This DIY Daybed was SO MUCH EASIER to make than I expected! My husband and I have never built something that wasn’t pre-fabricated and came with directions. So, I’m quite impressed by how well it turned out. This daybed only cost $100 (not including the mattresses), which is a crazy good price!
Week 3 of the One Room Challenge flew by, so my update is coming a tiny bit late this week. If you’ve missed my previous posts, you can read about my home office / guest room plans here, and all about painting the walls black here. You can also see our finished room reveal here!
A few of our must have’s for our daybed/guest bed:
- A real mattress to offer the most comfort for our guests
- Easily disguised as a modern couch to match our office space
- Low profile to limit how much it blocks the windows (the bottom window trim is under 9” from the floor)
If you’ve ever looked into daybeds/sleeper sofas, then you know there’s a million options. Many of them are actually quite attractive. From daybeds and futons, to pull-out couches and murphy beds. Since this room functions as more than just a guest room, I didn’t want to have a true bed in the room. I wanted it to feel fully office/sim room but also offer a comfortable guest room when we do have friends or family staying with us.
UPDATE: We’ve now had multiple guests stay with us and they LOVE the bed! It’s sturdy and doesn’t creak, and the mattresses are great!
After finding this convertible daybed by Bautier, I knew it was exactly what I wanted. I liked the idea of a daybed that turns into one large guest bed, rather than two small beds as you’d get with a trundle. It can also use a real mattress that doesn’t need to fold like it would in a pullout couch or futon. Plus, it’s simple modern design fits perfectly with the style of our home. The one downfall: the price tag!
I searched the internet like crazy, but couldn’t find a tutorial to build an expandable daybed. So, I sketched out my own design! My husband and I planned it out on a piece of scratch paper, bought our supplies, and we got to work building our DIY daybed.
DIY Daybed – Expandable Platform Bed Twin-to-King
*This DIY daybed fits a standard twin sized mattress measuring 75″ x 39″. If using a different size mattress for your daybed, you will need to adjust your measurements. The mattresses we used are each 6 inches thick and only cost $125 each (linked here from Amazon and here from Home Depot).
Supplies Needed:
- 4 – 2 in. x 4 in. x 8 ft. stud boards)
- 2 – 1 in. x 8 in. x 8 ft. finish boards of choice (we used pine)
- 1 – 1 in. x 2 in. x 8 ft. furring strip
- 11 – 1 in. x 4 in. x 8 ft. slat boards
- 6 – 6 in. furniture legs
- #8 x 2″ Screws
- 2″ Kreg Pocket Hole Screws
- 4 – Corner Top Plates
- 2 – Wood Insert Nuts
- 220 grit sandpaper
- 120 and 220 grit sandpaper for orbital sander
- Wood conditioner and stain (optional)
- Furniture Paint (optional)
- Wood sealer of choice (I love wipe-on poly for an easy, flawless, durable finish!)
Tools Needed:
Steps to Build a DIY Twin-to-King Expandable Daybed
Build the Frame for your DIY Daybed
- Cut the wood for the frame by taking three of the 2×4’s and cutting them so you have the following:
- (2) 74” 2×4’s
- (2) 40” 2×4’s
- Using the kreg jig, drill two side-by-side holes at each end of the 74” 2×4’s. Make sure you drill the holes on the 4” side and that they are on the same side of the board for each end.
- Line up the 4 pieces of wood on their sides, with the two longer pieces placed inside of the two shorter pieces. The holes should face toward the inside of the frame. Drill them together using the kreg jig screws to create the frame.
- Create corner braces by cutting a remnant piece of the 2×4 with 45 degree angles to create something close to a triangle.
- Inside each corner, line up the corner brace and use the countersink drill bit to create a pocket for the screw. The holes should be perpendicular to the frame. Then drill the wood screws into the pocket to secure it to the frame.
Attach the Slats to the Daybed Frame
- Cut 10 of the 1×4’s to 40” long to give you a total of 20 slat boards. Half of these will be attached to the frame, and the other half to the slide-out portion. You should have 1 extra that we’ll use later.
- Line up the slats on top of the frame. For even spacing between the boards, take two of the 1×4 boards and lay one horizontal and one vertical. I recommend laying them out across the frame to make sure they line up correctly before attaching them to the frame. We ended up off-setting each end to account for the extra space.
