The bed with a folding mechanism is a transformable design. If necessary, the product can be modified into a cabinet or furniture wall, helping to save space in small apartments Oh. The design is easy to use, compact, technologically advanced, and provides quality rest. Folding bed with your own hands - a budget option. Self-installation reduces the cost of the product, allows you to develop your own design, add details (shelves, mirrors, etc.).
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Types of folding beds
Designs with a folding mechanism are multifunctional, because... combine several pieces of furniture. Manufacturers produce beds combined with a wardrobe, sofa or shelving unit. There are designs that transform into a cabinet.
A bed with a folding mechanism, built into the closet, allows you to accommodate a single bed or a double Euro-format bed. Options have been developed that hide 2 separate beds. The doors of the simulated closet can swing open or slide apart.
Models of beds combined with a wardrobe and a sofa are ergonomic and allow you to create a place for daytime rest. The design is spacious, so only double-size models are produced. A bed with a sofa is more expensive than other transformers.
The design with a folding mechanism can be modified into a cabinet. When disassembled, the product serves as a sleeping bed, and during the day it frees up space for a study. The model is budget-friendly, because does not require a powerful lifting device.
Placing a folding bed on the balcony is an ergonomic solution for small studios. But to organize a resting place, you will need to insulate the room.
Folding beds can have one or several tiers. The more common products are single-seat. Designs with 2 tiers are used when arranging rooms for children and teenagers.
According to the opening method, models are divided into 2 groups: transversely folding (horizontal) and longitudinally folding (vertical).
Vertical lift bed is popular in small apartments. The sleeping bed is attached perpendicular to the wall surface. The model is not limited in length and width. The size range is represented by single, one-and-a-half and double products. The structures are massive and are not intended for children's rooms.
Beds with a horizontal lift mechanism are suitable for narrow rooms with low ceilings. The designs are optimal for attics and children's rooms, because... take up minimal space even when unfolded. The products can be disguised as bookcases and shelves.
Types of fasteners
3 types developed folding mechanisms for transforming beds: manual, spring, gas.
IN handheld device There are no elements that make it easier to lift the bed, so physical effort is required during operation. Mounting structure simple, reliable and inexpensive. However, the mechanism is not suitable for children's bedrooms.
The spring design is universal, with affordable price. The lifting mechanism uses twisted spirals. The manufacturer issues a warranty on the system from 3 to 5 years. During operation, the bed must be inspected and the condition of the springs monitored.
The gas mechanism is the most functional, reliable, and durable. The device does not require physical effort during operation, because the bed is raised by gas lifts. The power of the mechanism is selected depending on the dimensions of the structure and the weight of the mattress. Manufacturers' warranty on devices is 10 years. The cost of the mechanism is high.
Fastening elements are selected taking into account the dimensions sleeping place. The configuration of the room and the availability of free space influence the choice of horizontal or vertical type of lift.
The power of the gas mechanism is selected taking into account operating conditions. Some devices have a limit permissible load, therefore it is necessary to take into account the weight of the bed and mattress when choosing a wall mounting system. Amplifiers and blockers are included with the mechanisms to protect against arbitrary operation of the device.
Drawings of a folding bed
When making a folding bed with your own hands according to drawings, you can use diagrams with standard parameters. Custom design is also possible. You can design furniture according to drawings tailored to the dimensions, room configuration and required functionality. The product can be complemented with a chest of drawers, drawers, shelves, including them in the drawing.
Typical design should be built using the parameters of the bed base, cabinet frame, lifting mechanism, and decorative elements. It is required to attach the box to the wall, based on the dimensions shown on the dimensional and assembly drawings. It is important to follow the installation diagram accurately power element, taking into account the thickness of the mechanism, the height and width of the bed, the thickness of the sides, etc. It is required to display the main fastening lines in the drawings.
