The last time I shared Henry’s tiny little room, it included Henry’s crib converted to a toddler bed. But crib took up way too much space and was cumbersome in such a tiny space.
So, I got to thinking that a little platform bed would be just the ticket. It would be a lower profile and would also fit against the window wall. Plus, it could give us a little more storage for the small room.
Luckily for me, my brother and Ryan knocked out this little bed in a few hours. And it’s made Henry’s whole room look so much bigger.
And the best part was when Henry hopped up on the bed and exclaimed, “I LOVE MY RED BED.”
I died. Right there.
The bed is build from less than 2 sheets of 1/2 inch plywood and 1 – 2×12. They cut the 2×12 to be the vertical pieces and used the plywood for the top and bottom. It ended up being plenty sturdy for the toddler mattress and has an abundance of storage underneath – which we’re mostly using for books.
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I did a quick coat of paint with a gallon of barn red paint (Behr MARQUEE). And voila.
I think it’s such a huge improvement.
And I finally hung up Henry’s artwork – made by the very talented Jen from Onion Grove Mercantile. It’s one of the only pieces that isn’t in storage. I couldn’t bear to store it away.
What do you think of Henry’s new red bed?
If you like, put a pin on it.
I love this bed and started mocking up a design to make one myself. One thing I noticed: because of the size of a toddler/crib mattress (27″ x 52″), this design is very wasteful of plywood. You have to buy 2 of 4′ x 8′ pieces, but use only a little more than half of each, and end up with two awkward L-shaped pieces left. So, here is the solution I developed: cut 53″ crosswise from the plywood. Cut this piece lengthwise into 3 pieces: 1 at 28″ wide and 2 at 10″ wide. Use the 28″ piece for the top of the bed. Use the 10″ pieces for the bottom, leaving a gap in the middle. A little bit odd, perhaps, but it will make the bed lighter and save roughly a third of the cost. You end up with a 43″ x 48″ piece of plywood left,
How did y’all assemble this? By screws/nails? Glue?
Screws. Nothing fancy.
Hey there: LOVE this bed and the storage. Any chance of getting the exact plans on how to build it ?
This is a 10 on the Wow-O-Wow meter! Fantastic finish, great cost and plenty of storage. Wonder if this would work for a twin size mattress? TYFS
Did he notch, or cut the end vertical pieces? I’d like to pitch this so my husband, but want to know a little more of the how- as neither of us have ever built anything before…and our little guy (36lbs- so not so little I guess) loves to JUMP. All.the.time.
Do you have any problems with your son rolling off the bed?
He has rolled off the bed a few times, but the bed is really very close to the ground and we put extra pillows down there. I would prefer to put him in a twin bed at this point, but the space doesn’t allow it in our current apartment. I tried to put a pool noodle under the sheet to avoid it and Henry hated it. (I suppose it restricted his space more.)
Adorable! Where did you find the bedding?
The fitted sheet is from Pottery Barn Kids and the afghan was made by Maybe Matilda.
That looks amazing! I want to tackle this for my son. What size plywood did you use?!
I think it was 1/2 inch.
I LOVE the red bed, but my favorite has to be all the cows. I am a pig collector so I can relate.
There’s something about those farm animals!!!
This is great Kim! I love the fact that there is storage underneath. That is so key! You guys rock.
I’m so glad you went with red. It is all so perfect. I love the book storage too! Nailed it!
That is the cutest thing! I love how you fixed the book storage problem too. Genius!
Wow…such a big difference! It looks great!
It’s perfect! I would just like to suggest a child proof lock on the window since he-like most children-seems full of energy and curiosity.
It looks great and having a place to store all those books close to the carpet where he could sit and read is great. Great work to your design and the building men in your life. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia
I say, “WOW!” It looks fabulous Kim.
Such a smart use of space! Love it – I was thinking you’d go with red 🙂
It’s adorable, and it fits perfectly! I love the red!
It looks adorable! And such a clever way to get more storage out of a small space.
I just love it Kim. I love the book storage underneath it and that new artwork is awesome. Locally grown. I love that 🙂
Thanks! The artwork is really special to us!
Oh, THAT is adorable! Fits the room so well!
Thanks, Anne. It’s a much better fit for the space.
i love every single thing about this- the color, the style, the storage… the toddler.
Thanks, Cassie. I’m pretty smitten, too.
Perfect ! You are stylin’. Lucky Henry !
Kids get all the fun stuff!
Kim it’s perfect. LOVE the red and you styled it just lovely. So cozy and just uber kid friendly, he will remember it forever.
It’s always fun when your kids love it as much as you do. So fun as he gets older and notices the things we do for him.
oh, wow–it’s PERFECT! it looks great in there, and I love how it adds storage.
Thanks! The storage is the best! It really holds a TON.
Looks awesome. Would you mind giving me the measurements of how you cut the 2by12 and plywood? I want to try this so bad but I know I won’t make the right measurements. I will also be using a crib mattress
Wow, this looks awesome. Love the storage under it too. That painting is amazing.
Thanks! It’s a great upgrade for the room.