When you are planning the layout of the interior of the home you want to consider adding a lofted bed to save space and add storage. You want to install a built in loft and closet after you complete painting the walls and ceiling of the space. I decided I would build a DIY loft bed to perfectly fit the design of the tiny house.
Can you build your own DIY loft bed?
Yes it is possible for anyone to build a DIY loft bed with simple tools and not that much wood. Anyone with basic carpentry skills can build a loft bed with plywood, 4×4 posts, 2×10 boards and 2x4s. The loft bed can be built into the wall of your house.
Step 1: Measure the space
Decide where you want to place the DIY loft bed. The best location is in a corner because this will give you 2 walls to attach the loft bed to. For a queen bed a loft space of 8ft by 6ft is recommended in my experience. For other mattress sizes just add a foot to the width and length to calculate minimum loft dimensions.
The 4×4 posts that support the bed will be attached to the studs in the wall. You also want to choose an area with the maximum height. It’s also better to be closer to a window as the light will make the loft space feel more spacious.
Step 2: Design the DIY loft bed
Find out how high you want the DIY loft bed to be. Preferably you want enough space so you can step underneath the loft without hitting your head but you also need enough space for the bed to not be too close to the ceiling to feel claustrophobic. Measure the height from the ground to the ceiling, if your room is shorter than average it will make building the loft bed harder. I would make the loft at least 3 feet from the ceiling for comfort.
3 feet from ceiling
Don’t forget to account for the thickness of your mattress in your designs. In a standard 8ft room if you are 3 feet from the ceiling that will leave 5 ft of storage area underneath which is plenty but will require crouching. Most people are over 5 ft so this may be better for a child’s room. If your ceiling higher than 8ft then you have more options.
I have a slanted ceiling that is 10 at its tallest and 9 foot at its lowest. This leaves me 4 feet of room at my head and 3 at my feet with a storage area underneath with 6 foot of height.
Step 3: Use 2×10 lumber
Measure the area and find out the length of the longest span. Typically the longest span will be 7-8ft long as this will be the length of the bed area. A standard queen bed is 6 foot long so you will want a 7-8ft loft to have some wiggle room. For a 7-8ft span I would recommend 2×10 lumber to span between the posts.
You can probably get away with using 2×8 lumber if you run the loft joists widthwise not lengthwise. Standard queen beds are 5 food wide meaning the width of the loft space should be 5-6 feet wide for wiggle room. 2×8 lumber will work for a 6 foot span.
Step 4: Find the studs of the wall
Find where the studs are in your wall where you want to build the loft. You will have to cut into the drywall eventually so don’t be afraid to stick something through the drywall to find the stud. I found 6 studs that were somewhat equidistant from each other so I can attach the post to the stud and place the joist on top of the post and nail it into the stud in the wall.
For sides of the bed that aren’t against a wall you will have a freestanding post that isn’t attached to any studs. The joist will rest on the post.
Step 5: Cut the 4×4 support posts
Now that you have planned it out you want to cut the support posts to length. The posts should be the loft height desired minus the width of the joists. So for example my loft was 6 feet off the ground and I used 2x10s which are 9.5inches wide. Given the measurements I cut my posts 62.5 inches. 6×12= 72 inches – 9.5 inches = 62.5 inches.
For my queen sized bed I cut 6 posts to hold three 8 foot loft joists lengthwise. The posts were placed evenly with a post in each corner of the loft so the structure was solid.
Step 6: Install 4×4 posts into wall
Cut open the drywall near the selected studs. I cut a 4 inch slot for the 4×4 post to slide in next to the stud. Before nailing run a string line from post to post and make sure span is completely level. This is very important as this will ensure level flooring in your loft space. Nail the 4×4 posts to the studs. For posts that are free standing you can nail them into the floor for now to keep them in place. Check the picture below.
Step 7: Lay the 2×10 loft joists
Now that the posts are installed it is time to lay the joists on top of the post and against the stud in the wall. Make a measurement from 4×4 post to post. Start the measurement inside the wall and end it within the wall of the opposite post. Cut the 2×10 joist to size.
