Simple, practical and beautiful bedroom furniture - a do-it-yourself laminated chipboard bed

Laminated chipboard is a laminated chipboard impregnated with special compounds. This material is very light compared to wood, so a bed made of chipboard is more mobile than one made of wood. In addition, the material has excellent characteristics: moisture resistance, strength, affordable cost. These qualities have made such products very popular among buyers.

Features of laminated chipboard

Laminated chipboard is made from natural wood. Essentially, this is the same chipboard, only well sanded and with a durable film on the surface. The advantages of laminated chipboard include :

• 
  high resistance to high humidity;

• long service life;
• wide range of colors;
• variety of textures and textures.

This material pleases consumers with interesting colors and textures . It can be:

• geometric patterns;
• plain slabs;
• various ornaments;
• imitation of any type of wood.

Reference : Laminated chipboard does not emit toxins, is resistant to mechanical damage, and is easy to process.
This material is indispensable in the manufacture of various furniture items . This is explained by the fact that this material has high technical characteristics and an affordable cost. Even if you are new to making furniture with your own hands, having clear instructions and a drawing of the product at hand, you can make a bed on your own in a fairly short time.

Having decided to make your own bedroom furniture, you can be sure that:

• you will have the opportunity to make a piece of furniture of the size and design you require;
• the item you make according to your personal sketches will be one of a kind;
• You will be able to independently select both manufacturing materials and guides and fittings. Thus, you can make both an economical version of the bed and a product with unique design features;
• In addition, you will save a lot of money, and as a result, you will have a high-quality and durable bed.

What is the material

Laminated chipboard is a material made from natural wood. It is a chipboard, but with higher quality sanding and applied with a melamine film. The main difference is the coating that is used in the board during pressing. This addition makes the material more durable and moisture resistant. The price of loose raw materials is low, but the design, thanks to the coating, can be very diverse (with wood patterns, different colors).

Manufacturers strictly monitor the safety of the material, bringing the percentage of formaldehyde to a minimum. Some classes of laminated chipboard are not inferior to natural wood in terms of environmental friendliness.

The textures of the material can be as follows:

• vector patterns;
• geometric;
• ornaments;
• imitation of natural wood.

Unfortunately, the material has significant drawbacks. It releases toxic formaldehyde into the air as resin is absorbed into the decorative coating. The way out of the situation is lamination, which is a film of paper with decor with a density of 60-90 g/sq.m. Lamination is the placement of a coating under high pressure and the influence of temperature. The process is carried out in a press, where the paper is made very dense, like plastic. A glossy film appears in the upper part, and in the lower part too, but with the presence of glue. The coating is durable, the resin spreads over the surface of the particle board under a pressure of 25-28 MPa and at temperatures reaching 210 degrees. When laminating, harmful aldehydes do not evaporate from the material.

The chipboard from which beds are made has many advantages:

• safety - the material made from shavings and sawdust as a binder contains formaldehyde, which is harmful to humans. Due to the laminated layer, laminated chipboard does not emit harmful substances;
• rigidity, strength of the material - laminated film is made from paper with the required structure. A high level of rigidity and the necessary friability are achieved by impregnating it with melamine resin. Pressing connects the boards with the film and produces a material of standard thickness;
• resistance to mechanical and thermal damage. The material rarely suffers from scratches or chips; it is not afraid of temperature changes and the touch of hot objects;
• easy care - products do not require special care products. It is enough to wipe the bed with a damp sponge to make the product clean;
• moisture resistance - melamine film reliably protects the structure of the particle board from moisture, protecting the material from rotting and mold formation;
• affordable cost - products are cheaper compared to models made of natural wood.

Along with positive qualities, there are also disadvantages. Laminated chipboard cannot be finely processed, and the presence of formaldehyde is also a disadvantage.

Double bed drawing

To make a bed on your own from laminated chipboard, you need to design a competent drawing of the future product. To do this, decide in advance on the design of the bed, its size and design. Next, on a piece of paper, draw how you see the future piece of furniture. In this drawing, be sure to indicate all dimensions of parts accurate to one millimeter . Then, during the manufacturing process of individual elements and when assembling the product, you will not allow errors.

