If your room does not have enough free space to install a bed or you want to have additional sections where you can store things, then consider creating a multifunctional podium with a bed. There are 2 options for how you can install a podium bed with your own hands in a few days. Let us consider in detail the manufacturing technology and possible mistakes at work.
Podium above the pull-out bed
In the first case, the podium is a structure that is located on an elevation; it is hollow inside. The bed frame is made on wheels. During the day the bed is moved inside the podium, at night it is rolled out and used for its intended purpose. The advantages of using this type of podium are significant space savings.
A podium of this type, installed in a long and narrow room, will allow you to visually adjust its shape and make the room more square.
At the top you can install a desktop, children's Corner, book racks. If the podium is made to fit the width of the room, then in addition to the bed inside it is possible to make built-in sections for bed linen, clothes or other things. The use of this design allows for zoning, separating the recreation area from the work area or bedroom.
Preparation of materials and tools, construction of a diagram
The first stage of work is the preparation of a design diagram and calculation of materials. The length of the structure is the width of the room, for example, 3.5 meters. Minimum width matches preferred width sleeping place with a margin of 10-20 cm. For a children's bed, a width of 1.2-1.5 m is enough, and installing a double bed will require 1.7-1.9 m. The height of the podium should be at least 50 cm, in this case the bed will move freely under him.
Drawing If the room has high ceilings, then it is possible to make a podium with a pull-out bed 60-70 cm high, the internal drawers in this case will be larger in capacity. On a sheet of paper you need to draw a design diagram, indicate the location, width and height of the steps. Determine the number and size of drawers and in which direction the doors will open.
To build the frame of the structure, a 5x5 cm beam is used, which is fastened with wood screws 70-100 mm long, metal corners. The amount of timber is calculated according to the constructed scheme. To cover the frame, OSB sheets 9 mm thick are prepared. If the design requires the presence of drawers, then purchase furniture facades and accessories.
Wooden elements
Tools 
Set of slats Podium frame
The manufactured podium model is a frame model. Its advantages are considered to be high versatility, simple installation, low weight of the structure and the ability to create high podiums. To increase the strength of the frame, it is recommended to provide additional rigidity to the structure using intermediate logs.
The mounted podium will consist of three parts:
- area for a pull-out bed;
- area of drawers and sections for storage;
- ladder.
A lattice frame is mounted in the area above the pull-out bed. Markings are made along the walls and the plinth is dismantled. Otherwise, the stand will not fit flush against the wall. The supports are placed at a distance of 40-45 cm; with increased load, the step can be reduced. Long guides are attached to the wall vertical posts, the distance between them should be 40-50 cm. They are connected to each other by short bars, with a pitch of no more than 40 cm. To increase the strength of the frame in the span above the bed, the frame is made of double timber.
Podium frame 
Attaching the frame to horizontal posts Bed frame
The frame of a retractable bed consists of a flooring and sides; it is made according to a pre-made drawing. The sides are cut from furniture panels or MDF. The height of the sides is chosen based on personal preference, but to securely fix the mattress they should not be less than 15 cm in height.
The mattress cover is calculated based on the dimensions of the mattress with a margin of 5 cm on each side. The frame for the lower flooring is assembled from timber. Pieces of soundproofing material are laid at the junctions of the wooden blocks. Then, when the bars rub while using the bed, a squeak will not appear. The supporting central crossbars are fixed in the center of the frame. Then thin flexible slats are nailed to them or wooden slats, which serve as the base for the mattress.
The side sides are screwed or glued to the frame base. Then the front facade, which is part of the podium when the bed is pulled in, is fixed. It is important that its height does not exceed the distance between the edge of the podium and the floor, taking into account the size of the rollers. Between the facade and the frame, special stops are installed, which can be cut out from the remaining parts of the MDF. Screwed to the bottom of the frame furniture casters, on which the bed will extend.
Drawing of a pull-out bed 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. Price finished design plywood will be smaller, however, OSB boards have a more uniform structure, without knots, chips and cavities.
We cover the podium 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 it is possible not to sheathe internal organization. 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 protective equipment from fungus, mold.
Finishing stages Finishing and adjustment of the structure
It is possible to use any floor covering as a finishing material: laminate, parquet, carpet, linoleum, ceramic tiles. You need to choose a material that is most suitable for general interior premises.
