There once was a girl who not only dreamed of a loft bed, but begged her parents incessantly, for two years.
And her parents said no.
Again and again and again.
Because, OMG have you seen how much those things cost?! No disrespect to anyone who chooses to buy one, it just wasn’t an expense that this girl’s parents felt the girl would value enough.
And then one day the idea came about that the family could build the loft bed together. With VERY much help from the little girl with the lofty dreams.
So the dad and the girl scoured Pinterest for ideas and began sketching. and planning. and measuring.
And then they shopped
And they cut.
And they painted.
And they built.
And then it was done.
And the kid was happy.
The end.
Just kidding.
We’ve had more than a few requests for the plans we used for this project and to be perfectly honest, we didn’t find any online. Keith drew everything out, we started measuring space in her room and then used painters tape to ‘map out’ the plan on the walls, so we could see the approximate size.
I asked Keith to draft an approximate plan and because he loves me, here ya go:
Because we aren’t architects and these aren’t official blueprints, let me share a few additional details about our project:
– We have 9ft ceilings in the bedrooms – a major factor in this project.
– Mayhem already had a queen size mattress in her room and rather than shelling out the money for a new (smaller) mattress, we opted to build the loft to fit the queen size mattress.
– It’s a memory foam mattress and is 14 in. thick. Which means it weighs a ton, so we were building this loft be to be STURDY. The thickness of the mattress also became a factor in the overall height as we wanted Mayhem to still be able to sit up on the bed.
– We snagged a used futon from a neighbor who was getting rid of it and decided that it was perfect for under the loft, so we measured from the floor up (with various people sitting on it) to decide that the bottom edge of the frame would be 50 in. off the ground.
– Because of the sheer size and weight of the mattress, we built the entire frame out of 2×6 lumber. All four sides, with five additional support beams across.
-This thing is anchored to the wall like a boss! I didn’t know what lag screws were before this project, but I know now. We basically built a party deck in Mayhem’s room and threw a mattress on top. Thus, the need for lag screws.
-A queen size mattress has overall dimensions of 60 x 80, but we built the platform overall to be 63 x 90, because we wanted just a bit of extra room on the sides and we built a headboard that also serves as a shelf for all of Mayhems’s essentials: clock, books, notebooks, lamp, Harry Potter itty bittys, etc.
Let me know any other questions you have and if I can’t answer them, I’ll ask the construction foreman.
In the meantime, we’re all THRILLED with how the loft turned out and the entire family climbs up each night for our bedtime routine with Mayhem. It’s solid!
And OMG, I almost forgot the best part! Our total out of pocket was right around $200. That is not a typo. We did already have white paint in the garage, so paint wasn’t factored in to the cost, but everything else was.
Happy building!
Wondering what the best tools are for this job? Keith says a saw and a drill/driver are your friends on this project. Specifically, he used:
Sliding compound mitre saw (similar) but you could still use a circular saw
Drill/driver and Impact driver (the impact driver made those lag bolts a breeze!)
Not sure where to start on building your tool collection? His favorite bundle is this Ryobi combo kit. He’s a fan of the Ryobi cordless collection and has been building his collection over the years. Easy to use, easy to charge, easy to take where you need them. He has a lot of tools, from a lot of different brands, but the Ryobi cordless collection is easy to use and not at all intimidating. Good place to start!
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As a 55yr old empty nester, I am totally jealous and have big bed envy! Mayhem you are a lucky girl and good job on your project!
As a 42 year old, I’m jealous of her cozy new space
I’m so glad she (and you all) love the bed! What about the dog? Does it has to be carried up there? I imagine it can’t climb the steps!
Thanks for sharing the details with us!
Moxie does have to be carried up and to be honest, we’re not sure she likes being up there at all. We briefly considered building her a ramp, but I think she prefers being a little closer to the ground
Truly awesome loft bed! Truly amazing parents! Mayhem your smiles are infectious and your determination should be taught in school! ????
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Thanks so much – it was a great learning experience and a fun project!
Love!!! And thanks! Pricing bunk beds for 2 grandsons proves you did a great thing! It turned out beautiful!
How did you attach the side and end 2×6 to the pieces that are attached to the wall?
Out of curiosity how what are the dimensions of the room that the bed was in?
The room is 12×14
Was the plywood laid up there flat and stacked one on the other or cut to shape?
Thanks
Was the plywood laid flat and stacked one on the other or cut to shape?
Thanks!
cut to shape!
Beautiful! Hope did y’all make the headboard?
Did you use a corner brace to support the 2×6 boards not attached to the wall?
I just made this loft bed (with a modification to the railing) this past weekend. My daughter loves it! Now I just need to do the headboard. Thanks for the inspiration.
So great to hear! I hope she enjoys it for many years, I know we’re almost one year in with our loft bed and we still couldn’t be more pleased
Just exactly what I was looking to get done for my daughter. Thank you for taking the time to post it. Some good points of consideration.
One thing making me trigger-shy is the idea of a desk under the bed. Is it wicked-annoying to help a kid with homework if they are all set up back under the deck? (I get that this concern affects all styles of lofts but this is the first one in which I’ve bothered to respond so kinda thinking out loud.)
Tempted to build one this weekend. Great post.
Hi Brett – thanks for the kind words. This was a fun build and nearly a year later, the kid is still in love with the loft! As far as the desk under the loft, we honest to goodness measured each of us sitting ON a futon, when considering the height. We have 9ft ceilings though, so that also allowed us to build higher. Don’t get me wrong, you still have to duck your head and be careful getting in and out, but we can all sit comfortably (upright) underneath. That being said, we have a kid who moves the furniture constantly, so her desk is also not currently under the loft. She switches it up quite a bit – like it’s her own personal IKEA store. Hope that helps – good luck with your build!