Self-assembly of the structure
Before making a folding bed, you need to prepare a set of tools, raw materials, elements and installation diagrams. Will be required wooden beam under the frame, edged boards for the crossbars, and for the sides and headboard - furniture panels. The kit includes plywood sheets, loops for attaching the structure to the wall, bars for legs. The set of tools includes a tape measure, a level and a square, a jigsaw, a set of screwdrivers and screwdrivers, a drill, and a grinder.
Work on assembling the structure is carried out at smooth surface. At each stage it is necessary to check the perpendicularity of the corners using a square. The typical design involves assembly internal mechanism, sleeping surface, front walls, handles, straps for fixing bedding and a mattress.
DIY vertical folding bed
The vertical lift design includes a box, a sleeping surface, and a lifting device. For the type of fastening, the strength of the walls is important; concrete or brick panels are preferred.
Work begins with the assembly of the frame, the dimensions of which are influenced by the size of the sleeping bed. The main components of the box: vertical and horizontal walls, back panel, supporting shelf and baseboard. The depth of the frame is determined taking into account the thickness of the mattress, 32 cm is added to the indicator. For a furniture box, the width of the mattress is important, to which 16 cm is added. The parts of the box are attached with self-tapping screws, the elements located on the facade are attached with glue.
Then the sleeping area is assembled, which consists of the sides, headboard, and slatted base. The mattress is attached to loops of belts. The box and the bed are connected with a lifting mechanism using self-tapping screws. The work is completed by installing the parts. Shelves are installed on the sides of the box, and cabinets for linen are installed below.
What do you do with old furniture?
How to make a large double lift bed with your own hands. In continuing the improvement of the apartment, it was necessary to solve the problem of expanding the living space of the bedroom with an area of 11 m2. Except small area the room had one more drawback - the width was only 2 meters 45 cm. A double bed installed in the center of the room and two wardrobes along the walls significantly reduced the living space, and the small width of the room made it difficult to get to balcony door when walking around the bed. Several rearrangements of furniture did not lead to an improvement in the situation in the room - another solution was required. Hiking around furniture stores and furniture manufacturing salons were offered alternatives. It was decided to install a built-in lift-up bed. But there were problems here too, it was not possible to find ready-made solutions a double lift-up bed with a mattress size of 160 cm by 200 cm, and the furniture manufacturing solutions offered in the workshops did not suit me with the width of the bed when raised and the height of the bed when lowered. All the bed designs examined were based on chipboards, and this did not satisfy me, both for environmental reasons and for the reliability of long-term operation. And to top it all off, the cost of the furniture, in my opinion, was simply off the charts. This was determined by simply calculating the cost of component materials. For some designs, the retail cost of materials was more than an order of magnitude lower than the cost of the bed. Of course, I immediately had the desire to make the bed myself and with my own hands. The Internet has helped in solving this issue.
How to make a large lift-up bed with your own hands
The work began with the search for the important node lifting bed - hinges. Were considered various options lifting mechanisms with spring hinges, pneumatic cylinders, counterweights and mechanical with electric drive. The choice fell on the use of the most proven and feasible method of manufacturing a lifting bed using lifting mechanics based on spring hinges. The question “how to do it?” I decided to make the bed with my own hands with the selected hinge option. The most powerful hinges that could be found were chosen; the manufacturer guaranteed a lifting weight of the bed of 200 kg. Hinge brand 108/4 , are made in Italy. The hinges were ordered online. A month later, the transport company delivered a parcel weighing about 25 kg with two loops and retractable legs for the bed.