Do not forget that the podium is a raised platform with steps; its surface should not be slippery.
The most accessible and comfortable materials– laminate and carpet. The laminate is fixed with liquid nails. If the podium has built-in linen drawers, then the laminate is placed on their lids in separate pieces. The edges of the lid and steps are finished with a specialized profile for edging steps or with durable PVC corners.
The carpet for the podium can be used in the same design as for the rest of the room. A plain podium will be less noticeable. When zoning, choose a carpet of a different shade. At the junctions of the podium and carpet, it is possible to use a finishing plinth.
Carpet 
Laminate 
Linoleum Podium with sleeping area at the top
This podium model with a sleeping area above the storage system allows optimal use of the space under the bed. It is possible to place this structure anywhere, even in the center of the room, but it is better to choose a non-passable area. The lower part with built-in drawers allows you to place inside a large number of things, unload the closet or, in general, replace it with small hanging shelves.
Preparatory work and materials used
A sketch of the podium is drawn up on paper, where all the parameters of the frame, headboard and backrest, storage compartments, and dimensions of the side of the step for fixing the mattress are indicated. In the calculations, it is recommended to take into account the fact that the pressure on the floors should not be more than 350-750 kg/m2.
To make a structure with a sleeping area on top and drawers below, you will need the following materials:
- board 2.2 cm thick for making elements: A – outer panel 191x33 cm, details B, C– 165x33 cm, top side panels D – 193.2x15 cm, back panel E – 171x15 cm, 2 outer panels for drawers F – 95.3x32 cm, center panel G – 191x10 cm, back parts H – 33x10 cm;
- Chipboard 1.9 cm thick for elements inside the block: K - 191x33 cm, L - 160.6x33 cm, 2 panels M - 147.9x27.2 cm, 4 crossbars for center block N - 27.2x14.2 cm, 8 crossbars for the side block and backrest O – 33x8.1 cm;
- the walls of the drawers are made of boards 1.6 cm thick. 2 elements I are made - 77.8x24 cm, 4 elements J - 76x24 cm;
- the bottom of the drawers P is made of plywood, their dimensions are 78.8x74.8x1 cm;
- for the supports of the berth, beams with a cross section of 27x27 mm and 27x47 mm are required.
Preparation of materials Blocks
The construction will consist of 3 parts. The side block and backrest will be fixed at an angle of 90̊. The block in the center will divide the structure into 2 parts, each of which will have a drawer installed. To increase the mobility of the structure and make it collapsible, the blocks with the headboard can be connected with wing nuts and bolts with nuts.
The blocks are assembled first, holes are drilled in them and pins with a diameter of 0.8 cm are used for assembly. The joints of the parts need to be lubricated adhesive composition, and until it completely sets, fix the structure with clamps.
The block in the center is the shortest, it is held in place by 4 spacer elements. In the upper part of its panels, recesses are made necessary to fix the central crossbar. The dimensions of the recesses are 10x2.2 cm.
Attaching the side beams to the wall 
Preparing the frame support Mattress frame
In the back and headboard blocks, also on inside side blocks are horizontally fixed with supporting bars measuring 4.7x2.7 cm. The supporting bars are attached with screws and glue. Next, the support bars are fixed, on which the entire load occurs. They are positioned so that 2 bars are at the edges of the structure, one is in its center, and three bars are at the headboard and headboard of the bed. In the side block, 2 bars are placed as close as possible to the place where the central block is attached.
To install the central crossbar, recesses are cut out in the supporting beams and holes are drilled for screws with a diameter of 4.5 mm. On the side where the drawer sections are located, T-shaped stops are screwed in to support the front parallel crossbars.
Fastening the longitudinal beams 
Installation of lower supports 
Strengthening the structure with corners Assembly of retractable sections and possible types of facades
Using a 10 mm cutter, 5 mm recesses are made on each wall of the box, into which a plywood bottom is installed. The location of the grooves is influenced by the height of the roller wheels. In the work, it should be taken into account that the minimum permissible distance from the bottom of the pull-out storage to the floor is 1 cm.
The walls are assembled onto flat tenons or connected to pins. The front wall should extend beyond the boundaries of the walls, on the sides up to 4 cm, in the central part up to 10 cm. On the side elements, beams with a section of 1.3x1.3 cm are fixed, intended for movement along the guides. Guides are fixed on both sides of the central block.