- Determine which slats will be attached to the daybed and which ones will be attached to the slide-out.
- Once you know where to attach the slats on the daybed, drill two countersunk holes into each end of the slats, and attach them to the frame using the wood screws. My husband and I found it easiest to each stay on one side of the frame. We would use the spare boards as a spacer, he’d drill the holes and attach the slats on one side and pass the drill over to me to do the other side. This helped it go much faster.
Build the Convertible Daybed Slide-Out
- Cut the remaining 2×4 to 76” – This will form the front end of the slide-out.
- Cut the 1×2 to 68” – This will be the lip inside the frame to make the slide-out one solid piece and keep it connected to the frame when the bed is expanded.
- Place the 1×2 underneath the slats that are attached to the frame. With the remaining slats laid out between those attached to the frame, use the countersink drill and wood screws to attach them to create the slide-out. Attach one end to the 1×2 beneath the frame, and the other end to the 76” 2×4, making sure each slat goes over the front of the frame. It helps to use a few scrap pieces of wood to hold up the side underneath the frame to keep the wood level when drilling.
- Once all slats are attached, the basic frame is complete!
Attach Supports for the Slide-Out
- Cut the remaining 1×4 boards so you have three 38.5” long supports to fit between the two long sides of the frame. I recommend measuring between your frame to ensure you cut them to the correct length.
- Next, drill a couple holes on each side of the three 1×4 boards using the kreg jig, lined them up so they were even with the bottom of the frame, and attached them using the kreg screws. We had one of us hold up the frame while the other screwed them in.
- We also ended up adding a little ramp and ledge on the back side for the back support to slide up onto so the slide-out sits evenly with the frame when closed. Initially, the edge of the 1×2 would get stuck on the ramp, so we used our Dremel to round the edge and that solved our issue!
- Alternatively, you could attach the three support slats higher up, leaving just enough space for the 1×2 to slide in and out.
Attach Wood Finish Pieces to the Frame
- Take the two 1×8 boards and cut them so you have the following:
- (1) 78.75” 1×8
- (2) 41.75” 1×8’s
- You can finish the boards before or after attaching. That’s up to you. We opted to sand them beforehand, then stain and seal once attached.
- To attach the boards, we stood the frame up on the back side so we could access the bottom of the frame. From the inside of the frame, we pre-drilled 3 sets of two countersunk holes for the sides (two near the ends and one set in the middle), and four sets of two across the front.
- Attach the two side boards first. We added wood glue to the frame where the boards would attached before screwing them in, just to make it extra secure. Then, taking one board at a time, we lined the board up with the back and bottom of the frame (it should stick out just slightly past the front of the slide-out). We used a clamp to hold the board in place, then used the wood screws to attach the board from inside the frame. I should note that we used some scrap wood beforehand to test and make sure that the screws wouldn’t poke through the front of the finish boards. Once one side is attached, do the same for the other side.
- The front board will attach to the front of the slide-out frame. Line it up with the bottom of the 2×4, and get it as close to centered as possible. It will stick out past the ends of the 2×4 on each side to close the gap and butt up to the side finish boards when the daybed is closed.
Attach Furniture Legs to the Daybed
- To attach the feet, we used corner top plates on the four corners of the frame, and the wood insert nuts on the front of the slide-out. Due to the different connections, the front legs were about 0.25” shorter than the frame legs. So, we trimmed the legs on the frame so the daybed would sit level on all six legs.
- The top plates were very easy to use as you just line it up, and screw them in through the pre-drilled holes. Do this on all 4 corners.
- The wood insert nuts were a bit more difficult as you need to drill a hole where the leg should attach (we lined them up with the corner brackets). Then, you have to screw in the wood insert nuts. It took us a few tries to get those in straight and not at an angle.
- Screw in the legs, making sure to put the trimmed legs on the frame and not on the front slide-out. When attaching the front legs, if the front finish board is sitting below the 2×4 at all, then you may need to shave off part of the finish board, just on the back side to allow the legs to fully screw in.
Stain / Paint / Seal the Wood and Your DIY Daybed is Complete!
Before finishing, sand any rough edges. I chose to sand over all surfaces that would come into contact with the mattresses to prevent any snags. Other than that, I stained and sealed only the finish boards and the legs, leaving the frame and slats unfinished.