Receipt of the cargo became the starting point for the start of work. The next day the old bed was dismantled, the old mattress was thrown out and immediately purchased new size 2000×1600×200 mm. The place for furniture creativity was ready. Maybe this is the wrong approach, but at that time I didn’t have a clear decision on how to make a bed. Initially I was going to go along classic version– production of a wall structure where the bed was removed. But the desire to make the entire bed from wood, and not from chipboards, greatly increased the cost of materials. This is where the idea came to use two closets in the room as a wall structure - a niche for the future bed. But first it was necessary to make the bed itself. Geometric calculations and glued boards offered in the nearest store led to the following design of the lifting part of the bed: side walls made of thick laminated boards with a cross-section of 250×40 mm, end walls made of 25 mm laminated boards, crossbars made of bars with a cross-section of 45×45 mm. Don’t be lazy, choose cross members without knots and defects; the fibers should be even along the entire length of the bar! I admit that, having no experience, I was tormented by doubts as to whether the bottom structure would withstand future loads, and periodically imagined how the bed under me would break;). The work was carried out in the evenings and on weekends right in the room. So, the sequence of making a homemade lift-up built-in bed. Unfortunately photo chronicle of production makeshift bed was carried out, but as happens it was not preserved with a few exceptions. The bed assembly scheme was born in the process of building a homemade lifting bed.
Instructions for making a homemade lift-up bed
1. The sketch of the lifting part of the bed consisted of a box of four boards and four cross members to form the bottom for the orthopedic frame.
2. It was decided to connect the frame boards in THORN on glue (hereinafter, PVA glue was used to glue the wood, 1 liter was enough for everything). To apply the contours of the spikes, a stencil is cut out of cardboard before sawing. Carefully apply the contour for cutting, incorrect markings after cutting will ruin the board, there is no reserve in length! Remember the rule - in each connection of boards, the tenon of one board must correspond to the groove between the tenons of the other board. The boards were originally 30–50mm larger in size external size boxes, this excess is cut off after gluing the joint.
3. The spikes were selected with a jigsaw and trimmed if necessary construction knife and a chisel.
4. After removing the tenons on a flat surface (for me it was the covered floor of the room), the bed frame is assembled, you need to check inner dimensions and the lengths of the diagonals - the diagonals must be equal! (±5-10mm). If necessary, the workpieces are adjusted to ensure equal diagonals.
5. Mark the installation locations of the crossbars. The grooves are selected using manual milling machine, sampling depth 30mm. There is no worse way to do this carefully with a chisel.
6. After selecting the grooves, the workpieces were polished and coated with colorless varnish on water based. A total of 3 layers were applied. After the varnish had completely dried, work continued.
7. We adjust the dimensions of the crossbars taking into account the depth and shape of the grooves made. We don’t throw away the trimmings, they will still be needed.
8. Connect the crossbars and tenon joints frame with glue. We need to prepare for this operation. The best connection will be obtained when connecting with force. The force is created using twisted rope loops wooden block. Be careful and careful!!! It is imperative to make linings to prevent damage to the boards by ropes. The loop must be twisted until significant forces arise when twisting.
It is very important to set all the angles and constantly monitor the length of the diagonals. The diagonals must be equal. The glue must be dried thoroughly and securely. It is better to leave the frame alone for a few days.
9. After making the frame, the room was rearranged; one of the cabinets was specially moved to form the second wall of the bed niche. The distance between the cabinets should be equal to the external width of the bed and the thickness of the mounted hinges.
10. Naturally, I did not attach the hinges to a simply standing cabinet. Cabinets need to be strengthened and secured. Firstly, all removable shelves at the bottom of the cabinets were firmly screwed to the walls using furniture screws, and all available threaded connections fit. Each cabinet is screwed to the wall at at least three points using corners. As a result, the cabinets stood rooted to the spot :).
11. Since there was no clarity on the method of assembling the bed, I decided to install the hinges and check the mechanism. The position of the hinges determines the height of the lowered bed and the distance from the wall of the raised bed. When choosing the position of the hinges, it is necessary to take into account the movement of the headboard along the radius of the axis of rotation. In my version, when lowering the bed, the board passes 3cm from the wall. The coordinates of the rotation axis are shown in the sketch.
12. The loop is a structure in the form of a frame installed on a support and the actual loop installed on the bed. The frames were attached to the cabinets with self-tapping screws. They must be installed symmetrically and at the same level.