If plywood was used for the facades, then it is necessary to sand the entire surface with fine sandpaper. Then the facades are primed and painted or varnished.
Also, when making a podium with drawers, you can use ready-made facades made of MDF and plastic. They can be ordered by custom sizes in companies producing furniture or kitchens. The color of the facades can be the same color as the main structure or contrasting, the surface has a pattern, matte or glossy. In case of use finished facades the design will have a more attractive appearance.
Finishing with chipboard sheets
Final assembly and finishing of the structure
The blocks are held together using support bars; they are fixed with screws at the joints. To increase the strength of the structure, several adjacent elements of different blocks can be connected with large bolts and nuts.
Front decorative panel installed on crossbars located in the front part and supported by T-shaped stops and bars in the center. The elements for decorative edging (D and E) have grooves at the ends into which the tenons of the front crossbars and the base of the stock are inserted. Fixing glue is applied only on one side of the spike, which allows you to disassemble the bed if necessary.
Next, the center transverse bar is fixed in special recesses. Then cuts are made in the elements of the upper edging. After that, the edging elements are mounted on spikes, connecting the front slats to the base of the bed.
If there are imperfections in the joints, then a layer of wood putty is applied and the surface is sanded. Then the podium frame is primed and varnished or painted in any color that best matches the interior of the room.
Finished bed podium 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 inside it it is necessary to provide ventilation holes. They can be located on the partition between the stairs and the pull-out bed, or in vertical wall steps. If it is possible to carry the battery, then it is better to use it, and additional pipes hide 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.
Don't plan too much complex design if your experience construction work quite small. A bed with a podium is a fashionable and comfortable piece of furniture. The design allows for optimal use of the available space, organically integrating storage systems and communications inside the podium.
Such a functional thing as a podium can find a place in almost any apartment. We talked about its functions and tasks in detail in the articles “” and “”, and mentioned it as good decision for the nursery, bedroom, kitchen and even an innumerable number of times.
Types of podiums
The podiums have different heights. At very low levels, a kitchen or bath is often placed for the convenience of hidden communications. This type of podium also serves to differentiate functional zones in large rooms or studio apartments or to create a visual accent. The bed and drawers are hidden in higher podiums, and the rest of the furniture is placed on top; It also happens the other way around: the mattress is placed on a podium, and they only store something inside. The highest podiums are often found in the nursery: a whole closet can fit inside, and on the second floor you will get an excellent bedroom or study corner - a kind of replacement for a loft bed or purchased sets of children's furniture.
The podium does not have to be large in area: the compact version looks great by the window or on the balcony - with a mattress and pillows on top and useful storage containers inside. You can even apply your knowledge of podium construction to create a functional sofa or base with drawers for a bed.
Materials
The following requirements are imposed on the materials for the podium: reliability (to withstand furniture and people), lightness (not to put a strong load on the floors) and absence unpleasant sounds while walking on the catwalk.
The strongest podiums have a concrete base, but this solution is not suitable for apartments: the weight of the structure is simply enormous. Therefore, the frame of the podium in urban environments is made from the following materials:
- Wooden beams. Sometimes they are supplemented with supporting pillars made of brick.
- Metallic profile. Withstands heavy loads, but is more expensive. Metal structure is still complemented by timber.
- Foam blocks. Lighter than concrete and will provide high structural strength.
The podium is sheathed with plywood, and the chosen one is placed on top finishing material: Almost any floor covering from tile to carpet will do.
Preparation
First, decide on the type of podium, location and size. You will need a diagram that will take into account the dimensions and additional elements such as drawers or a pull-out bed. Without proper experience, it is difficult to draw a drawing yourself, so you can turn to professionals for advice or take a suitable one on the Internet and modify it a little. Here are a few as examples:
It is also necessary to approximately calculate the amount of material and purchase it. In the classic version, timber of 30x40 mm and 50x50 mm and plywood of 10 mm and 20 mm are suitable for a wooden podium. Plus you will need a set of carpentry tools and consumables:self-tapping screws, anchors, dowel-nails, simple and reinforced mounting angles.
If your design contains pull-out elements, you will need appropriate fittings or ready-made drawers/beds for podiums. The easiest way is to make a storage place with a hinged lid on top, but it will not be very convenient.