I hope you found this tutorial helpful! We made our DIY daybed for under $100 for all supplies (not including the mattresses). If you decide to try it out, I’d love to hear your feedback and questions.
Also, don’t forget to check out some of the other awesome room transformations on the One Room Challenge Blog!
I was wondering if you had thought of building a lower portion on the slide out to put the mattress on when closed rather than doubling up the mattress. How would you design that ?
I have one mattress now that is coil spring but I was thinking of going with a foam mattress for the second one.
Thank Rick
Hi Rick! You could totally do that, but it would end up as a trundle bed instead of turning into a king (which depending what you need, might work perfectly fine!). You would need to design the upper part to leave more room underneath for the mattress, and the pull out portion I would probably just put on locking wheels to roll out. Hope that answers your question!
Thank you for your post. I used all of the links to purchase the necessary materials and tools – super simple thanks to you!
Question: Did you tip the whole frame up and have it standing upright while you were screwing on the 1×2 piece and the underneath support slats? Or maybe you flipped it upside down?
I’m working on this inside my apartment so space is limited and I’m stalled at this part because I can’t figure out the best way to do it.
Also, did your screws go all the way through the slide-out slats and 1×2 piece?
1×2 piece is about 0.75in thick, and the slats are about 0.5in thick, equaling 1.25in thick, and the screws are 2in long.
Hi Kevin, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I think we got it sorted on IG, but so others have more info – I may have used shorter screws or trimmed them off using a dremel or multi-tool. In the future, I would likely use a 2×4 instead, as others have suggested since that also removes the need for the ramps. Glad it came out well and thank you so much for following along!
Hi Dani, I have a question regarding the spacing of the 10 slats on the main frame. You mention “off-setting each end to account for the extra space.” How much did you offset each end? Does that mean at either end you have a space between the main frame slats greater than the width of one vertical 1×4 and one flat 1×4 used to gap the 10 slats on the main frame?
Hi Dennis, sorry for my delayed reply! I basically just laid out the slats, and if there was some extra space, I tried to adjust the slats before attaching them to avoid having a larger gap at one end. I hope that makes sense!
I have found that this parts list is closer to $200 than $100 now (12/2023)
Hi Robert, the prices can vary a lot by location and over time, so now in 2023 I would expect it to be a bit more, but the price definitely fluctuates.
Such a great idea! I’m using a narrow twin mattress (30 inches wide), so would I just make the slats 31 inches long?
Hi Beth! Yes, I just added one inch to allow room for bedding and whatnot, so if your mattress is 30 inches wide, then I would cut the slats to 31″ (which should be the same as your width 2×4’s as well. Hope that helps!
Thank you for this tutorial! I just finished building the bed, which is sturdy and fits perfectly in a little nook in my office space. I chose not to add the finishing boards for space considerations, so it’s a true platform, but once the bed is made up you can’t really tell. I learned some new skills (notably pocket hole joints) and I’m over the moon with the finished project. Appreciate you putting this into the world!
Aww, thank you, Sara! This makes me so happy to hear! Love that you have a practical addition to your home and learned new skills too. YAY!!!
I’m having trouble figuring out the math because our mattresses are different size than yours. On the slide out you say cut 40″ boards. That doesn’t seem long enough since they have to overlap the other frame and your mattress is 39″ wide. Does your second mattress hang over the edge a couple of inches when the bed is expanded? I couldn’t see it from any of the picture. I don’t want to cut my boards then discover that I made them too short. Thank you!
Hi Brett, I totally understand the confusion, let me try to explain… So, first, my mattress was 75″x39″. Since I attached my base with the long boards inside the short boards, I added one inch to the short boards and subtracted one inch from the long boards to account for the boards I was attaching too while also leaving a little extra space around the mattress. This gave me a base that, in total, measured 77″ long (74″+1.5″ per board on each end) and 40″ wide. Now we get to the slats, which need to be the same length as the base in order to not hang over. I think that part makes sense to you, but the part that is confusing is the slats on the slide out portion. Since they are 40″ long, when you subtract the 1.5″ each for the 2×4 and 1.5″ for the 1×2 support, it comes to 37″. Add back the other 40″ and you have 77″ for two mattresses that would measure 78″ together. So, technically, they are one inch short, but in practice, the mattresses don’t actually hang over. Also, I actually tend to rotate the mattresses when extended, so this sizing actually works out perfectly for how I use the bed. However, you could add an extra inch or two to the slats on the slide out portion only, if you’re concerned about the mattresses fitting. I hope this helps! If you need further clarification, please reply back 🙂
Thanks a bunch for the feedback, I was way over thinking it. My wife and I built ours a couple weeks ago and it is great. I also like the idea for turning the mattresses, hadn’t thought of that. We used a 2×4 instead of 1×2 on the back of the slider so we didn’t have to build the ramps. Thanks again for all the help.