13. The hinges were fastened using furniture bolts through a large washer. The hinges have holes with appropriate threads. Holes were marked and drilled in the frame boards at the installation site. Through the holes the loops were attached to the bed. I want to say right away that if you follow my path, then you need to remove at least four springs from the hinge so that you can easily lower the bed frame for work and put a small load to avoid spontaneous lifting.
14. After screwing the hinges, I installed the frame vertically. The design of the box was still light and I easily inserted the hinges into the frames and secured them with standard staples. With fewer springs, the frame was easily lowered and remained down with a small weight, and when raised it also had to be held. The room immediately felt freer. Further all work was carried out on a fixed bed.
15. The next step was to strengthen the bottom of the bed. The crossbars made of bars looked flimsy and it was hard to believe that they would support the weight. But there was nowhere to retreat - construction continued. It was decided to make the bottom from 6mm plywood.
16. Bars with a cross-section of 45x45mm were glued to the side walls of the frame along the perimeter. The glued bars and crossbars must be in the same plane. Clamps were used to create pressure. To avoid damaging the boards, it is necessary to place spacers. With only 5 clamps, the bars were glued in three stages. The bars were not glued only to the side walls of the top of the bed, where the legs were attached. Further work was carried out 7 days after gluing the last block.
17. For the legs in the upper end board of the bed frame, 2 holes were selected square shape. Initially, I was tormented by doubts that the mounting holes for the legs were not enough, but subsequent operating experience showed the reliability of the fastening.
18. The bottom is made from purchased 6 mm plywood. It was not possible to make the bottom from one piece of plywood, since standard width sheet of plywood 1500mm, two sheets of plywood measuring 1500x1500mm were purchased from the store.
19. Sheets of plywood are cut so that the seams fall on less loaded bars. After cutting out all the pieces of plywood, I began work on attaching them to the bars. The plywood was supposed to be attached with glue, and to create pressure at the gluing points, drill into the plywood through holes 3mm in diameter for pressing sheets with self-tapping screws. Plywood laid out on internal frame and future holes are planned, to reduce nicks in the gluing area it is better to start drilling from reverse side sheets of plywood. At the place where the legs are attached, grooves are left in the pieces of plywood for access to the fasteners of the legs.
20. The installation sites of the sheets are generously lubricated with glue and the plywood sheets are pressed using self-tapping screws. The bed is raised and again left alone for several days. Then all the screws are removed, and the remaining holes are filled with PVA glue in several stages until the glue dries completely. I left some of the screws in place.
21. With the installation of plywood, the bed became heavier and it was necessary to adjust the tension of the springs to make it easier to lift; it no longer rose spontaneously. During the drying process, the leaks in the gluing of the plywood with the bars are additionally covered with glue. This must be done to prevent possible squeaks in the bed.
22. At this stage, you can remove the bed from its hinges and install three more springs. Further, the bed will become heavier and installing the springs will require more effort.
23. Tests of the plywood-covered bottom showed (three adults stood in the center of the bed) that the bed was durable. After testing, the bottom of the bed was additionally sanded and coated with water-based varnish in three layers.
24. After the varnish has dried, the mattress is installed in the bed. The mattress in the straightened state turned out to be somewhat bigger size and therefore was tightly held in the internal volume of the bed frame and its additional fastening, as in the site, was not required.
25. The next practical tests of the bed were carried out, based on the results of the presence of a large free space between the mattress and the wall in the raised state, I decided to place pillows and a blanket in the bed. To do this, four Velcro straps from the mattress packaging are installed. The ends of the belts were attached to the bottom of the bed with self-tapping screws - bugs. When the bed was raised, the blanket and pillows were pressed against the mattress with straps.
26. Finishing continued by installing cladding on the outer part of the bottom from fiberboard sheets - sheets from the bottom were used old bed. The sheets were attached with glue and pressed with postal nails. All sheets are placed in the same plane. After gluing the fiberboard, the bed was already raised with considerable effort and the tension of the springs was adjusted with the appropriate screw on each hinge to easily lift the bed.
