A woman with long hair, wearing a black and white checkered shirt and jeans, sits on a white mattress inside a partially built wooden structure with built-in features. To her left, against a white wall, stands a tall potted plant.
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DIY Built in Bunk Beds

ByLisa
19 Comments

Week 3 of the One Room Challenge is here and I have built in bunk beds! Sort of.  Are they 100% complete? Not exactly, but they are built! This week definitely came faster than last week! I am working in real time now, and I am feeling the pressure! If you missed the week one, or week two, check those out to see all the plans and progress. As for this week, I am just glad I made it without becoming a true crime story like last time.  So far I ripped out the carpet, scraped the popcorn ceilings, painted, installed new floors, and built bunk beds. Not too bad, huh? So do you wanna see those bunk beds?

A woman smiles while seated on a white bunk bed. The top half of the image reveals a DIY built-in bunk bed crafted from unfinished wood with white panels, set against a dark green wall. A potted plant adds life near the cozy nook. Text reads "DIY Built-in Bunk Beds.

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As a reminder, this is what the room looked like when I started. Dated popcorn ceilings, dirty carpet, and a fan that I was SO over!

Empty room with dark blue walls and laminate wood flooring. Ceiling has a light fixture with a fan. Sunlight enters through a window on the right, partially covered by blinds. Illuminated interior has minimal decor, with a small red object on the window sill.

I should probably mention, I have never built bunk beds before, not that most people have, although I did build our bed.  And while I have tackled my fair share of bigger projects, like the deck, cable railing, and sofas, this was by far the most complicated build I have done from scratch. That’s right, I dreamt this up and figured out how to build it. Some people call me stubborn, I say determined.  Naturally, I started with a large pile of wood.

Stacks of long wooden planks, perfect for crafting built-in furniture like bunk beds, are arranged side by side on a concrete floor. The planks showcase a light, natural wood finish with visible grain patterns and stamped text.

Since this room started out with a queen sized bed, we also had to swap the mattress for two twins. I found these at Costco and I must admit, I think they are more comfortable than our bed! But truthfully, I can’t wait to sleep on these for a night to really test them out.

A yellow cardboard box stands upright against a plain wall on a hardwood floor. The box, branded "Simmons," indicates it contains an 8" memory foam mattress, ideal for bunk beds, with illustrations and product features detailed on the front.

DIY Built in Bunk Beds

I definitely plan to write a full tutorial on these built in bunk beds, but because of time and ALL the other projects I have planned, I will give you the cliff notes version for now.  I started by building the platforms for the top and bottom bunks with 2x4s. And can I just say, I severely underestimated the amount of screws I would need. Three boxes later and I should have just bought the economy pack. But there was no way I would need 300+ screws….wrong. Lesson learned.

A partially assembled wooden bed frame, potentially soon to be part of cozy bunk beds, sits on a patterned rug. A mattress leans against a green wall marked with blue tape. Tools like a power drill and square are scattered across the floor, all under the watchful breeze of a ceiling fan above.

With the platforms built, I built a wall for the head of the bed. Now I will admit, this did not have to be this complicated, but I insisted on headboard niches. There was a lot of mathing that went on here, but I think it will all work out. I should probably also mention there were several trips to the attic because the ceiling joists did not align with the placement of the walls. Of course not, why would they? But I wanted to make sure these remained built in bunk beds, you know?

A partially constructed wooden frame for a built-in shelving unit stands against a wall, reminiscent of the craftsmanship seen in custom bunk beds. The hardwood floor and a dark accent wall complement the scene. Blue tape marks suggest measurements or alignment. The room is well-lit.

Once the first wall frame was secured in place to the back wall, side wall, and ceiling, I attached the bottom frame.  I used 2 1/2 inch construction screws to attach all the framing to one another,  3 1/2 inch washer lag screws for attaching to most of the studs, 4 inch Structural Fasteners for where I stacked 2x4s and and a few 5 1/8 inch extra long fasteners for attaching the headboard wall to the ceiling.

Wooden frame structures for a built-in shelving project are partially assembled in a room, resembling the start of custom bunk beds. Tools like drills and a tape measure are scattered on the rug-covered floor. A dark accent wall and a ladder are visible in the background.

Then I slatted the bottom frame with 1x4s and the nail gun to support the mattress.

A wooden frame and slatted platform constructed against a wall suggest the outline of built-in shelving or bunk beds under construction in a room with dark hardwood floors and a dark green accent wall.

Naturally we had to have a family snuggle session to test this out 🙂

Two people lie on a mattress next to an unfinished wooden frame against the wall, reminiscent of built-in bunk beds. They are wearing casual clothes and socks, with a small dog resting between them. The wall is partially painted dark, with blue tape marking sections.

