Pull-out bed-podium in the bedroom

A podium with a built-in bed is a stylish and at the same time functional solution in modern interior design.

Every year, the popularity of such structures is growing rapidly, because they not only look quite impressive, but also help solve the issue of lack of space, which is especially relevant in modern conditions.

Materials

At a building materials store I bought everything to assemble a podium with a pull-out bed with my own hands. Small things like screws, washers and nails were in abundance in my workshop. I brought my purchases from the store and laid them out in the apartment.

MDF size 244 × 183 × 1.6 cm – 2 sheets.
Beam 5 × 5 cm – 48 m;
Fibreboard 122 × 244 cm.
Roller bearings – 10 pcs.
Metal corners – 40 pcs.
Wooden dowels 50 mm – 38 pcs.
Confirmations – 24 pcs.
Plastic plugs – 24 pcs.
Plastic plinth – 10 m.

Step-by-step instructions on how to make a pull-out podium bed with your own hands

The assembly of the pedestal and stock was carried out in several stages, which are reflected in this instruction. I had the cutting and edging of MDF parts done at a construction supermarket. The service was free due to the purchase of 2 MDF sheets at once.

Frame installation and MDF cladding

A 5 × 5 cm beam was sawn into segments in accordance with the structure diagram of the pedestal frame parts.
The longitudinal elements of the upper chord of the frame above the opening were assembled from double timber.
The joints of the timber were secured with clamping angles on screws. For this I used a screwdriver.

The frame was attached to the walls with metal corners, one side of which was connected to the wood with screws, and the second edge of the corner was fixed on the wall with a dowel. To do this, I started making holes in the concrete with a hammer drill and inserting dowels into them. I threaded the idea through the hole in the corner and hammered the self-tapping screw into the dowel.

I secured the lower belt of the frame to the floor with corners.
I checked the position of all elements of the upper chord of the frame with a level.
In the upper beam, every 300 mm, I made indentations for wooden dowels with a drill.
I drilled the same holes in the back of the MDF sheets.
I filled the holes with glue and inserted dowels into them.
Installed the cladding sheets in the designed position.

I installed the treads and walls of the stairs in the same way.

I installed skirting boards along the perimeter where the site meets the walls. For this I used a hammer drill and dowels. The plinth should not be attached to the pedestal, but only to the walls.

The upper plane of the pedestal mainly experiences vertical load. Efforts aimed at shifting are minimal. Therefore, fastening with wooden dowels on PVA glue is completely justified.

Initially I planned to make a box on the left side of the stairs to store various small items. This idea had to be abandoned due to lack of space.

Assembling a roll-out bed

The MDF body measuring 1700 × 2100 mm was assembled from 5 parts: a front wall 450 × 2100 mm, a rear side 330 × 2100 mm, 2 sidewalls 330 × 1700 mm and a bottom 1700 × 2100 mm.
In the body parts I made holes for confirmations using a special drill. Use a socket wrench to install the Euroscrews.
I secured 4 roller supports to the bottom of the stock with screws.

A double mattress was placed in the body.

At this point, I completed the work of assembling the roll-out podium bed with my own hands. All that remains is to calculate the labor costs and the amount of money spent on furniture production.

Types of designs

The functionality of the bed will depend on its design features. We will look at the most common options for podium-type beds.

Table 1. Design features of the podium bed

View, illustration	Description
With sleeping place above	In the case of this option, you can use the part raised from the floor to organize the drawers. Here you can store both your personal belongings and bed linen, which allows you to significantly save space.
With roll-out bed	This is the most suitable option for a small apartment. In this case, the podium is used for personal needs, and the bed is pulled out only at night. Of course, such a design is quite difficult to make with your own hands, but it significantly saves space and looks very unusual.

There are a large number of different ready-made bed designs in two versions. They come in a variety of shapes, including round and rectangular.

Podium drawing

Depending on the purpose, podium structures are divided into the following types:

decorative - usually such products have a decorative appearance with minimal functionality; they are installed to give the interior a special style;
technical - in this case, the podium box is installed to disguise various communications, so the main emphasis in the manufacture of such products is on functionality;
combined type - such designs have the advantages of the two types listed above.

Round bed

Labor costs

The working time spent making the pedestal with a retractable bed was recorded in the table.

№	Assembly phase	Number of people hour
1	preparation of tools and materials	2
2	timber frame assembly	10
3	MDF cladding	7
4	bed assembly	4
5	Total	2

Making a pedestal with a retractable bed took a total of 3 days.

Styles

The functional and aesthetic components of the product are very important. But the combination of the bed with the rest of the interior items and its style are no less important. You need to choose a model that will fit well into the environment and become a harmonious part of it.

The classic style presupposes a strict, but not devoid of decorative elements, appearance of the bed. An excellent solution would be to choose expensive fabric for upholstery. You can cover both the frame and the head of the bed. The number of decorations should not be large, but a certain amount - tassels on the bedspread, exquisite drawer handles, etc. - is acceptable. Most often, however, niches, drawers and shelves in classic models are disguised.

It is better to choose children's models in soothing colors. The single folding model can be equipped with a lifting mechanism and can be converted into a double bed when unfolded. You should choose natural materials for both the podium and the mattress. The latter must be rigid, orthopedic - to form correct posture. Modern manufacturers offer a lot of environmentally friendly solutions.

Cost of materials

MDF sheets 2440 × 1830 × 16 mm – 2 pcs. = 2100 rub.
Beam 5 × 5 × 600 cm – 8 pcs. = 800 rub.
Mattress = 5000 rub.
Roller feet – 4 pcs. = 28 rub.
Skirting board – 2.5 m × 4 pcs. = 240 rub.
Corners 45 × 45 mm – 40 pcs. = 80 rub.
Dowels for walls 50 mm - 20 pcs. in stock.
Wooden dowels 30 mm – 40 pcs. = 10 rub.
Confirmations – 30 pcs. = 15 rub.
PVA glue = 30 rub.

Total: 8323 rub.

The do-it-yourself podium with a pull-out bed allowed me to create a spacious interior in a small bedroom area. All this happened thanks to the way the bed was stored inside the podium during the daytime.

No. 11. What else to consider when choosing a bed?

In pursuit of a large, spacious bed, do not forget that space in the bedroom is limited, and in addition to the bed, it is often necessary to place a wardrobe or chest of drawers, and leave a free passage to the sleeping area and the window.

On sale you can find beds of very original design. For example, in the form of a boat, a nest, there are even swing beds, but when trying to add variety to your home interior, do not forget that the bed, first of all, should be comfortable.

As for bed manufacturers, you can pay attention to Dream Line (beds made of solid ash and beech), Olimp, Horizont, Fratelli Barri (expensive designer Italian beds), as well as more affordable products from SMK, Vasko, Triya and Lonax. Finally, we note that it is better to buy a bed, like a mattress, only after a personal inspection and short testing: an uncomfortable product will reveal itself almost immediately

Finally, we note that it is better to buy a bed, like a mattress, only after a personal inspection and short testing: an uncomfortable product will give itself away almost immediately.

The article was written for the site remstroiblog.ru.