Haha, no worries! Glad it turned out great, and great idea to use a 2×4 for the slider, I may need to add a note to suggest that instead!
I have been hoping to build this (and ordered the mattresses already!) but haven’t because the ramps seem a little intimidating- would you be able to explain how using the 2×4 eliminated that need? Thank you!
Hi Lilian! The 2×4 just brings the back support for the slats down to meet the supports along the bottom, so there is no need for the ramp. Alternatively, you could attach the lower supports further up. The only reason I used ramps is because I didn’t realize the back needed to be supported all the way up until after it was all attached, and so I added the ramps to support the back of the slide out when the bed is “closed”. I hope that makes sense!
I like this idea a lot. I would like to see photos of the entire bed expanded without mattresses or bedding.
Thank you Brandy! I’m not sure why I didn’t think to take photos like that, but I’ll have to grab some when I have a bit more time. I’m currently helping my sister prepare for her wedding!
Did you have all these tools on hand or borrow them? I’ve never used these types of tools so I’m not sure how to go about getting these items. If I got the wood precut by a friend, what tools would I need when putting the bed together in my home? Could I also get them predrilled by my friend?
Hi Courtney! I did not have all of them, I bought a few because I knew I would use them for future projects (like the miter saw). You can actually get all the wood cut at Lowes or Home Depot when you buy the wood, or if you have a friend who wants to help, that works too! If all wood is cut and holes drilled, then you would just need a screwdriver if you want to do it by hand, or maybe borrow an impact driver from your friend, and that should be it! I hope that helps!
Hi there! This is a great project!! Thanks so much for sharing the directions. We are going to build it this weekend! Would you also mind sharing where the rug is from? It’s so cute!
Hi Hannah, thank you so much! Aww, yay! I can’t wait to hear how it turns out 🙂 That rug was a closeout deal from Lowes a few years ago, so it’s discontinued unfortunately. This one is the most similar one I’ve found: https://rstyle.me/+vYaITHHoHl4_p0NIraCcUg
Hi Dani! We’re going to try making this daybed this summer. What would your recommend for arm rest support to replicate a normal sofa? Do you think you could build the sides up with higher sideboards or would that impact functionality? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Kim! You could definitely build up the sides and back to create more of a normal sofa! Once you have the pull out portion built, the only thing that would impact functionality is how the front meets the sides. But as long as you plan for that, you should be good! To build it out, you’d want to build outside the sliding frame, so the back and sides stay put with the stationary portion. Hope that helps!
THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR THESE DIRECTIONS
You are so welcome!!
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Hey! Thus looks amazing and perfect for our guestroom that we only use for 3 months out of the year? how sturdy would you say this is? We have some heavier set members in our family so weight limit is something we try to keep in mind.
Hi Jasmine! The bed is very sturdy, that’s actually one of the main reasons I built it! We have some heavier family members as well and it’s been put to good use these past few years without any issues. Everyone loves the mattress too!
Hi Dani, I see comments about the plans for this, but I can’t seem to find them. Are they posted on the website? Thank you! I’m so excited to make this!
Hi Chrystal! The plans are just the blog post itself, but if you have questions that aren’t already answered, I’m happy to help!
I made this over the weekend with my 5 year old son. Man was it easy. Thank you for the easy to follow directions!! We did find that leaving 2 of the 1×4 boards an extra 1.5 inches worked better. We attached them to the slide out and they help support and allow for it to slide back to twin size while it gives it more support to stay in place. They just rest on top of all the 2x4s and allowed for us to not need the wedge piece underneath. I just attached the extra support underneath a little higher. Which worked better for me cuz I hand cut all my pieces. Small wedge pieces were not going so well with a hand saw. Then I measured once it was together, and had the appearance boards cut by Lowes so they would be square. This helped a lot! Also, I got square top plates that fit the 2×4 as the wood inserts were troublesome for me. Home Depot carried them, but I still had to drill into the 2×4 to get the leg screws a place to go.