DIY bed podium: note
- To make the podium level, before starting work, draw a level line on the wall.
- Leave a gap of 2-3 mm between sheets of plywood: the material expands from changes in temperature and humidity.
- The strength of the structure is added by reducing the step between the supports in the frame - the optimal distance is no more than 40 cm.
- It is better to fill the voids in the podium with construction wool or foam to avoid the booming sound of footsteps and the creaking of the frame.
- Materials for the podium in the wet area, especially foam blocks, additionally require serious waterproofing.
Master classes
These three videos show the construction of podiums that differ in design or materials. For example, in the last video, a creative craftsman made a podium using kitchen cabinets from IKEA, which greatly simplified his work.
Quartblog Digest
All about neat and convenient storage bedding at home: best places and the most useful life hacks.
In this collection we have collected for you examples of bedrooms and beds with podiums.
Interesting ways to visually separate the bed from the rest of the space.
In a small apartment with an area of 42.9 m², it was important for the designers of the Geometrium workshop to place all the functionality while maintaining space and airiness.
Podium beds are suitable for those who want to save bedroom space and take advantage of the new storage space.
Photos: howmeb.com, ik-architects.com, whoovie.com, pinterest.com, homester.com.ua, happymodern.ru
In the absence of excess free space It is worth considering a multifunctional podium bed with compact sections for storing bedding. There are 2 types that can actually be built in just a few days. To do this, it is not necessary to have professional skills as a designer and carpenter.
Advantages of podium beds
Podium beds Lately are popular due to many factors:
- opportunity to bring originality to design decoration apartments or houses;
- 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:
- a sleeping place located on a raised platform and with separate sliding compartments in a niche;
- 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.
Tools and materials
During the work you will need a standard tool kit:
- electric jigsaw;
- drill and hammer drill;
- hammer;
- Phillips screwdriver;
- construction stapler;
- furniture casters in the amount of 8 pieces;
- self-tapping screws, dowels, screws, fixing angles;
- measuring tool and pencil;
- special glue and varnish.
To make the frame, prepare long wooden guides (reinforced timber) and sheets of MDF, OSB or furniture panels(9 mm thick) for cladding. For the base of the bed you need bendable slats or thin slats. As the final cladding, use any sheet material at your discretion: plywood, OSB boards.
Making a raised bed
Initially, they determine the place where the podium bed will be located. Drawings and dimensions are drawn in accordance with the desired design. Then it begins preparatory stage when they collect everything necessary for work. The cross-section of the beams is determined depending on the size of the bed. On average it is 5 x 5 cm. Strong wood is used under the frame, which is connected along the area of the mattress. An allowance of approximately 5–10 mm is left on the sides.
Drawers and boxes are placed inside the paving base. The quantity is determined at personal discretion. Schematic plan for assembling a bed-podium in the figure.
If a single bed 2 meters long with three drawers is meant, then a frame measuring 1.87 x 1.25 m is made from 5 x 10 cm bars. 18 mm thick plywood is used under the blanks for the frame. With such dimensions of the bed, the niches for the drawers are left 50 cm wide, and the drawers themselves are 47.5 cm with a length of 60 cm. They are made from plywood sheets 13 mm thick.
Pre-collect the required material:
- board with a cross section of 220 mm - cross members and external components;
- board 160 mm thick - internal parts of the drawers;
- Chipboard - for finishing the bed from the inside;
- centimeter plywood - bottom of drawers;
- bars - for the frame of the sleeping bed.
- The dimensions of the future bed are drawn on the floor, and bars are filled around the perimeter, which will serve as a contour for constructing the frame.
- They begin assembly, starting with construction frame base and a stationary frame. The frame will have an area of 215 x 188 cm. K standard length add an additional 12 cm.
- The standing bars are securely fastened so that the podium does not wobble.
Step-by-step assembly instructions:
If the cross beams are too long, then additional vertical block sections are placed in the center of the structure for stability. Otherwise, the bed will begin to creak in the future.
How to make and install boxes
When designing boxes, take into account their length - 60 cm. This size is optimal because it does not require much space and at the same time allows you to place sufficient quantity of things . The box consists of 4 parts and a bottom. They are fastened together with screws. Then the finished boxes are fixed in the positioned opening on the guides.
When installing boxes, they are guided by the drawings in order to do everything in exact accordance. Otherwise, in the future this will negatively affect the ease of use of the bed.
