Bed podium in your home

If you dream of a unique interior, but you have nowhere to turn around, as you need to save space, add a podium bed to the decor.

Its appearance will help to zone the space in an original way. In addition to the fact that a full-fledged sleeping place will appear in the house, the same territory can be used for organizing an office, as a play area or as a storage system. Another advantage of this solution is the ability to assemble a podium bed with your own hands, and do it without spending special effort and money. Let's try to figure out how this design is arranged and how to install it.

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Types of podium beds

The podium bed can be made in two versions:

1. With the location of the bed on the podium.

2. With a bed that can be pulled out of the podium.

The first option makes it possible to equip, in a part raised above the floor, an excellent storage place not only for bedding, but also for other things.

The second one is a real find for small apartments, however, it is too complicated for independent execution. For its implementation, it is better to invite a specialist. This does not mean that attention will not be paid to this type of construction.

Models of both versions of the podium bed photo on the Internet are in great variety. You can find an interesting solution by flipping through the relevant catalogs or come up with your own version. So let's get started!

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We design a podium bed with our own hands

Preparatory stage

You can’t do anything without preparation, so before you start working, create a sketch of the future design, where all measurements will be reflected. Knowing how high the bed frame and mattress will be, as well as the height of the wheels needed to extend it, you can calculate the height of the podium itself. You can't do it side by side. The bed should easily go into it even without being made up, that is, with pillows, blankets and other things.

The width of the podium is determined arbitrarily. Naturally, it cannot be less than the width of the bed. Think about whether some drawers will be built into the sides below and what load the podium surfaces will have to withstand in a standard setting. The latter is extremely important, since the choice of consumables will depend on this.

To assemble a podium pull-out bed, the photo of which you liked, you need to have experience as a furniture maker. Realistically evaluate your capabilities, who knows, maybe after that, you will not take such a high bar and stop at a simpler version of the stationary model, where the bed is located on top.

The principle of sketching is similar to the above, only instead of organizing space under the bed, you will need to think about the type of storage system. Having finished with the sketch, assemble a set of actual tools. It should contain:

1. Measuring tape.

2. Ruler.

3.Pencil.

4. Drill.

5. Hammer.

6. Electric jigsaw.

7. Screwdriver.

8. Screwdriver.

From the fasteners for assembling the podium bed with your own hands, stock up:

1. Dowels.

2. Self-tapping screws.

If the decorating material is chosen carpet, you may need a construction stapler.

Retractable bed podium

Let's start with the definition of the concept of the podium. In this version of the bed, it will be a hollow structure raised to a certain level above the floor. The bed frame is placed on wheels to make it easier to remove the bed for its intended use. This model is an opportunity to save precious meters of usable space.

The presence of such a bed in a narrow and overly long room is a chance to correct an unsuccessful layout and give the room a more square look.

On the podium itself, you can arrange book shelves, equip a work area or a child's playground. If the podium is designed for the entire width of the room, then in its bowels there is a place for several built-in sections, where it will be convenient to hide all sorts of things.

materials

To equip the podium bed with your own hands, you will need a beam with a section of 5x5 cm, metal corners, 9 mm OSB sheets, which will go to the frame sheathing, as well as fittings and furniture facades for drawers, if any, in the design.

Podium frame: assembly features

This type of podium is frame. Its advantages include:

1. Multifunctionality.

2. Light weight.

3. Easy installation.

4. The ability to equip high podiums.

To increase the strength of the base, it needs to be given additional rigidity, which is done by adding intermediate lags. You can see how it looks at the podium bed in the photo.

The mounted structure will have three components:

1. Pull-out bed area.

2. Sections of the storage system.

3. Stairs.

The beginning of work on the frame will be the dismantling of skirting boards. This is necessary so that the support stand is flush with the wall. Next comes the markup. The step distance of the supports is 40 - 45 cm. If the podium will carry a large load, the distance must be reduced.

The next stage of work on the do-it-yourself podium bed will be the laying of long rails. They are placed on vertical supports and fixed to them with self-tapping screws. The distance between these elements is not more than half a meter. Between themselves, the guides will be connected by short bars, the laying step, which is 40 cm. To increase the strength of the frame in the area of ​​​​the span above the bed, a double bar is laid in the frame.

bed frame

The sliding part has sides and flooring. The former can be cut from MDF or special furniture boards. Their height is arbitrary and commensurate with personal preferences. To securely fix the mattress, fifteen-centimeter-high sides are enough. You can see how the podium bed frame will look like in a standard interpretation in the photo.

The flooring that will hold the mattress should have allowances in size. On each side, 5 cm are added to it. To form the frame of the lower flooring, a beam is required. The joints of the elements should be equipped with gaskets made of soundproof material, this will eliminate creaking during the operation of the bed. In the center of the frame, load-bearing crossbars are attached. Subsequently, flexible slats will be nailed to them, which will become the base holding the mattress.

To the finished base of the podium bed, assembled with your own hands, the sides are fixed. They can be screwed or glued.Then they move on to attaching the front facade, which, when the bed is retracted, will be part of the podium frame. Rollers are screwed to the finished bed frame.

podium trim

Having mounted the frames of both structural elements, you can start giving the podium a complete look. To do this, its frame must be sheathed with sheet material of high strength. Ideally, OSB and plywood are used. The second option is economically more profitable, however, of less quality. OSB boards are characterized by a uniform structure. They do not have chips, cocky knots and cracks, which is inherent in plywood.