Do you know what kind of square top plates you got?
Hi Lisa, these are the ones I used. Hope this helps!
This is so neat! What an accomplishment! Thank you for sharing the plans.
Do you think this would work with taller legs? I was thinking of older guests and the ease of getting in and out of bed.
Hi Sinee, I’m glad you like it! I think you could definitely make this with taller legs, just a few things to consider… First, it would make the daybed version taller. So, depending how tall you make it, you might want to keep the 2nd mattress behind the bed to act as a backrest instead of stacking it on top. Second, you might also need to add additional supports to the legs to make sure they’re sturdy (something similar to the corner braces I added on the bed would probably work!). I hope that makes sense!
Hi, I noticed you used regular twin instead of twinXL which would have given true King dimensions when pulled out. Do you have issues with keeping mattresses together in the sheets? I know twinXL would result in a split down the middle of the sleepers, but does regular twin just have the split between head and foot ends of the bed? Does the fitted sheet fit well with the few extra missing inches?
Hi Casey! Since I built the frame to fit my mattresses, I do not have an issue with fitment on the bed. If you’re using a twinXL, you will want to check your dimensions and may need to adjust based on the mattress size. When I pull the bed out, I turn the mattresses so there is a seam down the center of the bed rather than splitting head and foot. As for the sheets, I bought regular king size sheets, and given that these are 6 inch mattresses, I just end up tucking the excess underneath, and that keeps everything in place perfectly! Given that I didn’t think through all these details beforehand, it’s shocking how well it all worked out, haha. Hope this helps!
Hi Dani, I love LOVE your design! I’m a new DIYer and it’s been fun (yet overwhelming) trying to furnish our new home on a budget. I had reached out to various local contractors and woodworkers to see if someone can make this for me but they were quoting in the thousands! ? anyway, just wanted to ask a tangent question as I ended up just buying a powdered black frame daybed from Wayfair as I needed it asap for my mom to sleepover. When you convert it to king for guests, do you use anything in the center of mattress to close the gap? Or is it comfortable enough to not feel that? Thanks so much!
I just read a comment that asked the same question! Sorry for my repetition! ?
Haha no worries!! It definitely depends on the mattress you’re using, but with the foam ones, I haven’t found any need for it ?
Hello,
Thank you so much for posting this tutorial and making it so easy! I am very excited to make this bed but I do have one question. What types of boards did you get for the 11 – 1 x 4 x 8 slat pieces?
Thank you for your help!
Hi Miranda! I used the standard whitewood/pine boards that were 1x4x8. You don’t need anything fancy for those ?
Expandable platform bed
Hi. This is an amazing project. I’m wondering if the bed is portable… like can I put it up and then take it down and store it in my garage or is it more of a permanent solution? How heavy is it? Thanks again for sharing.
TJ
Hi Teejae! It is solid wood, so it’s fairly heavy, that’s part of why it’s so sturdy. You probably wouldn’t want to move it from room to room any more than you want to move other large pieces of furniture. Hope that helps!
Thank you for sharing!! So glad I found your plans!! I also saw the Bautier design and have been scouring the web for a finished product to buy that isn’t a bazillion bucks. Found one just like it on Etsy (search “Hanna guest bed”), but it was close to $3k. Also found a similar vintage design by designer Pierre Chapo on 1stDibs that is stunning (and cost an arm and a leg).
This is such a brilliant concept you’d think Ikea would do something like this. Definitely will have to build!
Haha thank you! Sometimes you just have to create your own solution. I was surprised how easy this was actually. Definitely worth building yourself rather than spending thousands!
My husband and I just made this bed for our new finished basement. I love it!! Thank you for the design!
Aww, yay! So glad you love it!!
We’re going to make this but size it for 2 30×80 mattresses, basically a split queen. Have you heard of anyone trying that. We’ll need to figure out the dimensions.