27. To strictly fix the bed in a vertical position, limiters for the movement of the bed when lifting are installed. The limiters are installed on a horizontal board between the cabinets, which also serves as dust protection for the raised bed. The limiter is made of a piece of board; a sponge rubber shock absorber is installed at the point of contact with the bed. It is better to secure a piece of board with glue and screws. The glue fastening did not hold up and was reinforced with self-tapping screws.
Updated:
2016-09-05
Making a wardrobe bed with your own hands is quite simple, if you approach this issue wisely, choose good drawings and arrange a modern bedroom, multifunctional furniture. And how exactly to do this, we’ll talk in our material.
Structurally, the transformer bed wardrobe can be divided into two types:
- Horizontal;
- Vertical.
Each wardrobe bed has its own characteristics and advantages, so be guided by your own wishes and requirements. Plus, don’t forget whether this or that transformer design will allow it to fit favorably in your bedroom.
Regardless of the location option, each transformable bed combined with a wardrobe includes three elements:
- Cabinet box. It is quite possible to do it yourself;
- Bed. Sleeping area. The bed can be double, single or single. Many people prefer to buy a ready-made stock;
- Bed lift. A system that is responsible for raising and lowering the bed into the cabinet. Here it is better not to invent, but to buy a ready-made, high-quality and efficient mechanism.
Box
For the box you can use wooden boards or high-quality chipboards. Based on the drawings, you can easily make a full-fledged bed-wardrobe transformer for your own bedroom.
- Choose a wall where the bed closet is located that is at least 2 bricks thick.
- If the material is chipboard, the slabs are not particularly light, so be sure to strengthen the vertical walls that will support the movable part of the bed.
- The box is the main, load-bearing component of the entire transformer, so you should not skimp on the reliability and strength of the materials used.
- Having assembled a frame of three walls, you can begin to select a stock and a lifting mechanism.
Lifting mechanisms
The transformer will require lifting mechanisms that will significantly simplify the process of turning a closet into a bed and vice versa.
Today the range of lifts is presented wide choice where you can find:
- The simplest garage curtains;
- Solid axles;
- Trunnions with bearings;
- Hydraulic drives;
- Electrical devices, etc.
In order for a double bed to rise and fall easily enough, sometimes you just need to fix the lifts. But here you should focus on ensuring that lifting and fixing the berth is done without effort. For these purposes, experts advise using:
- Counterweights;
- Gas shock absorbers;
- Blocks of twisted springs.
Among all the options presented, gas shock absorbers are the most versatile, reliable and modern. Plus, they simplify the process of transforming furniture as much as possible, since they take on the main load.
Bed
Assembling a transformer in the form of a bed with a wardrobe, Special attention should be given a sleeping place. We noted that the stock can be purchased at finished form, thereby avoiding the rather labor-intensive process of its manufacture.
But if you want to make bedroom furniture entirely with your own hands, develop drawings and choose a photo as an example ultimate goal, then try to build a bed yourself.
Many people make a bed for a transformer based on factory-type frames with orthopedic properties. For this, manufacturers use metal profiles, curved canvas slats and an orthopedic mattress.
What kind of bed for a transformer can you make?
- The frame of a bed or sleeping place is constructed from boards, wooden blocks, based on prepared drawings. The skeleton will determine the size of the future bed, its dimensions. Please note that it must fit inside the cabinet, otherwise it will no longer be a transformer.
- Buy a ready-made orthopedic mattress. Moreover, first a mattress is purchased, and on its basis, calculations are made of the dimensions of the future bed-wardrobe. No other way. Otherwise, you may simply not guess, then everything will have to be redone.
- Instead of curved slats, boards fixed flat along the width of the bed with a gap of about 1 centimeter between them are suitable. Or you can install several boards on the edges, and fix a sheet of chipboard or plywood of sufficient thickness on top. Both design options will result in approximately the same weight and strength level.
- A wall can act as a headboard, that is, you will sleep with your head as if inside a closet. If the bed is installed horizontally, then you can come up with something individually for yourself, so that you have something to rest the back of your head on.
