Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Cloud Nine

A few months ago I decided it was time to upgrade my sleeping quarters. I've slept on many mattresses throughout my life so far (twin, full, dorm room, park bench) and I think I'm ready to settle down and commit to a grown-up bed. It's been a few weeks in the making, but I am now sleeping in luxury, and it wasn't even that pricey!

Step one: buy mattress. Probably the easiest step physically but the roughest mentally. I HATE spending money. Thanks Mom. I just heave to remember that we spend an average of 1/3 of our lives asleep so a bed should be a strong investment.

Step two: Find bed plans. I found my plans here Now, I can't say I recommend these plans. They're pretty, but full of errors, LOTS of errors.
  • shopping list is missing items
  • 4.5 inch screws are not sold a large lumber stores like Lowes or Home Depot. In fact, I'm not sure they exist at all.
  • The dimensions of a queen size bed are 60'' by 80''. The plans are to make a bed that is 58'' by 80''.
  • There are no instructions on how to fasten the headboard and foot board to the bed frame.
Step three: Build Bed. I would have quit about 10 minutes in once I found all the mistakes with the plans, but I had the positive encouragement from my sister-in-law and the helpful problem solving skills of Caroline and my brother Stephen.



It took a day and a half to construct. Rain hindered the plans a little, but it was also a good excuse to take a break before I went crazy.

Step four: Transport bed to my apartment. I don't have much to say about this except that it went off without a hitch! Stephen rented a truck from Lowes to transport some building materials for a new floor, and I got to bring my bed back to my place!

Yes, it was frustrating. Sometimes beyond words....BUT, it was totally worth it for a snazzy bed like this:

Paint to come in the future.

I LOVE my new bed, and I'm so HAPPY!
Thanks to my lovely siblings for their hard work and free food!

3 comments:

Mrs. 5C said...

It looks SOOOO PRETTY!!!
I'm sorry it wasn't a breeze to make! I was waiting to see how you'd like her plans before I committed to building my bookcases. Maybe this is a sign that I should save my pennies for something at the GIANT YARD SALE!!
I can't wait to see it with paint!
And I'm so proud of you for spending real money on a mattress. :) You rock, Woman!!!

Unknown said...

It looks terrific and I love your bedding!!! It's so pretty!!

What did it end up costing in the end? Or should we wait for the paint to see the final tally?

Thanks for the drill bits! That was very sweet of you!

gonewalkabout said...

That is super fantastic!! I'm jealous. I'd love to build my own furniture... but I have no fancy power tools. And I'm lazy. And I love IKEA (which is kind of like building your own). Anywho. Seriously good job!