Modern interior design is the simplicity in the selection of furniture, decoration and textiles. A very popular option in home improvement was the manufacture of furniture from the simplest materials according to the elementary principle. This also applies to the bedroom, so the designers came up with how to equip the bed with minimal cost, making it functional and trendy. The most popular type of budget furniture for sleeping are the podium beds, which can not only be purchased at the store, but also designed with your own hands, without the help of a specialist.
Advantages and disadvantages of the podium bed in comparison with the standard
Any furniture has its advantages and disadvantages, which carry a certain value for the overall interior. Bed podiums are no exception. This type of bed design has its own characteristics, which are determined by positive and negative factors.
Advantages and disadvantages of the podium bed:
Benefits | disadvantages |
With the help of a podium, you can zone a sleeping place in a small apartment or room. Actual for studio apartments | Limits the possibility of moving furniture, since the elevation of the berth has a single function |
It’s easy to make a podium bed with your own hands, which saves money and allows you to independently choose all the parameters of the product | On a hill, they often cling to their feet, which leads to injuries. This is especially true for older people and children. |
You can create additional elevation functionality if you think through boxes or niches in the manufacturing process | Many note not ergonomic design. If there are health problems, then such a berth is irrelevant |
A huge variety of options for creating a podium under the bed, not requiring significant costs and skills regarding carpentry | To make the bed on a hill look organic and appropriate in the room, it is worth considering the interior design to the smallest detail. It is necessary to take into account the size and shape of the room |
Types of podiums for a bed for self-production
With your own hands, it is not difficult to make a podium under the bed, if this is the most common design - without frills and additional elements. If you complicate the functionality of the elevation under the bed, you may need the help of a professional.
There are many variations on the design of the catwalk beds, which differ in the type of design, functional features, and material used. Conditionally bedroom furniture with elevation can be divided into the following types and subspecies:
- The traditional podium. A rectangular or square frame is made on which a mattress is placed.
- Podium with functional space. The case is equipped with drawers where you can store things and bedding.
- A subspecies is a pull-out bed from the podium. The sleeping place is completely hidden under the hill.
The bed-podium can perform various additional functions:
- The technical function of the hill involves the concealment of communications, room defects.
- Decorative function contributes to the zoning of the space, improving the appearance of the room.
- The combined version provides several functions: a berth and boxes for storing things; extendable berth.
The choice of a specific model and the function that it will carry depends on the secondary characteristics: the dimensions of the room, the shape of the room, additional elements of the room, the overall interior design.
Preparation before construction work
To achieve high aesthetics in the manufacture of a podium for a bed with your own hands (a photo of various options is presented in the article) is possible if you choose the right building materials. After that, you should take care of the availability of all the tools that you will need to work with the tree.
It is worth preparing a drawing in which the dimensions of the room and the future berth will be observed. It should be noted and clearly draw all the features of the podium model. In the process of preparing the drawing, it is worth considering that the width of the podium should not be narrower than the mattress. The length can be completely arbitrary, but not shorter than the mattress.
It is worth considering additional components: boxes, niches, steps. It is important to consider what kind of load will be placed on the case. Such a nuance will help determine how much building material is needed to build a hill and what it will be in quality.
What materials are needed for the manufacture
Before you make a bed-podium with your own hands (some of the stages of this process are shown in the photo), it is worth purchasing materials. First you need to determine the size of the structure, so as not to buy excess construction products.
In order for the bed podium to be reliable and practical in terms of use, it is worth choosing the appropriate materials:
- A bar for fixing the side strips 5 × 5 centimeters.
- Particleboard with a thickness of at least 9 millimeters. Will serve as the basis for the frame.
- Dowels, screws, rubber pads, corners.
At the time of completion of the building, it is worth considering what material to choose for finishing the base. The most popular options are: linoleum, laminate, carpet, parquet.
Necessary tools
In addition to the material, it is necessary to prepare tools for the high-quality performance of the podium bed with your own hands:
- Building corner.
- Pencil on wood.
- Roulette.
- Drill with a set of drills for wood.
- Jigsaw.
- Screwdrivers.
- Hammer.
- Screwdriver.
Depending on the availability of finishing material, additional tools for work are determined.
The principle of building a standard podium under the mattress
After purchasing materials and construction tools, it is worth starting the construction of the frame of the future podium. Experienced craftsmen know exactly how to make a podium for a bed with your own hands so that the design meets all the requirements. When using the instructions for assembling a standard frame, a beginner will also not have problems.
- Measure the space before forming the frame.
- In accordance with the marked parameters, a skeleton is formed from the timber.
- Vertical legs are attached to the frame, on which it will rest.
- All connections are made using self-tapping screws. For greater strengthening use corners.
- After installing the frame, the skeleton of the chipboard is trimmed.
- The final step will be finishing chipboard with decorative materials.
Podium with drawers for DIY
Do-it-yourself bed-podium with drawers is made as simple as a classic hill. The principle is identical.
For the installation of boxes it is worth considering the following features:
- At the time of the formation of the frame from the timber, it is required to determine the location of future retractable elements.
- In the process of screwing the legs you need to arrange them so that the element fits easily in the frame.
- At the time of sheathing chipboard make markings for boxes.
- Install articulated sliding mechanisms.
Boxes can be ordered in the carpentry workshop or made independently. The principle is the same as when building a podium: make a frame and sheathe chipboard. Attach the handle.
Finishing Design
Having qualitatively completed the bed-podium with your own hands step by step, it is worth paying no less attention to the final finish.
Designers offer the following ways to decorate the catwalks.
- On the part where the mattress will lie, it is worth laying linoleum. Sew the rest of the area with carpet.
- For podiums with a pull-out bed, the best finish is a parquet board or laminate. On the upper platform you can lay soft seats.
- Budget options suggest banal coloring of chipboard by applying several layers of paint.
- For partial decoration, sometimes tiles or tiles are used. Lay tiles on the side panels of the structure.
Some designers suggest in the process to combine several types of finishing material.
Useful tips for inexperienced craftsmen
To make a podium bed with your own hands is necessary not only beautifully, but also with high quality. For this, it is worth considering several tips regarding the manufacture of the hill:
- In the process of creating a hill on the floor under the podium and on the sides of the walls, it is worth laying soundproofing material.
- So that the legs of the object do not press on the floor, it is better to duplicate the bottom "skeleton" of the top with a beam.
- To improve lighting and visually expand the space, a backlight is mounted in the structure.
- The best option for building a catwalk bed is a model with drawers.