Final finishing
The final touch will be finishing the finished podium. Cover it with chipboard or carpet. It is recommended to first apply a layer of acrylic primer to the plank surface and, after drying, sand it with sandpaper. Then they are varnished several more times; it is better to choose matte.
The headboard is designed depending on personal preferences - who has enough imagination for what. It may be soft. Then you will need foam rubber and plywood, and some fabric that is pleasant to the touch is pulled on top. Now all that remains is to lay the mattress, and the bed is ready for use.
How to make a bed on a podium
In this case, the bed on wheels is pushed into a hollow podium structure. This is convenient if there is a lack of space - the sleeping place is removed during the day and pulled out at night. The space above remains free and can be used for any purpose - installing a school table, play area, sports corner, bookshelves and other things. When making a large-scale podium (the width of the room), it is possible to additionally build in sections for linen or something else.
With the help of podium beds, the space is usually demarcated into a sleep and rest area or a study area.
To enhance the strength of the frame, intermediate logs are additionally installed. Conventionally, such a structure is divided into 3 components:
- the area where the bed goes;
- space for drawers and linen compartments;
- ladder.
Step-by-step manufacturing instructions
First, they prepare a diagram where they draw in detail the bed-podium with their own hands, step by step, with drawers and other elements. The length is taken according to the size of the room, the width - depending on the required (from 1 to 1.9 m) plus an allowance of up to 20 cm. The height of the podium structure must be at least half a meter so that the sleeping place can move freely in it.
- They start by assembling the frame lattice. To do this, mark the walls of the room and remove the baseboard. The support bars are placed at a distance of 45 cm or slightly less. Long bars are attached to a vertical support with an indentation of 45–50 cm, and they are fixed to each other with shortened bars. The sheathing over the bed is made of durable timber so that the structure can withstand external loads.
- The design of the bed includes flooring and sides, which are cut from MDF or furniture panels. The height of the sidewalls is selected at personal discretion, but optimal size- 15 cm.
- The flooring of the sleeping bed is chosen in accordance with the dimensions of the mattress + 5 cm on both sides in reserve. The lower frame is assembled from slats, lined with soundproofing material so that the bed does not creak in the future. They start from the center, where the support beams are attached, and flexible slats are nailed to them.
- Screw the sides on the sides with self-tapping screws and metal corners. After that, the front façade is installed, which is part of the podium when the bed is pushed inside. The main thing is to maintain its dimensions - no more than the distance from the floor to the top edge of the podium. Rollers are attached to the bottom.
- The skeleton of the podium is sheathed with pieces of slabs cut according to the drawing.
- If drawers are planned, they are installed before the exterior finishing of the frame.
- All structural elements are coated with a protective antifungal agent.
Making a podium bed with your own hands is not so difficult if you have correctly executed drawings. A guarantee of success will be accurate calculation, accuracy and compliance technical instructions. It is equally important to use quality material. If you lack construction experience, you should not immediately choose an overly complex structure. In any case, such a bed will transform the interior.
Let's start with the advantages and disadvantages of such an idea.
Podium in the bedroom: pros and cons
Any design or element of furniture has its positive and negative sides. I’ll start, of course, by listing the advantages that a podium in the bedroom has:
- It is appropriate even in a small apartment, because with its help, free space is saved, and it also becomes possible to remove a closet or cabinet from the room;
- the retractable design will become a spacious storage for linen, towels and other accessories;
- You can build a podium for a bed with your own hands in any room, of course, if its square footage allows it.
I also highlighted some negative points:
- Despite the fact that the podium is an unusual and attractive design solution, not everyone will like it. If one of the family members is tall, they may experience discomfort, since the space between the floor and ceiling is somewhat reduced;
- the resulting space in the bed with a podium and drawers is not always used for storing things in full. The exceptions are narrow designs which are more convenient.
It turns out that there are more advantages. Therefore, if you have an idea to have a podium for your bed, you need to implement it. For a spacious room, such a sleeping place will definitely become bright stylish element, and in a small room it will create additional conditions for maintaining order.
On a note! In addition to the classic rectangular look, there is also a round podium. Such furniture looks very impressive, but is not suitable for every interior. In particular, for a small bedroom this is not the best option.