Do u have the sizes with the headboard included for a full size bed?
I do not – this was a custom build for our daughter’s queen size bed. But I’m sure you could google the overall dimensions of a full size bed and recalculate to fit.
Absolutely love the loft bed! It inspired my husband to build one for my daughter. Any advice on the chevron looking pattern on the railing. Do you remember what angle you cut the boards at?
Thanks so much, hope your build is just as fun! Truth be told, the railing was an afterthought – as in, we realized she was going to fall through and we better put something there
We actually took boards that we had left, held them up where we wanted them (including angle), marked where they met the braces, and cut them to fit. Not exactly scientific and I don’t have the angle measurements, but it allowed us to put the pieces exactly where we needed them. Hope that makes some sense and maybe helps a little.
Thank you for the idea and plans! I’m going to build one for my niece in her room. Quick question, do you have plans for the headboard? Thank you!
Building a mod of this right now. We only have 8′ ceilings, so I made some different structural choices. I measured our DD sitting at her desk and determined the bottom of the frame needed to be 52″ above the floor. Using 2″x3″ for the joists and only having an 8″ thick twin mattress, this will leave about 35 inches above the mattress for her to sit.
Thank your DH for the drawings. The hardest part to imitate has been the ladder. I am looking at 12″ between the top of each rung, but waffling on width. 12″?14″?16″? It looks like yours are 19″, but my DD thought that was too much space for a ladder.
How do you feel (or Mayhem) about the ladder width?
Hey there – sounds like you’ve got a fun project underway
As far as the ladder goes, we feel like it’s pretty much perfect, size wise, for what we built. It’s in no way obtrusive, but it’s a good size now and will continue to be as she grows. Full disclosure, her dad and I both climb that ladder every single night to tuck her in, so we did build with our own climbing in mind as well. Good luck!
How much did y’all spend to create this?
Hi there! As mentioned in the post, our total out of pocket was right around $200, but we already had paint on hand.
It turned out really well. Like I said, I made some adaptations, but the idea of directly attaching it to the wall has not occurred to me, so I was glad to find your site.
And yes… 14 inches is too narrow for me, but she likes it.
If you would like pictures, I can send you some.
If possible can you put a supply list for just the wood. I.E.
2 2×6 cut to (whatever inches)
3 1×8 cut to (whatever inches)
This is my daughters dream bed and I have to make this for her. I’m pretty handy I just need a little break down of the supplies and cuts. Thanks in Advance.
Never mind I see it now lol
We lost our home a few years ago so my daugthter lost her princess bed. As we had to move in foru days (long story) she was so upset about loosing her room especially her bed. So I ordered a loft bed it took two months to be delivered, when it arrived it was nothing but horrible quality wood logs. Neesless to say I sen it back. My daughter was so heart broken becauce she had waited three years and two extra months for a pretty bed like she had befor only to be dissapointed.She almost broke down in my kitchen when she realized the bed I ordered was no good. So I built this bed for her it took me two weeks. You will never know the joy this bed has brought my daughter. There is a thirteen year old girl in Texas who finally has her princess castle because of your family. I just wanted to say thank you.
Thanks for the post. We used your design (with a few modifications) to build a bed for my 9 yr old daughter. She loves it!
So glad to hear that! We’re officially a year in with this bed and not only does the kid still love it, but it makes the space so much more usable. Hope you guys get many years of use out of yours
About to tackle a twin sized version of this! So excited! I am working on my supply list. I’ve scoured the instructions and have a few questions.
I see 9 lag screws and I see the red arrows showing where those go. Why 10 washers for 9 lag screws?
And I see the 10 2×6 joist hangers… but it looks like you have another kind of hanger on the corners. Is that correct?
And the 4- 2x6x10s cut in half for cross sections… will there be an extra half left over?
It looks like the ladder rungs have some sort of “hanger,” too. What are those called?
Finally, where do I use the 1 5/8” screws and where do I use the 3” screws?
Thanks so much!
Hey! Love the post, and it is very helpful! I was just wondering how long it took to build? Thank you!
Hello!
My daughter and I are going to build a loft bed, and we love this design! We are planning on making some modifications, namely we will build a base with 4 legs, and also adapt the dimensions. One feature that draws us to this design is the criss cross pattern on the safety rail. Can you share some specifics on how you built this part as well as the dimension from the base of the platform to the top of the rail?
We will share pictures once we are done! Thank you for the inspiration!
Do you have the plans for the “headboard” portion?
Sorry, don’t have that drawn up.
Did you all build the desk that goes underneath the loft as well?
We did!
Do you have plans for the desk? Can you direct me to the list Of supplies? Great job!! Love it. Her smile says it all.
It is amazing!!!
Is the room height exactly 9ft?
Our home is 2.6m, which is around 8.5ft…
Thanks so much! yes, ceiling height in this room is 9ft. exactly, so I’d imagine you could make adjustments of a few inches to the overall height or the mattress thickness to compensate. Maybe both
I was wondering what size lag screws you used? I was debating between 1/4 and 1/2” lag screws. I didn’t know what size you guys used. Thanks!!!
We are about to go buy all of the supplies to build this for our son. So excited!
So excited for you guys, and I hope your son loves it so much! We moved last year and rebuilt the bed once we were in the new home – it’s a great kid space. Best wishes for a fun/stressfree build
This bed is great!! I am very interested in building this bed for my son. I don’t see the materials, cut list, or measurements. Are you able and willing to share those things? Thank you!!