A finished bed will cost at least 20 thousand rubles, and the price of a homemade bed can be about 5 thousand. The choice is yours.
Closet
In addition to the fact that the closet will hide a bed, it can be used for direct purpose. This especially applies to horizontally placed beds, where the upper part of the closet will be completely free to accommodate shelves, hangers, and drawers.
If you prefer a vertical arrangement, where the bed is stacked up, then the transformer closet can be made into two sections or more, where:
- The first will be completely dedicated to the bed;
- The second will be able to play the role of a closet itself, justifying its name - a closet-bed.
All that remains is to assemble all the components together and your transformer is ready. There is nothing particularly difficult about making it. But the result exceeds the expectations of many. The main task is to correctly calculate the dimensions so that the drawing fully corresponds to the real capabilities and dimensions of the transformer elements. And the rest is a matter of technology.
One of the most stylish and ergonomic solutions for unusual bedrooms in private houses and apartments is the purchase of furniture such as a wardrobe bed. In my own way appearance it is no different from an ordinary bed, but its main feature is hidden inside. The design of the wardrobe bed has a mechanism that attaches it to the wall. Thus, if there is a lack of free space, you can easily fold the bed, securing it in a vertical position, and thereby significantly expand the free area. In the evening, the structure can easily be moved to a horizontal position, and thanks to a special tilting mechanism, absolutely any housewife can handle it.
In the closet, it has exactly the same appearance as in the photo.
As you can see, the design is quite unusual.
How to make a wardrobe bed with your own hands? About the design
First, let's look at the configuration of this type of furniture. And it consists of only a few parts:
- Bases (bed).
- A steel frame (frame) that is fixed to the wall.
In this case, the base is attached to the bottom of the frame. This configuration is also called a “compartment bed” in the furniture industry. It can be attached to the frame on one of the short sides. In this case, the furniture when folded will look like a cabinet. If the base of the structure is connected by a long end, then the product in this state can be used as a cabinet. However, no matter what type of wardrobe-bed it has, the main thing is that it is firmly fixed to the wall and does not “slide” to a horizontal position.
About the drawing
As we can see, the wardrobe-bed (a photo of the diagram of this furniture can be seen below) has a very primitive design. However, if you decide to make this product yourself, you should not abandon the drawing. Draw a diagram of the location of all the workers and mechanisms, calculate the distances, all dimensions and make the calculation. This way you will not only reduce the risks of creating a crooked design (as happens when creating a product according to a drawing “from your head”), but also significantly reduce the cost of materials, since you will already know the exact quantity metal corners and wood boards. When purchasing the latter, you should pay special attention to their quality, since the correct placement of the mattress and your overall comfort during sleep will depend on them.
It should lie tightly on the boards. But at the same time, the mattress should be placed so that it can be easily removed if necessary.
Do-it-yourself wardrobe-bed - the process of assembling the frame structure
The frame is the base of the entire bed, which must withstand enormous loads and not bend due to mechanical damage. In our case, it will consist of 3 sides of the same height and sides that hold the boards and mattress. One of the sides will be equipped with a lifting mechanism; accordingly, it must be as strong and reliable as possible. Its height may be equal to all other sides, or it may be slightly lower - there is no difference. Which one to choose? Made by yourself, it can be supplied with both a gas lift and furniture hinges. The latter option can be considered if the budget for the manufacture of this design is very limited.
But before you make a wardrobe bed with your own hands, remember that all the parts that will form the frame must be connected into a complete structure with wooden pins. They should be coated first special glue. You also need to drill holes for them before installation. The pins should not be round, but rectangular shape, that is, each angle in them has a slope of 90 degrees. Of course, glue alone cannot guarantee reliable connection all parts, so when it dries, screw a few additional screws into the structure. This way you can finally secure all sides of the bed.