Hi Mary, that’s totally doable! You will need to recalculate the dimensions, but I would start with the base frame. For mine, I simply added 1-2 inches to the length and width of my mattress (this leaves a little wiggle room for the mattress and space for covers and whatnot). My mattress was 39×75, if that helps to compare for your measurements. If you have more questions, I’m happy to help!
I love this design. I’d like to build one of these daybeds under a window in our home. Can you tell me how tall the piece is from the ground with both your mattresses stacked, in the twin position?
Thanks,
Melisa
Hi Melisa, sorry for the delayed reply! Ours is 22.5 inches from floor to the top of the 2nd mattress when stacked. You could make it shorter by using shorter legs or thinner mattresses if needed, but of course that will make the bed lower when pulled out as well. Hope this helps!
My brother made this bed for my summer visit. We just made it today and I can’t wait to try it out tonight. I now want one for MY house!
Aww, yay! I love hearing that! All of our guests have loved ours so far, and it’s so versatile for us. Total win-win!
I was wondering how you handled the gap between the mattresses when the bed is pulled out.
Hi Nancy, so sorry for the late reply, the past few months have been INSANE! We haven’t had any issues with just pushing the mattresses together to minimize the gap, that’s how most “king beds” are in Europe, they’re just 2 twin mattresses pushed together, and it actually works great! Since these are foam mattresses, they’re fairly straight-edged and also heavy enough that they don’t move around to cause much of a gap at all. Hope that helps!
This looks really neat! What are the final dimensions as a twin bed and a the king? (I’d like to measure my room before building). Thanks!
Thanks Polly! The final dimensions are, when closed (twin): 78.75″ wide x 42.5″ deep, and when open (king): 78.75″ wide x 78″ deep. It’s important to note that this could change if you use a different mattress, since some twin mattresses may be slightly different dimensions than the ones I used. Hope this helps!
Pretty late to the game. That being said, this was exactly what I was looking for. I made some alterations for legs because I am a little hefty. Also had poor timing as lumber prices are massive. Through all that it has been fantastic. Much better than anything i could have purchased for twice the cost. Thanks a bunch!
Hi Richard! Aww, I’m so glad to hear that! I know lumber is insane right now, but starting to level out I think. Ours has held up great so far, but I’d love to know what you did for the legs!
I am not getting a visual on what is used to keep the slide portion from coming all the way out of the build. Can you let me know what size of material you used
Hi Art! Sorry for the late reply! I attached a 1×2 to the other end of the board. Hope that helps!
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Thank you so much for sharing these plans! I’ve been on the hunt for something like this and am so happy I came across your post. What color stain did you use?
Hi Erin! I’m glad you found it helpful! I used Minwax pickled oak with puritan pine layered on top. Using a wood conditioner first made a HUGE difference in how the stain looked, so I highly recommend that as well!
Hi! I am excited to find your website and the plans for this amazing daybed! I’ve been searching for a solution to my office/spare room situation and I love this idea! My daughter will help me build it. About the mattresses- they sound amazing! I clicked on the links, and it turns out there are 2 different sizes- one is a narrow twin (Home Depot link), and the other is a twin (Amazon Link). The narrow twin is only 30 inches wide vs 39 for the regular twin. That could be why some people are having issues with size… I can’t wait to get started making this!
Hi Sharon, thank you! I’m sure you’ll love it! And thanks for letting me know about the link issue – they must have changed the listing for Home Depot. I removed it to avoid confusion ?
This daybed is just what I’ve been searching for! Thanks for doing the hard part for me. I’m planning to build it in a couple weeks. I’m curious what you used for the mattress covers. Did you make them yourself, buy custom covers, use fitted sheets that you modified for the thinner mattresses…? Thanks!
Yay! So glad you’re going to build it! I spent HOURS debating what to do for the mattress covers, and finally found these stretchy sheets on Amazon ( https://amzn.to/3z9DaLk ) and they worked PERFECTLY. Since they’re stretchy, they work on the thinner mattresses, and you can tuck them around them and they actually stay. They also have tons of colors, and are so affordable!
Great! Thanks so much!!
Thanks so much for your reply. Heading out to buy materials today. Do you know what size wood insert nuts I should get? Sorry – I’m a novice! 🙂
Hi Meredith, sorry I’m so late to reply! I’m not sure the exact size insert nuts we used, but they just need to match the size of the bolt on the furniture legs. I hope that makes sense!
