Bed design

[Aaron Liebling]

Just bought a bunch of Afrormosia to build a new bed for my wife. It's going to be relatively modern in aesthetic (leaning towards midcentury) and look something like:

https://store.chadhaus.com/products/loft-bed

...except the legs on that which I find hideous.

My main question has to do with how to design the sides and side drawers to maintain maximum strength in the frame. Should I simply treat it as a regular bed frame with the strength being provided completely by the strut above the drawers? I'm thinking both the vertically aligned strut above the drawers and a horizontally aligned strut below them makes the most sense to maintain rigidity.

Thoughts?

[Jamie Buxton]

... I'm thinking both the vertically aligned strut above the drawers and a horizontally aligned strut below them makes the most sense to maintain rigidity.

I think that will work. The bed side is actually 7"-8" tall, with a couple big holes where the drawers go through. That should be okay. If you're not 100% convinced, you could mock up the side out of cheap lumber.

Different question... How do you plan to break the bed into pieces for transport? The answer to that may interact with the design of the bed side.

[Aaron Liebling]

Good question, Jamie! I hadn't really thought about the implications of having drawers for assembly/disassembly. I was thinking of the frame as using standard bed rail fasteners. Maybe the drawer assembly could essential be a frameless cabinet which hangs below the rail? This does mean that the top rail becomes the only structural member.

[Mel Fulks]

I don’t like it. But it’s so simple that I have to wonder why those who do....don’t just make one. Or have one made. A less expensive bed
could be a copy of an 18th century tall poster with with some carved or reeded posts, canopy and hangings of fine cloth and ....some delicate
gossamer mosquito netting. We have a friend who bought one of that type from a museum house, I’m guessing they decided it wasn’t a period piece
and had to go.

[Aaron Liebling]

I'm not 100% in love with the style, either, but my wife is and that's what matters. I think I can do something with the legs that will satisfy me stylistically (I'm generally ok with midcentury stuff). I may try to add a little more curve in other places to soften some of the harsh angles, too.

Note: this will be replacing a cherry sleigh bed that I've had for 20 years (since pre-wife). I loved it, but this time my wife gets the style she wants.

[Lee Schierer]

I think it is probably made like a torsion box with an egg crate internal frame with side openings for the drawers.

[Ted Calver]

Bed size becomes a design factor. If you plan to accommodate a king sized mattress, a typical center support would carry some of the load. If you plan on building a king frame without the center support, you will need the slat and rail structure strong enough to resist center sag.

[Aaron Liebling]

This is a big square king. I had been planing on center supports (the only way someone sees them is getting down on the ground to look underneath). So the drawer cabinets would attach to the side rails as well as the center of the slats with weight transmitting through the slats to the cabinets to central supports.

Assuming I go for an internal frame for the drawers, maybe it can even be detached from the sides (which still use standard bed rail fasteners). So the whole thing would break down: header, footer, two side rails, two drawer cabinets.

[William Fretwell]

Aaron, as was mentioned the bed is not tall, the frame not that heavy looking so just taking off the headboard may be enough to move it. The drawers will go nowhere near the middle of the bed, there will be space for two support rails if needed. The top frame of the bed should be enough structure for that height. The drawers will not be all the way to the corner so corner bracing can and should be added.

In a king bed with divan, mattress and two people the middle sag can add up, many use a central leg which is never seen. That bed may have a central leg but just left off for the photograph. They may suggest one at the ‘custom design stage’.

I don’t mind the legs, the straight lines match the rest of the design.

Given the minimal wood your selection will need to be top quality to maximise strength.