Airborne beds have become incredibly popular lately. But designer furniture is not affordable for everyone, so skilled craftsmen make original beds independently from a variety of available materials. This article will discuss how to make a soaring bed with your own hands at home.
How to create the effect of a bed hovering in the air?
A handmade bed hovering above the floor will become an unusual piece of furniture and decorate the bedroom.
To create a simulation of hovering in the air, you need to make sure that the supports on which the bed is standing are not visible. Therefore, the main support will be located in its center. If the bed is double, then the legs will not be visible from above. Additional fastenings are mounted on the wall, since one support in the center is not enough for a solid fixed frame.
If you fix the bed in the two indicated places, then even two people can even lie on the same edge at the same time, while the bed does not bend or roll over.
In some cases, only metal corner mounts are used, which are installed on the side of fixing the bed with the wall. In this case, the design becomes less stable, because it is held on only one side. It must be understood that in this case, the bed should be made of durable and reliable materials: the frame can be metal or wooden, made of solid wood. If you make such a mount for a bed of chipboard, then such a design will not last long. The material will crumble, and the fasteners will simply break out of the surface of the plate under gravity.
Material selection
The most convenient material for making a "flying" bed will be wood. It is durable, processing does not require any special knowledge and expensive equipment. All work can be done independently.
When choosing lumber, you should be very careful. Choose a board and a bar only of the first grade. The surface of the tree should be smooth, without knots and cracks. Grind the surface until it is perfectly flat. Only after that it will be possible to start cutting and assembling.
The most common material for assembling furniture is a chipboard plate. In this case, such material can only be used as a decorative outer lining, because the plate has a large number of varieties of textures and colors, and its cost is quite low. It is these characteristics that make chipboard such a popular material in the field of furniture production. True, the strength and reliability of the plate are not at the highest level, so the bed frame should still be made of a solid beam.
Some craftsmen use metal in the construction of furniture. A do-it-yourself hovering bed from a professional pipe will look very unusual and original. Such constructions are always very reliable and durable, but not everyone can do the assembly, besides, special equipment is needed: a welding machine, electrodes, a grinder, etc. In addition, the master must have extensive experience in this field, not to weld a metal frame as simple as it seems.
Bed design
The good thing about independent furniture manufacturing is that you can reproduce the most unusual and original ideas and ideas. If you lack your own imagination, then refer to the collections of world brands or chat with knowledgeable people on the forums, they will certainly throw you a couple of interesting ideas.
Remember that the bed will be part of the design of your bedroom, so it should be part of the overall composition, and not an individual element of decor.
If the room is decorated in the style of minimalism, then the design of the bed should be limited to clear lines and contours, no ornaments, roundings and patterns. Only a strict and clear silhouette.
For the bedroom in the classical style, on the contrary, it is typical to use all kinds of relief ornaments, upholstery from expensive fabric, gilt openwork ornaments and other elements. At the same time, a hovering bed is best done on suspensions, this will correspond to the style. Thick ropes will hold the structure from four angles. You can mount on the wall on one side and on the ropes on the other. There is another original way to hang a massive bed, made in a classic style. You can use a thick chain, painted in a suitable design bedroom color.
At the stage of design formation, you need to make a plan and a constructive drawing of the bed, it will help you when cutting the material. A competent plan is the key to a successful construction.
Chipboard bed
Particleboard is a material that is made from compressed wood particles, mainly from sawdust. The plates are stamped by hot pressing using special glue; on top, they are coated with a laminated smooth film, which gives the plate color and the desired structure.
You can use chipboard to make a soaring bed, but you need to remember some nuances. The plate should not act as the main support, otherwise the design will not be stable, since the material is quite fragile, unable to withstand significant masses.
The basis on which the bed frame will be held needs to be made from a board or timber. The dimensions of the base can be different. The only condition is that the support should not be visible from the normal position. We make the bed frame from the board 10 × 5 cm, the step is 30–40 cm. First, make the frame of the side walls, add another crossbar in the middle for stability, then proceed with the installation of the cross bars. For fastening, you can use nails, screws and metal corners. The surface of the bed is lined with boards of 20 × 2 cm.
When the frame is ready, you can proceed to the outer casing of the bed. Particleboard should be neatly cut and processed from the ends. The width of the slab should be such that a free edge of 10–12 cm in size remains above and below. This will allow you to install the mattress on top and hide the supporting structure from below.
Array bed
A frame of solid wood is made according to the scheme discussed earlier. The only difference will be that the material must be of high quality. If in the first case we did not care what kind of lumber is used (it is still not visible), then in the second - the board should be flat and smooth.
To make the bed frame, you need boards 20 × 2 cm, 15 × 5 cm. In this case, the external box will be 20 cm, and the internal crossbars and the base of the frame should be made from a 15-cm board. There will be a difference of 5 cm between the boards of the outer box and the internal partitions, a mattress will fit into this small niche. The surface of the niche is lined with boards of 20 × 2 cm.