Hello!
I love this and want to replicate it but for a total expansion that is equal to a full size bed rather than a king. Can you share how you determined your board lengths or length adjustments you would make to have it be a full when extended? Thank you for creating this post!
Hi Kate! Of course! So, you’ll want to take the measurements for the mattress you’re using (different brands can differ in size), add a half inch to each dimension, and that’s your total dimensions for the INSIDE. You’ll then have to do some math to add/subtract the width of the various wood pieces so they square up. I hope that makes sense! Let me know if you have other questions and I’d love to see it when you make it!!
How would you stack the mattress if different size? If you did this would look ve to know.i have small room and need same thing as going from twin to king won’t work for me.as I don’t have the room for it.
Hi Sue, if your room is smaller, I would suggest using a narrow twin instead (like this: https://amzn.to/3PKsRFe) it shows the width as 30 inches instead of 39 with a regular twin, so it would be queen size when pulled out instead of a king. Hope that helps!!
Hi Sue! Did you end up making one with the narrow twin? If so, what changes did you make? I have the same plan for our small space solution!
Hi Francesca! You’ll need to start with the total dimensions of your mattress, add 1-2 inches to both the length and width for the base frame (this is so there’s space for the mattress and some covers). Once you have that built, all the other measurements are based on that. I hope that helps!
How does the top mattress stay and not slip around? We need a couch to use during the day and a bed at night..
Hi Anne! I got foam mattresses and the top mattress doesn’t slide around at all. I can’t specifically say for mattresses other than what we have, but in general, mattresses are heavy enough that they don’t move around a lot. Hope that helps!
Just wanted to check in and see how you guys are feeling about the mattresses? I just ordered them so I can get going on this project! I’m 100% sure I can build the bed but I’m nervous about a bed from Amazon!
Hi Melinda! I completely understand your concerns, I didn’t know what to think about them either, but we actually love them! Both our parents have stayed with us for over a week and were literally raving about these mattresses. They work perfectly when stacked for the daybed too. Hope this helps!
When the bed is closed, is there a difference in the depth of the bed vs the depth of the mattress? I finished making the bed frame today and when it’s closed there’s a pretty big 3 in gap between the mattress and the edge of the frame. So when I put the facing boards on… There’s going to be a gap?
Hi Michaela! Ours has no more than an inch of clearance to allow for bedding. I’m not sure why it would have 3 inches unless your mattress is a different dimension than the ones we used? Sorry I can’t be more helpful there!
Same problem here. Can’t figure out why we have a 3″ gap…we used the exact same mattresses as the post. Can’t figure out where we went wrong!
Hi Kate, I’m sorry the measurements aren’t working out! I’m trying to figure out what it could possibly be, but it’s hard to say without seeing it. Which direction is there a 3″ gap? And does the mattress fit correctly the other way? Feel free to send pics to my Instagram (@bydanikoch) or contact me through my contact form and I can try to help!
Thanks, Dani, for a quick reply. I can try to figure out how to send pics to Insta. But basically, the slats are 40″, which would give an inch of extra room around the mattress. But then after adding the slide out, that bumps out the frame even more, creating the gap around the entire mattress. Again, I’ll try to send pics. Thanks!
I took a tape measure to the mattress (exact one linked in your blog) and it is 2″ short both LxW. So it is an error of the mattress manufacturer. It it advertised as 75″ x 39″ and ours is 73″ x 37″. A definite bummer! I did reach out to Amazon and am receiving a refund of 50%. So there’s that (in case anyone else out there runs into the same problem).
I guess that answers it. Sorry the mattress size was off!
We got our teenage sons bed done thanks to you! It is absolutely everything he wanted! We are currently re doing his room from child to young man and he is excited! This is great he sits on it during the day and pulls it out at night!
We spent about $190 but that’s still way less expensive than buying one in the store pre made! So much fun to do as a project teaching him how to use a saw and making it from “scratch”. Thank you again! We have pictures but can’t figure out how to add them on here!
Hi Melinda, You have no idea how happy this makes me to hear! I’m so glad he loves the bed! I would LOVE to see pictures! I can send you an email if that’s okay? Or feel free to send me a message on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bydanikoch/
I don’t have Instagram but yes I could email you pictures!
starting this today! very excited!