Limiters
After screwing in the screws, you need to install special mattress stops on the wardrobe bed yourself. Also, do not forget about additional stiffening ribs, which will give the device greater strength. A yard with a cross section of 100x50 millimeters should be secured around the entire perimeter. It will serve as a limiter for the mattress. Here we attach the longitudinal crossbar. After this, it is necessary to install the transverse planks. The mattress itself will lie on the latter. The boards are installed at an equal distance from each other. The optimal distance is 50 centimeters.
Mounting location
How to make a wardrobe bed with your own hands after assembling the frame? Here you need to think about exactly where it will be installed on the wall. It is best to use self-tapping screws to connect the cabinet to the base.
You can also use special steel fastenings, which are attached to the sides of the device and then mounted to the wall.
Installation of the lifting mechanism
As we noted above, this furniture is equipped with either gas elevators or furniture hinges. In the first case, you will need to buy 2 elevators and for each of them make a corresponding base on one side of the frame.
In the case of hinges, you will also need 2 of these devices. Please note - the wardrobe-bed with a gas-lift type lifting mechanism is designed in such a way that it takes on most of the load and weight of the tool. Therefore, you can lift even a one-and-a-half-size sofa with just one hand.
Facades
After this, it is necessary to purchase and install planks into the facades, which are attached to the long side of the device frame. Partially, these parts can serve as a side. They are mounted to the base using special hinges, which are usually included in the kit of these products.
If used as planks and other wooden parts If you used products from fresh wood (natural pine, for example), then it is best to treat it with additional varnish.
It is not necessary to use paint. All you need to do is buy a jar of transparent or translucent varnish (the label will say “for wood”) and brush over all areas of the surface wooden products. It is also worth noting that before varnishing, this product should be carefully treated with stain.
Film finishing
There is one more Alternative option- gluing wood with a special film. It can be painted chrome, wood of any ornament or plastic. This way you will not only protect the bed from moisture, but also make its design harmonize as much as possible with the interior of the bedroom. By the way, even a chipboard panel covered with such a film can look like natural oak or cedar (of course, if you choose the appropriate sticker design).
Additionally, this bed can be used as a wardrobe when folded. To do this, you just need to equip its frame with additional shelves. This design does not harm the interior of the room at all, and also significantly saves free space in the house.
At this stage, it can be finally attached to the wall and used as a full-fledged sleeping place for 1 or 2 people (depending on what frame dimensions you have chosen).
Finding non-standard furniture in furniture showrooms is quite difficult, and execution individual orders is more expensive, so for many optimal solution is a DIY folding bed. Typically, the decision to make a folding bed-wardrobe is made by the owners of small-sized apartments, where every usable area on account. The lifting mechanism that transformable furniture is equipped with allows you to lower the bed at night and put the sleeping area in the closet during the day, freeing up space that a regular bed would take up all day long. Having drawings, available materials and a standard set of tools, a folding bed is easy to make yourself.
Design principle and design options
A wardrobe bed is a transformer consisting of a fixed wall box and a berth (bed) that can be raised and lowered.
Transformers are more popular vertical design(longitudinal-folding), in which the head of the bed is attached to the walls of the box. They can be one-and-a-half, double, or less often single, and when folded they imitate a closet.
Cross-folding, or horizontal beds-transformers are mainly installed in children's rooms; they are also suitable for teenagers and short people. These are mainly single beds that recline sideways, and when folded they imitate a chest of drawers or a shelf. Sometimes horizontal beds are made into bunk beds, similar to shelves in a reserved seat carriage.
The bed of a vertical bed is usually made solid, but sometimes it is equipped not only with head hinges, but also with side hinges, and folds in half when put away in a box. The closet for such a transforming bed needs a deeper one, but its upper part can be used as a mezzanine for bedding.
On the sides of the box you can mount shelving in the same style, or make a folding bed part of a furniture set. Sometimes the bed is raised relative to the floor, and in the lower part of the closet there are small compartments for shoes, a bed with hinged doors or drawers.
Set of materials and tools
The most important element needed to make a folding bed is lifting mechanism. On sale you can find mechanisms with different principles actions:
- mechanical;
- spring;
- on gas shock absorbers (gas lifts).