How to make a podium with your own hands
The bed comes with a pull-out or a sleeper on top. I will tell you how you can make different podiums with your own hands, about the technology for their manufacture, and also point out possible errors that may arise during the work process.
Necessary tools and preparatory work
Before you start creating a podium in the bedroom with your own hands, you should create a sketch with previously taken measurements. Consider the dimensions of the frame, the sleeping area itself, and the wheels. Sliding of the bed should be easy and unhindered, including when it is made.
Think in advance and take into account the presence of special drawers and the level of impact that will occur on the general surface. The consumables purchased will also depend on the latter characteristics.
Realistically evaluate your capabilities when recreating the sample you like. Your experience may be more applicable to sleeper models. Such a sketch is created by analogy with the diagram described above, only here you think over the appearance of the storage area.
After completing your drawing, prepare the necessary tools:
- roulette;
- pencil;
- drill;
- screwdriver;
- hacksaw;
- self-tapping screws;
- dowels
How to make a podium with a pull-out bed
A podium with a pull-out bed will be a piece of furniture located above the floor. It is installed on wheels, which will help make removing the bed smooth and easy. This not only saves space, but also, if necessary, visually improves an unsuccessfully elongated layout.
To briefly list the advantages of this option, they are versatility, lightness, relatively simple installation, and the ability to place the bed on a high podium.
Podium layout with a pull-out bed
Work should begin by removing the baseboards, since the support should be as close to the wall as possible. Then we start marking. The location of the supports will directly depend on the expected load on the podium. The larger it is, the smaller the distance between them. The initial guideline is 40-45 cm.
The next step in working on the pull-out bed from the podium is laying the guides with fixation using self-tapping screws. A distance of no more than 50 cm is allowed. Next, the vertical supports will be connected using shorter elements. To increase the strength characteristics of the span, a double beam is laid at the base of the frame.
The retractable element with the flooring has sides, the average height of which is about 15 cm. This will be enough to securely fix the mattress. The standard frame of the future bed will look like this:
When making the flooring, you should add 5 cm to each side. The timber will be used to make the frame for this part of the bed. In places where elements will be connected, I recommend using soundproofing material, which will save you from extraneous sounds during operation. In the central part of the frame, plate structures will later be screwed to the attached crossbars, like a base for a mattress.
When the base is ready, start fixing the sides. Next comes the turn of the front part, which will be the front part when the bed is hidden. The rollers are screwed to the finished frame.
To make the structure complete, it is sheathed with durable sheet material. It can be plywood or OSB of your choice.
The sheets are cut out according to the created drawing and attached with self-tapping screws to the podium frame. The closed frame does not need to be sheathed on the inside.
If the system includes drawers, they must be installed before the sheathing.
The final finishing, which carries an aesthetic load, is carried out using the most various materials. For example, it could be carpet, laminate, linoleum.
Ready-made podium with retractable bed
How to make a podium bed with a berth on top
If you want to organize a spacious storage system, this model will make your intentions come true. A self-made bed with a podium can be placed in any part of the room, but it is better to give preference to non-accessible places in the back of the bedroom. As a result, you can significantly unload your closet or chest of drawers, or abandon them altogether, choosing stylish shelves as an alternative.
Just like in the first option, we start work with design. We plan and mark the dimensions and all the necessary zones on the structure.
This design consists of 3 blocks. The side part is attached to the back and has a right angle. The central element divides the sleeping area in half and serves as a guide in the manufacture of storage systems.If you plan to have a mobile phone at your disposal collapsible design, you can attach the headboard block using ordinary bolts.
The basis of the blocks is timber. Holes are drilled for the fasteners, and glue is used to securely fix the joints. After assembling the structure, secure it with special clamps and wait until it dries completely.
The central element is attached to the spacer elements. As a result, space is created for the cross board, which is necessary when creating the bed frame. The bars are fixed along the entire podium using screws. To ensure good strength, the joints are also coated with an adhesive.
You should remember to strengthen the crossbars in the area of the sliding elements and use special stops for this.
The base of the bed is assembled from slats or OSB. All you have to do is complete the design with sides of the required height.I would also like to say something about the podium with drawers. Installation is carried out using boards and plywood. Make a recess in the bed walls for the plywood bottom. According to the height of the wheels, you will determine the locations for the grooves. The bottom drawers should not be too low. Have at least 1cm of material spare.