Hi there! Did you use one mattress, a folding mattress or two? If two, did you stack them when in twin bed mode? Thanks!
Hi Hilary! I used two 6 inch mattresses and stacked them for the daybed, then I just unstack when we open it up. I wasn’t sure about the 6 inch mattress at first, but our guests have LOVED them! I got these mattresses in case you need them: https://amzn.to/2KlAlmm (looks like they’re on sale right now!). Hope that helps and let me know if you have any other questions. I’d love to see the daybed if you build it!
Thank you for the plans!! They were so easy to follow and the bed turned out great! I especially loved your little tips like using the spare slat as a spacer, measuring the support boards (mine were only 37″?), and putting the support boards higher. This was exactly what I wanted for our guest room and just in time for my parents visit next week! Thank you!!
Hi Carrie, I’m so glad this worked out for you!! My parents just visited for 2 weeks and they loved it. The bed is sturdy and the mattresses are comfy (not bad for a bed in a box!). I hope your parents love it just as much!
Can you share some pictures of what the support under the pull out looks like when it’s pulled out?
Hi Martha, which part of the support? Like the legs or a different part of it?
like a picture of the entire thing with the bed pulled out. There isn’t a picture of the bed and the slide out while it’s out and set up.
Hi Kaylyn, I’m so sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner! This comment got buried in spam and I just saw it. I added a couple photos of the daybed / guest bed with bedding and all that. I hope that helps!
Hi! I’m having some issues replicating this! I got all my materials and they’re cut, but when it comes to putting the slats down in the frame they’re coming up short at 40” each! It makes sense I suppose since the width of the frame is technically 44” once you add the two length boards to the frame. To mitigate this, did you by chance chance use two 74” boards and two 36” boards to make the frame? I’m confused where I went wrong!
Hi Angela! Sorry you’re having issues with the slats. I think I know what went wrong based on what you described… The two 40″ need to be mounted as the end pieces with the two 74″ boards inside. I think you have those reversed. So, basically, the dimension of the basic frame should come out to 76″ x 40″ rather than 74″ x 44″. Let me know if you need further explanation!
Ahhh I figured out what I did wrong and got it all fixed up! Thank you so much for the quick reply and this post! It’s coming together pretty easily so far!
Oh yay!! I’m glad you figured it out and it’s going well. I’d love to see it when it’s all finished!
You said to drill the holes on the 74” pieces in the instructions, that’s what causes the confusion. If the the 74” pieces go inside the 40” pieces then you should drill the shorter pieces.
Hi Carlisle, sorry if it is a bit confusing! Since we are using a kreg jig, rather than drilling straight in, it’s actually correct to drill the holes on the longer pieces in order for them to sit inside the 40″ pieces. I hope that makes sense! I’ll see if I have a picture or can create a diagram to make this more clear.
How long did it take you to build after cutting and not including staining or painting?
Hi Amanda,
This project actually didn’t take nearly as long as I anticipated! We finished building most of the frame in a couple hours, which included cutting everything and figuring out all of the measurements as we went. If we had everything pre-cut, I’d think we could build it within an hour or so. Hope that helps!
Where did you get the foam mattresses at what added cost?
Hi D R,
I got the mattresses from Home Depot ( ordered online here: https://shopstyle.it/l/blSEr ). You can also find them on Amazon for a little bit more – https://amzn.to/3j6IqYc . They’re only $125 each, so I paid $270 total for 2 of them after taxes (shipping was free). I got them from Home Depot because I knew if we didn’t like them we could easily return them, but they’re very comfortable, so we obviously kept them! I did TONS of research before ordering and this was the best option I found for what we needed, and you really can’t beat these for the price.
Hope this helps!
Dani
Thanks a lot for this amazing plan and ideas, including the mattresses!
István
Thanks István, I’m glad you like it! If you make the bed, be sure to tag me as I’d love to see it!
This is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you!
Awesome! I’d love to see it when you build the bed!
It’s been so fun following along on this space !
Aww, thank you! Just checked out your blog and LOVE your use of color!!
Absolutely amazing!!!May have to have you help us make one. Love it!!!
Thank you!! It was honestly way easier than I ever expected. I was shocked that all of our guesstimated measurements actually worked out perfectly too!