The last option is the most modern, with its help the transformer folds and unfolds without extra effort, the movement of the bed is smooth and silent, the bed is securely fixed in the desired position. The materials for making the stock must be selected in such a way that it is strong enough to withstand the weight of a person(s). At the same time, the folding bed should not be too massive so as not to create excessive load on the mechanism.
In addition to the mechanism for making a bed, you will need:
- timber with a section of 40x40 and edged board for the frame;
- sheets of plywood or slats for the bottom of the berth;
- Chipboard, if the cabinet will be made with a back wall;
- furniture panels from laminated chipboards, MDF or solid wood for the sides and backs of the bed, box walls, cabinet facade. There are many companies where you can order cutting of material into parts the right size, and also process their edges;
- furniture legs (if the bed will rest on them);
To determine the size of the parts, you need to focus on the dimensions of the mattress. The height of the box should be slightly greater than the length of the mattress; the thickness of the front and back walls of the bed should be added and a gap should be left. The width of the box is made 16 cm larger than the width of the mattress (space is needed to install a lifting mechanism).
The depth of the cabinet-box is usually equal to the height of the mattress + 32 cm. For the frame of the bed, you need to use a beam of such a size that the frame is slightly larger than the mattress, and it fits freely into the finished box. For the sides, front and back walls of the bed, you can take boards whose width is equal to the height of the mattress. It will protrude above their edges, since it will lie on the frame and the bottom fixed on top.
You will need strong belts to secure it, loops to secure the raised bed, fasteners - self-tapping screws, corners, possibly dowels, furniture fittings. If you purchase already cut materials, you can do without a jigsaw or saw, but a drill, screwdriver or screwdrivers are a must, a hammer will come in handy. You will also need tools for measurements and markings - a tape measure, a square, a pencil, a long rigid ruler, a level. Having decided on the design and location of the bed, as well as preparing necessary materials and tools, you can start assembling.
Sequence of work
Installation of the transformer begins with the box. For the side panels, material 25 mm thick is used, the top panel can be thinner, from 16 mm. Sometimes the box is assembled without a bottom, but a platform is attached to the floor - a piece of double-thickness slab on which it will rest. If the bed is large, additional stiffeners are needed inside the box, at least one board installed horizontally closer to the floor, but back wall it is not necessary to do. The parts can be connected to each other using furniture dowels - wooden cylinders for which holes are drilled required diameter.
Markings are made on the walls of the box for mounting the lifting mechanism. The floor and wall are marked for installation of the box, holes for fasteners are marked (fastening spacing is 25 cm). It should be taken into account that each time when raising or lowering the berth, part of the applied force will be directed to tearing the box away from load-bearing structure. Therefore, it must be securely fastened best wall for these purposes - concrete or brick. Fastening to the wall is carried out using metal corners and self-tapping screws.
Then the bed is assembled - the frame frame is assembled from timber, and if necessary, stiffeners are made inside. The frame is sheathed on the sides with boards or pieces of slab; lamellas or a sheet of plywood with ventilation holes. This creates a box in which the mattress will be placed. To the bottom of the frame you need to attach the parts of the bottom of the bed, which will imitate the facade of the closet. You also need to think about what the outer edge of the bed will rest on. Traditional legs will stand out when the folding bed is tucked away in a closet. The following solutions are possible:
- removable or swivel legs;
- when disassembled - a support, when assembled - a hanger, a handle that can be pulled to set the transformer in motion;
- the transverse panel, which serves as a support, looks like a shelf when assembled;
- a rolling box is used as a support.
A lifting mechanism is mounted in the designated places of the box, its other edge is fixed to the outer edge of the bed in the area of the headboard. The mattress is placed in place and secured with special straps. After assembly, the structure must be tested to check the operation of the gas lift. You need to make sure that the transformation process occurs without distortions, jamming and does not require excessive effort. You may have to adjust the mechanism and adjust the parts. You should also check if there is a gap between the support and the floor.