Sheet material is cut in accordance with the design drawing. The resulting pieces are attached to the frame base of the podium bed, mounted by hand, on self-tapping screws. If, according to the assembly plan, the frame is completely closed, the structure can not be sheathed from the inside. Provided that at least one side of the podium will be devoid of a wall, interior decoration is required. Our photos will tell you more about the options for sheathing the frame of the podium of the podium of the retractable type.

 

If a storage system is planned in the podium, then its drawers are installed in place before the start of work on the finishing sheathing. And one more nuance. All wooden elements should be pre-treated with good protective compounds to prevent the appearance of fungus and mold inside the structure.

Final stage

“Do not neglect safety, because by assembling the podium bed with your own hands, in fact, you got an additional place on the dais, with steps leading there, which can be used for any purpose”

After sheathing the podium, it is time to decorate and adjust the structure. Finishing material can be:

1. Carpet.

2. Linoleum.

3. Laminate.

4. Ceramic tiles.

5. Parquet.

The priority in choosing should be the floor covering that ideally matches the overall interior design of the room. Do not neglect safety, because by assembling the podium bed with your own hands, in fact, you got an additional place on the dais, with steps leading there, which can be used for any purpose. On its site should not be slippery. This requirement is fully consistent with the laminate and carpet.

The color scheme of the decorative coating should correspond to the design concept of the room. If the podium area is not an area that requires highlighting, then it would be correct to finish it in the same tone as the rest of the floor. In places of corner joints of the coating, the seams are masked with finishing plinths. You can appreciate how elegant this podium bed decor looks by looking at the photo.

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Bed podium with a berth on top

This model provides an opportunity to organize a large storage system in the podium space. A do-it-yourself podium bed of this type, created by oneself, can be located in any part of the room, even in the center, however, it is still better to equip it in impassable places. Built-in drawers at the bottom will allow you to unload cabinets or even refuse to use them in this room, replacing them with hanging shelves.

Where to begin

The start of work will also be associated with the design of the structure. The drawing should reflect the dimensions of the frame, the headboard, the size of the sides that fix the mattress, the number and location of the drawers, and, of course, all available dimensional proportions. To calculate the strength - the maximum load on the floors should not be more than 750 kg / m2.

Assembling the podium

In this model of a berth, the podium will have a block structure consisting of 3 parts. The side block is fixed to the back at a right angle.The central block will divide the space into two equivalent halves, which is necessary for the symmetrical installation of the storage system sections. If necessary, make the structure collapsible and in order to increase its mobility, the headboard block can be fixed with wing nuts or simply taken with standard bolts. How the podium bed will look like at this stage, the photo will show.

Blocks are assembled from timber. Holes are drilled in the parts for mounting pins. The joints are additionally lubricated with a cool composition. After assembly, the structure is fixed with clamps and left in this form until the glue dries.

The central block is the shortest. It is attached to the podium bed structure on four spacer elements. At the same time, the top panel is somewhat recessed deep into. Thus, you will get enough space for laying the central cross board, which is necessary for arranging the bed frame.

Mattress frame

Support bars are fixed along the perimeter of the podium. Fasteners this time are screws. The joints are also treated with glue to give greater strength and reliability to the joints.

Then support bars are placed, which will take on the entire load. On the headboard and backrest, you will need to lay 3 of these elements. In the area of ​​the central block - 2.

To strengthen the front parallel crossbars in the area where the retractable sections are located, special T-shaped stops are used. You can see how the podium bed looks at this stage in the photo.

The base of the bed is laid on the support bars, which can be assembled from slats or OSB sheets. Now it remains to provide the structure with protective sides along the height of the mattress, and the steel place will be ready.

Retractable sections

For their installation, you will need a 1.6 cm section board and plywood. On the walls assembled for the drawer podium bed, cut 5 mm recesses with your own hands. A plywood bottom will be inserted into them. The locations of the grooves for the drawers in the central unit will be determined by the height of the roller wheels, which will be equipped with drawers for ease of use. In this case, it should be borne in mind that the lower drawers cannot be installed lower than one centimeter from the floor.

The role of the basis for the guide rails of the drawers will be performed by bars with a section of 1.3 x 1.3 cm attached to the sides of each part of the central block.

podium cladding

“When working on a do-it-yourself podium bed, it makes sense to order ready-made models of facades according to individual sizes, which are made of plastic and MDF”

You can look for a hint on how best to sheathe the facade of the podium bed with a sleeping place on top in the photo. If you chose plywood for this purpose, then its surface will need to be carefully sanded. This can be done with fine sandpaper. Then the facade will be primed and stained or varnished.

When working on a do-it-yourself podium bed, it makes sense to order ready-made models of facades according to individual sizes, which are made of plastic and MDF. Their surface can be matte or glossy, have patterns in the form of carving imitation, for example, or any other decor. Such a solution will look very impressive.

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Conclusion

Assembling a podium bed with your own hands is a rather relevant design idea. Its appearance will allow the most functional use of home space. In addition, by making it in the original design and equipping it with lighting, this piece of furniture can be presented as a decorative element of the decor.

Photo gallery - podium bed

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Video

 

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