Slide the cut joist onto the post and against the stud of the wall. Nail the joist to the stud in the wall and to the post it is sitting on. For free standing posts just toenail the joist onto the post. See picture below.
Step 8: Install plywood for loft area
Lay half inch thick sheets of plywood onto the joists. The plywood should be running the opposite direction of the joists. Make sure there are no gaps between the sheets. For an 8’x6’ loft I cut 2 sheets of plywood 4’ by 6’ and laid them next to each other. Nail the plywood sheets on to the joists and anywhere else that will create stability.
Step 9: Design a ladder or stairs
Build a ladder or staircase to access the DIY loft bed. You should now have a stable loft space with a level surface big enough for a mattress with some wiggle room. The next step is deciding how to access it safely in a way that will be comfortable for the user.
Generally you have 2 choices a ladder or a staircase. Personally I think a staircase is worth the extra work for the comfort of being able to walk out of bed. A ladder will be easier to build through. For a ladder you can take two 2x6s and nail 2x4s widthwise to create steps on the ladder. Building stairs is a topic that could have its own blog post.
My alternating tread stairs
I chose a simple staircase design made of 8ft 2x10s laid at a 37 degree angle down from the edge of the loft bed. The steps I made were 20 inch wide 2x10s. Typically people recommend you build your staircase steps minimum 24 inches wide, I made it a bit skinnier to save space. The steps were then nailed into these supports. See picture below.
Step 10: Shelves and clothes hangers
Add shelving and storage underneath the loft. The best part of a loft bed is that you get almost a walk in closet vibe that offers ample storage space. I have a bookshelf, a mini desk, shelving for clothes and a rod for hangers.
The bookshelf I installed was an old ikea shelf. The mini desk and clothes shelves were made from scrap 1/8 inch plywood supported by scrap 1×6 wood. This is sufficient for a shelf that holds clothes but If you want the shelf to hold more weight you can use 2x4s as support pieces.
The rod was just a wood dowel that I screwed into the underside of the loft joists. The sky is the limit with building storage I don’t have too many things so this was sufficient for me.
Step 11: Sand and paint
Finishing touches. Now that the loft bed is built and there are stairs and storage it is time to make everything look pretty. I would start by sanding everything and make sure there are no rough edges as this will be an area people are sleeping.
You can stain and seal or just seal the natural wood. You can paint the shelving if desired to add some color. I chose golden pecan stain on the loft area and did multi color painting for the shelves and desk. Add 2 layers of an oil based sealer to everything to make a long lasting surface.
Now is also the time to add trim if desired over any gaps at the edge of the loft. You don’t want anything to fall in a crack. Another fun thing I did is add multicolor LED strip lights to the ceiling of the loft bed for cool lighting while laying in bed.
How much will it cost to build DIY loft bed?
| Material | 4×4 post | 2×10 board | Half inch plywood | 2x4s | Total cost |
| Amount | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Cost | $70 | $24.66 | $48.30 | $2.98 | $145.94 |
Can I board my loft with plywood?
Yes plywood is the best choice to create the surface of the loft for the bed to lie on. Make sure the plywood is at least half inch thick plywood to support the weight.
How many pounds will a loft bed hold?
I calculate a loft built with 2×10 lumber and big enough for queen bed can hold around 840 pounds. So a queen bed is 60 inches by 80 inches meaning our longest span 80 inches or 6.6 feet(round up to 7 feet). A piece of 2×10 lumber can hold 10 pounds per inch for a 7 foot span or 840 pounds. My design includes three 2x10s so my calculations are a bit conservative assuming all the weight is placed on one 2×10 board.
Conclusion: DIY loft bed with storage underneath
This guide walks you through to creating a DIY loft bed space with storage underneath. Now that I have shown you my
Next steps: How to Build Alternating Tread Stairs
More resources: https://www.itinyhouses.com/tiny-living/40-tiny-house-storage-organizing-ideas-entire-home/