m doing that because we were pre-drilling everything before gluing and screwing together, and that is basically double the work.
We also screwed some of the middle supports at an angle (since the middle of the platform is doubled 2x4s, it was too thick for the screws we had).
If you’re pre-drilling
4. Assemble
We designed this bed to be in 3 main sections so that if we ever needed to move, we can disassemble and transport. To connect the platform and base, we relied on scraps (don’t glue these so that you can unscrew later when needed!). This just made sure that the platform would never slide off. (Note: because these are made from scraps and your scraps may vary, these are not specified in the plans or cut list.)
Once the platform bed frame and base were connected, we added the slats on top with more screws. The entire bed can move in one solid piece at this point, which you guys may have noticed when we bought and layered the new rugs.
Bear with me on the “final” shot of this bed. I’m working on it. As with most situations when you upgrade the size of the bed, the bedding has to be upgraded as well. The existing mattress/sheets/etc. came from K’s old place, and it is all very bachelor-life (none of it matches, it’s all picked for comfort or convenience but never style, and almost all of it will have to be phased out as it *ahem* falls apart). So, I grabbed a few smaller pillows and blankets of my own and FINALLY got to bring out the
For the sake of making the bed look even better, I had a little fur-model step in to help. ;)
5-6. Headboard & Wrap
This is the part where we stopped because I have REALLY wanted to do a live edge headboard to finish things off. I still want to do that, but buying a large slab of wood as big as I want (basically to stretch across the wall!) is going to be VERY expensive, and I have a table saw I’m saving up for first.
As you guys saw last fall though, I’m thinking that we might be able to source our own wood slab thanks to K’s family property. Update: we wound up doing this, but with a neighbor’s cut tree! While the idea of learning how to create our own Alaskan chainsaw mill or find a portable mill to do it for us, that still requires drying-out time, which still means a lot of waiting.
That leads me to door number three — at least, temporarily — coming up with another headboard idea to serve us well in the interim. For that, I’m thinking of carving up my own headboard using some of the angle grinder carving skills I picked up last year (I’m actually planning on a LOT of carving projects this year, but that’s for other posts entirely). I’m considering a faux live edge, a totally custom carving, or even plywood. The possibilities are pretty awesome, but the more I think about it, the more I think I may even create something I love too much to change. Which would be an awesome happy ending (and considerably cheaper).
In addition to the headboard, I also need to wrap the still-exposed part of the bed platform in a finished wood of some kind to dress it up a bit (which you can see in the GIF assembly above). For the mockup, I chose walnut as it’s one of my favorite species, but I ultimately want to match the wood ot the headboard, so that has to be finalized first. There are so many beautiful kinds of wood that I’ve never worked with before, so a lot of them are on the table. To see the full mood board breakdown, check out this post.
So, that’s where we stand as of today. There will definitely be more pics of this same angle of the room coming soon because of the new paint (feature wall!), art (hung!), bedding (delivered!), and more, so expect to see that very soon. It’s always so hard to figure out stopping-off points when in the middle of a room renovation because nothing feels done enough… but if I consider that we’ve been sleeping on this “new” bed for almost a year now and we still haven’t finished the headboard situation, it’s as good of a place as any to share. I honestly can’t wait until that feature wall is in and things really start to take off! More soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
And one more update since it’s been a few years since this post first went up: we built an entire feature wall around this bed and I love it even more! It’s a slat wall with a bump-out shelf, hidden drawers that pull out under the nightstands, and lots of smart home features (voice-enabled light fixtures, wireless charging, a backup power surge protector for storms so our laptops don’t get fried, etc.). You can check out that build and the YouTube video right here!
Awesome job on the bed. I have an old sleigh bed I want to switch out. This looks like just the ticket.
We used to be local. In Marietta.
Btw, Love the animated gifs. What did you use to create them?
Ana
My boyfriend is a design engineer and it’s using his CAD software (he’s teaching me how to use it with each new design too, and hopefully my next computer will be compatible with it so I can start using it independently). I’m thrilled about having the GIFs — I think it really sets the plans apart!
Hi- super excited about these plans but the cut list and the assembly instructions for the base use different numbers of parts. The assembly instructions show 9 but the cut list has 13. Help?
You’re absolutely right! In my haste, I added the measurements for the wrap (the piece that goes around the whole bed) to the cut list for the base. I’ve corrected them in the plans today and am in the process of adding the new link. So the first two items on the cut list for the base have been moved to a separate new section for the WRAP (which should be any kind of wood you see fit).
Hi- I’ve been excitedly waiting for these plans but I’m a little confused. The cut list in the instructions lists 13 parts but the assembly instructions only show 9. Am I missing something?
You’re absolutely right! In my haste, I added the measurements for the wrap (the piece that goes around the whole bed) to the cut list for the base. I’ve corrected them in the plans today and am in the process of adding the new link. So the first two items on the cut list for the base have been moved to a separate new section for the WRAP (which should be any kind of wood you see fit).
Have been waiting for this plan! Going to hold off until I know if my son & I are flipflopping bedrooms.
What where you measurements?
All measurements/cuts are in the plans.
Love this! Wish you had plans for a queen size – we will adapt to make it work. Thanks for sharing!
I’ll adapt them to queen, full, and twin eventually, just a lot of projects going on and it hasn’t made its way up to the top of the priority list yet! They’ll be on their way soon. But yes, do feel free to adapt these to another bed size if that’s what you need for now!
Hi Sarah!
Thank you so much for providing these instructions! Me and my daughter made a full for my other daughter. I just have one comment on the slack length. 50” is too long, they should be cut at 48” if it is going to sit flush with the platform. Again, thank you!