The surface of the tree must be covered with a protective layer of paint, varnish or stain. Choose the material that you like best. With the help of stains, you can give the tree an elite color, and you will get an imitation of rare and expensive wood. You can create an aging effect, this is done by burning the wood surface with a gas burner.
Additional items
If it seems to you that the soaring bed you created is too simple and boring, you can decorate it with additional elements.
When choosing a decor design, pay attention to the overall interior of the room, everything should look harmonious and uniform. Consider a few techniques that you can easily use to decorate a bed with a soaring effect.
- Decoupage. This technique consists in using ready-made images printed on paper to decorate any surface. Using glue, the elements are fixed to the surface. Only when the paper is completely dry can the surface be coated with glossy or matte varnish.
- Burning out. Using this technique, you can make original drawings and ornaments. Burning is a rather complicated process, therefore, before drawing on the finished product, you should practice on a similar surface.
- Painting. Using paint, you can create a whole work of art. It all depends on your imagination.
- Artificial aging. This effect can be achieved by firing a wooden surface. At the same time, the relief of the saw cuts becomes more clear and natural. After firing, the surface is ground and the dark rings become clearly visible on the light surface of the wood.
- Using patterns. If you can’t even draw an ornament or other pattern, then use special templates. Simply apply the template to the surface of the bed and paint it. When you remove it, an even and accurate pattern will remain on the surface. For drawing, it is most convenient to use acrylic paint.
To decorate a floating bed, you can hang a transparent and air curtain. The canopy will create an atmosphere of comfort and privacy. You can order such a decor element in the store to the desired size or sew it yourself from a suitable fabric. The best option would be organza, veil, chiffon.
Pros and cons of the project
In the photo, the soaring beds look very unusual, but is it worth it to make such a design, and is it reliable?
- Forget quick swap. The product is attached to the wall, so you will not be able to quickly rearrange the structure. It will be necessary to dismantle and disassemble some parts of this piece of furniture.
- There is a lot of empty space under the bed. And it would be possible to place several boxes for storing things there. This is true for small apartments and houses.
- Installation of the product is quite complicated, you may have to resort to the help of professionals.
In furniture stores, the cost of soaring beds is very high, so making this piece of furniture with your own hands is not only creating an individual project, but also saving money.
An undoubted advantage is that you can realize your original idea or create a copy of a designer copy that not everyone can afford.
Selection and installation of backlight
To create a do-it-yourself soaring bed with backlight, it is best to use an LED strip as a light element. It can be easily found in stores, the price is quite affordable for the average citizen of Russia, it is possible to choose different lighting options and power.
Mounting the tape is quick and easy. On the back there is an adhesive layer that allows you to fix the tape in the desired position. Before installing the tape, thoroughly treat the surface with a degreaser, so you can achieve a higher level of adhesion between the surface and the sticky layer.
If you want the glow to be multi-colored or to have light effects with blinking and color transition, then the tape should be like RBG. The ribbon board is marked with three types of LEDs: red, blue and green.
To connect the tape you need a special power supply. If you bought only the tape, then you will have to choose the block yourself. In this case, you need to calculate the power consumption of the LEDs. In the kits there is already a block with the necessary characteristics, therefore, if you are not strong in this area, it is better to immediately take the kit. There are sets of RBG tapes with a remote control for backlighting, which is very convenient.
Suspension bed
To create the effect of a soaring bed, you can use suspensions. Such a non-standard solution can transform even the most boring space. It is not difficult to make a suspended model, the main thing is to correctly calculate the load on the fasteners.
If you attach the cables to the wooden beams of the ceiling, then make sure that they are strong enough and reliable. As fasteners, you can use a self-tapping screw with a ring, it is twisted into a tree, and on the outside there is a neat little ring to which you can attach a carbine, chain or cable. You can create a soaring bed with your own hands (photo above) of an unusual shape. For example, it can be round or oval.
The beauty of a hovering bed on suspensions is that it can swing and play the role of a large and comfortable hammock. All in all, this is a great place to relax and rest. An additional canopy and murals with the image of the beach and palm trees will allow you to fully plunge into the exotic atmosphere of a spa holiday, and all this is at your place!
Finally
Is it difficult to make a soaring backlit bed with your own hands? It depends on your skills. If this is not the first time you are holding a hammer and a jigsaw in your hands, then there should not be much difficulty. The main thing is to perform a qualitative calculation of parts and material. Before cutting boards, measure the details several times and compare them with your drawing.
Do not overdo it with the decor. The sides of the bed should not be filled with drawings, patterns and ornaments. Remember, straightforward forms, simple silhouettes and a minimal amount of decor are in fashion now. This trend, which currently applies to everything, will significantly reduce the amount of work and simplify your task.