Next, I built the second wall for the bunk beds. This wall was a bit less complicated, but I did decide to notch out two of the 2x4s that would act as a support for the top bunk. This may not have been necessary, but it made me feel better since this is being built for adults.

A wooden frame structure with a slatted base and built-in design stands in a room with dark green walls. Two blue tape markers adorn the wall, while a textured area with a lamp casts light and shadows across the floor.

The part I worried about most was attaching the platform for the top bunk bed, but surprisingly, it went fairly smooth! I used my highly scientific method of taping a four foot level to the 2×4 to make sure it was level and didn’t fall while we were installing. I also clamped the right side of the top bunk frame to the second wall once it was in place. This way Barry only had to hold one section while I screwed it in instead of holding whole thing.

A wooden bed frame is under construction against a dark green wall, hinting at a potential built-in design. A yellow level tool rests horizontally on the frame, while blue tape marks measurements. The wooden floor adds warmth, and a single electrical outlet completes the scene.

If you want to see the video of this, it is saved on the 2021 Fall ORC highlight in my Insta stories. 

PSA. During the bunk bed build, I decided I wanted a new tape measure with all the numbers marked. I stumbled upon this one. I had no clue what “center scale” meant, but quickly learned that it gives you the exact center measurement of what you are measuring! Mind blown. This was SO helpful when I was lining up the niches. I simply marked the center of the frame and the center of the niche and lined them up. Easy peasy. So in case you didn’t know, now you do 🙂 

Close-up of wooden beams with pencil marks labeled "TOP," and an inset image of a measuring tape showing 38 inches, likely part of a built-in bunk beds project. Branding text at the bottom left corner reads "Garrison Street Design Studio.

Finishing out the built in bunk beds, in my opinion, is the most tedious task, and clearly I am not actually done with that, haha! I decided to use shiplap and pre-primed pine.  Honestly, its a miracle all of this made it up for these photos because I was cutting it darn close! But you get the general idea.

A partially constructed wood wall, possibly part of built-in bunk beds, features a rectangular recess and painted white vertical panels. A nail gun, tape measure, and power drill sit on a wooden platform below. Painter's tape marks are visible on the wall above.

I still have to fill ALL the holes, caulk, paint and build  the stairs. I have a feeling this will be an eleventh hour kind of thing, but we will see. You can catch all the behind the scenes in my Insta stories.  PS. Marvin is already enjoying the new bunk beds, although he is confused as to how he gets to the top bunk  🙂 

A woman sits cross-legged atop built-in bunk beds with a dark accent wall behind her. Below, a small dog relaxes on the bottom bed, adding charm. To the left, a potted plant completes the serene scene.

A custom-built wooden bunk bed is seamlessly integrated into a dark green and white wall. The built-in design features an open framework with unfinished wood beams, complemented by a ceiling fan overhead. An inset reveals a close-up of the unfinished wood labeled "before.

A modern bunk bed setup with white and wood accents against a dark green wall features sleek built-in design elements. A potted plant in a black and wooden stand on the wooden floor next to the bed adds a touch of greenery to the minimalist decor.

I cannot wait to finish these out and add all the bedding! I will be working on Barry’s closet next week. Spoiler alert, it includes a trip to my mother land, IKEA!!!! Fingers crossed we only have to go once! Join me again next week to see how the rest of our makeover is coming along!

A person in a plaid shirt and jeans sits on the top bunk of sleek, built-in bunk beds, holding a drill. A potted plant is on the wooden floor beside the bed, with a dark green wall as the backdrop.

If you enjoyed this post, DIY Built in Bunk Beds, please share it on Facebook or hover over an image and save to Pinterest! And if you don’t already follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, or Facebook, I would love for us to be friends! Also, make sure you don’t miss any of the progress and sign up here to get notifications delivered straight to your inbox.  It’s going to be a wild ride!  

 

 

Don’t forget to stop by the One Room Challenge to check out all the featured designers and other guest participants. There are SO many talented folks creating and making over spaces, its basically like binge watching HGTV 😉  

Garrison Street Design Studio - DIY Built in Bunk Beds

 

Modern white and wood built-in bunk beds are seamlessly integrated into a wall with a dark green accent. A small potted plant sits on a nearby stool, adding a touch of nature. The bottom bunk is furnished with a mattress, while the top is empty. Visit our website below for more details.

This post, DIY Built in Bunk Beds appeared first on Garrison Street Design Studio.

19 Comments

  1. Wow, what an amazing project!!! I love the practicality of bunk beds- and your pup looks adorable in them too! Although I love true crime anything, I am glad your week didn’t end up in a podcast. Ha! Keep up the amazing work!

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much! I really appreciate that 🙂 I think they are definitely going to be a favorite spot for Marvin.

      Reply

  2. You’ve inspired me to finally get cracking on bunkbeds! Curious, what did you use for the outside facing on the mattress frame sides? Are they 2×6’s? Thanks!

    Reply

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