Thank you so much for that info! Since I didn’t build the full or queen, I was a little nervous to put them up since I couldn’t physically validate — we used online measurements to assume the size of the bed! I’ll pass that on to the BF (we use his CAD software to make the plans so it’s on his computer). Again, thank YOU! :)
Hello. Thank you for the plans. I can confirm that the slats should be 48” if you want the slats to match the platform at a total of 55”
can you do this project without kreg jig?
Any type of project where you join two pieces of wood together can usually be modified using alternative joining methods (such as using longer screws and predrilling and being careful that the wood does not split, using dowel joinery with wood glue, or other options). It may take longer to do that part of the build (I used my Kreg Jig mainly on creating the bed slats but the other parts were put together with normal screws and glue). Just so you know, the plans are written based on how I built it, so I did not write instructions for other methods. Also FYI, I believe Kreg Minis are available for under $15 if you find that you still want to use pocket holes but don’t want to invest in a larger Kreg Jig. Hope all that helps and good luck on your project!
Hey Sarah, we LOVED this plan and my husband and I are currently building it for our first project. The cut list of lumber calls for 1×4’s for the slats, but I. The diagram of the slats, I see the width of the lumber being 2 1/2 inches. Are the 1x4s supposed to be ripped down to 2 1/2? The slats would be much too wide if we built them with the 1x4s as listed. Thanks for the plans, and any help we can get!
No, they don’t need to be ripped down. I could have overlooked that measurement when making the diagram and it’s using 1x3s (making the actual width 2 1/2 inches) instead of 1×4. I’ll have to double-check on my own bed and correct the plans if that’s the case. My bf uses my builds to make the plans so one of us must have made an error — I just don’t know which unless I get out the tape measure and compare to my bed (currently laying on it so I’ll need to lift the mattress, ha!). But definitely no need to rip boards down. Hope that helps!
Hello! I am currently looking at building this for our king size bed. I was just curious, how much did it al cost you? Just trying to get an idea of how much to save up!
Do you have any tipping issues with the overhang? I worry about the length/height causing it to get top.heavy and tip if you sit on the edge of the bed.
I’ve sat on the end and it doesn’t move on me. My large dog takes a running hop and sleeps on the end every night. It takes both of us to move the bed when we need to clean the rug/carpet or paint the walls. Granted, I’m not Ikea, so I don’t weight test what I build outside of our normal, everyday use. So I can’t make any guarantees, but it’s all made from 2x lumber, which is heavy as hell when it’s all fastened together.
Do you have a twin version? Want one for my daughter
Right now the sizes we have listed are King, Queen, and Full. These plans will soon be switched to paid versions where I will also be launching Twin and California King, but aren’t available yet.
Is it squeaky or loud when it’s um, under duress? Can it endure a little mattress dancin’ without giving you away to everyone else in the house?
No squeaking to report. But thank you for the description, it made me laugh!
It will not let the plans open up when I click on it. The page is just white? Please help
I think you may have emailed me about this? This should have been fixed on the library page, so let me know if it’s still an issue! Thanks for your patience!
Just wanted to let you know, your Queen plan is a little messed up. Built the bed frame and the mattress doesn’t even come close to fitting it. The frame is a little large. So now I’m upset. It looks weird but what can I do now? Thanks for the plan.
Hi, a few things to address (you inserted a fake email address, so while you don’t receive this reply, this is more for others who might read your comment): 1) Plans for beds other than our king mattress are made using standard mattress sizes (using a Google search since we don’t have every size mattress at our home, from every manufacturer). There’s always a chance that your specific mattress is slightly smaller or larger, so you should be comparing this to your mattress’s actual measurements when you make your cuts. 2) Our plans have been downloaded by thousands of folks by now, and we hadn’t heard from any others that the queen plan had an issue of not “coming close to fitting” (we assume there would have been notice by now as these plans have been available for years). So I’m thinking the likeliest culprit is that your mattress could be slightly smaller than average. The few times we’ve had to make adjustments (between our YouTube video and the blog post, I think it’s been twice and on a different size??), folks have reached out (nicely) about their issues as they built and we were able to update our plans. It’s been super helpful that they did because it made the plans even better and easier for future folks. 3) Since this is after the fact, there’s not much I can suggest other than you may want to take apart the bed enough to cut down the pieces that are too wide (the good news there being that you can still make some cuts to fit your smaller mattress). And 4) There are more constructive ways of reaching out about needing help than saying you’re upset about something that was provided to you for free and snarking about it. Your comment is rude. And again, given that the bed is slightly large, there’s opportunity to correct. Good luck.
Hello! I’m super excited to start building this plan (king) and just acquired all the lumber I needed based on the cut list. However, while taking stock between the PDF plan and this post, I noticed something is left out ☹. In this post I can see you used 1×2’s to connect the 2 halves of the project, but I don’t see any mention of how to join the platform and base in the plan. Personally, I think I’ll pocket screw (and not glue like you mentioned) the halves together, but I wanted to point out the minor discrepancy. Thanks again for these awesome plans!
Glad you’ll find some use in them! And yeah, how you attach them is up to you, since we used all sorts of different sizes and thicknesses of scrap wood (thus why they aren’t included in the plans).
I need the specs for a Cal King. This is exactly what I want to build.
I second this! I want to make this and need the cut sheet for a Cal King that is 72″ X 84″
How did you end up mounting the “wrap” to the 2x material? Did you just use screws? Do you by chance have any pictures?
I put them in the plans because I’ve always intended on it having a wrap, but I still haven’t installed mine. I’ve been looking for the perfect wood to use it for also making a headboard and just haven’t come across the right combination. When I wrap, I plan on using Kreg Jig pocket holes on the inside corners (where the wrap forms a “U” shape around the bed) and then using finishing nails to nail it in place. Since this step is cosmetic and not structural to the bed, it shouldn’t need much.