The basis for the runners will be bars, the cross-section of which is 1.3 by 1.3 cm.
You can sheathe the facade of the podium yourself with sanded plywood or made to individual measurements decorative material. A do-it-yourself podium like this under a bed will look extremely impressive.
DIY bed on the podium (video)
Watch the instructional video for a visual representation of making a podium bed with your own hands.
Bedroom interior with podium bed
When decorating the interior, you should maintain a balance between all the constituent elements. Please note this unusual solution when the bed is separated from the main part of the bedroom using cabinet partitions. This will give a special coziness to the room.
The sleeping area, in addition to the bed itself, can be diversified by original bright lighting or a wall with a clear accent.
If you are a fan of a sophisticated interior, create additional zoning using a curtain or plasterboard wall.
The sleeping place on the podium is already original in itself, so any of your improvisations will be welcome.
A do-it-yourself podium bed is rightfully considered modern and original. design solution. With its help, you can significantly increase the functionality of the space used. And playback original design with lighting elements will make this piece of furniture your pride.
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Having small apartment, many people think about how to solve the problem of accommodating overnight guests. Good decision make a podium bed with your own hands. At night these are full-fledged sleeping places, and during the day they are a regular workplace.
Preparatory stage
As in any business, the main thing is the preparatory stage. It is necessary to take careful measurements. You need to decide how high you want to make the bed frame, how high the mattress will be, and the height of the wheels on which the bed will ride. Based on this, you will know the height of the future podium. It is imperative to leave a reserve so that the bed can be moved in without any problems with bedding (if desired).
Decide how wide the podium will be, whether there will be additional drawers, and what the load will be on the podium in its normal state. This will affect the materials that will be used to create the podium bed.
The first stage - the podium frame
In order to assemble the frame, you will need:
- Board or timber with a thickness of 50mm or more. It’s better to buy it in a store that offers cutting to size, and where you can choose the boards yourself - they should be smooth, without knots or leaking resins. This will simplify further work.
- Wood screws and dowel nails for fastening boards to each other and to the floor.
- Galvanized corners as large as possible.
- Screwdriver and hammer drill.
We set the frame according to previously made measurements. We fasten each board to the floor on all four sides with dowel-nail corners. We attach the racks and the boards lying on them to the corners with ordinary wood screws. Be sure to check the stability of the fixed boards.
When attaching the frame, it is important to step back from the wall where the radiators and curtains are located. If the walls around the podium are blank (no windows, radiators or curtains), then better frame attach it to the wall - stability will be much better.
Stage two – closing the podium
There are several options here - you can lay wooden frame plywood, OSB or chipboard (laminated particle board). In the case of plywood and OSB, you will then need to lay the laminate. Laminated chipboard is convenient because the coating is laminated. The disadvantage of laminated chipboard is the possibility of breaking under load. If the load on the podium is large, this material should not be used. Attach the plywood to the base with wood screws. When working, be sure to use a building level.
When the plywood is attached to the load-bearing boards, we lay a backing for the laminate made of isolon on it and lay a 31-32 class laminate on top.
Laminate flooring is laid on top of the podium. We frame it around the perimeter with adhesive-based PVC corners.
The third stage - retractable systems
The podium itself is ready - be sure to test its strength by walking around it and placing the furniture that will stand there. All that remains is to make drawers and a bed. Remains of plywood, boards, screws and corners are suitable for this. You will need helium-based wheels and a slatted bottom for the mattress (all this is sold at any furniture store).
We check whether the drawers and bed fit well. If everything is fine, then we move on to the last stage.
The final stage - facades of retractable systems
For this, HDF in the color of the laminate or chipboard that was laid on the floor is suitable. Having previously cut them to size, we attach them with finishing nails/screws to the frames of the boxes. Next, we attach the furniture handles and the podium bed is ready.
To create a solution like the one in the photo, you needed:
- pine timber/board - 20 linear meters;
- galvanized corners - 100 pieces;
- self-tapping screws and dowel-nails, 500 pieces each;
- unsanded plywood 12mm - 3 sheets;
- backing for laminate - 1 package of 12 pieces;
- laminate - 2.5 packs (26 boards);
- LDVP - 1/2 sheet (2750*1830mm);
- slatted bottom - 2 pieces (200*85cm);
- furniture handles - 4 pieces;
- furniture wheels - 20 pieces.