Attention: when deciding on the length of the product, take into account your height and add 20 cm to it.

When making a drawing of the product, be sure to take into account the dimensions of the mattress. It's best to purchase it in advance. This will make it easier for you to determine the exact size of the sleeping area.

Options for additional components

Beds made of laminated chipboard are equipped with various additional functional elements. A large number of products are equipped with convenient drawers for linen, large niches located on the side or in the front.

The presence of drawers and niches in the bed design is very important for small-sized housing.

Practicality and functionality are inherent in models with folding devices. Spacious storage space opens up after lifting the base of the product. Here you can put not only bed linen, but also various things, clothes, shoes. Additional details in the beds significantly save space in the bedroom. Having such beds, you don’t need extra wardrobes and chests of drawers.

Often beds made of particle board have legs that affect the height of the product. The legs are made of various materials (for example, metal with a chrome surface) and have different configurations, heights and widths.

Bedside tables add versatility and convenience to sleeping areas. Usually they are a continuation of the headboard and furniture frame. Nightstands are produced in the same style as the bed itself.

Bedroom furniture is produced with or without headboards. Headboards most often have soft backs, covered with a variety of materials, including leather, leatherette, and textiles. Headboards are also available in different shapes. Standard beds are those with backrests of medium height and a rectangular or square shape. Instances with original figured forms of headboards are becoming increasingly common.

Often, owners of small apartments purchase a compact ottoman bed made of chipboard. Products are available with lifting devices and drawers for linen. Compartments for placing bedding can be open or closed. Such models take up very little space in the room. The most popular beds are single models or one and a half beds, the low cost of which is one of the advantages of the products.

Tools and materials

The next step, after drawing up a detailed diagram of the future product, is to prepare tools and consumables for work. The materials we need are:

• 
  a certain amount of chipboard;

• fittings and guides;
• furniture corners;
• PVC edge;
• screws and self-tapping screws;
• plastic plugs.

the following tools :

• screwdriver;
• tape measure and pencil;
• construction hair dryer;
• jigsaw

Correct marking and alignment of holes on chipboard

Correctly marking and centering the holes is a very crucial moment for the future appearance of the product. You need to mark all the points - both for connecting sheets and for curtains and handles. A homemade tool will help you make marks more accurately and quickly - a wooden ruler attached with one side to the rail at a right angle. Before using it for work, you need to make small holes on it (for the pencil core) according to the sizes that are often used. To connect the sheets, you first need to mark the centers for the holes on both sides, and then use a Euroscrew to fasten them into a single whole.

How to do it?

Now you can get to work. According to the drawing, the parts required in size are prepared using a jigsaw.

Tip : you can order product detailing from a furniture company. Then you only need to make holes in the parts and fasten them with screws in a certain sequence.

Now the cut parts need to be trimmed . To do this, take an assistant and trim the sides with a construction hairdryer and PVC film.

Assembling a bed from laminated chipboard is carried out in the following sequence:

1. 
   First, we fasten the headboard of the bed and the side drawers with metal corners .

2. Next we attach the footboard .
3. Now we strengthen the joints with confirmations. As a result, you should end up with a rectangular box.
4. Next, along the sidewalls, you need to install a support crossbar in the middle . This will add stability to the product.
5. On the inside of the sidewalls we attach the bars with confirmations .
6. We attach legs in each inner corner .
7. Now we proceed to laying the slats (lamellas). They are placed at the same distance from each other.
8. We screw the slats to the support and bars.
9. If we have decorative parts, we begin to install them.
10. Place the mattress on the base and make the bed.

That's the whole simple process of making a bed from chipboard with your own hands.

Working with drawings and detailing

When making a bed with your own hands, drawings play one of the key roles. The final result will depend on how accurately and correctly they are compiled. Without a drawing, the master will not be able to determine how much materials and fittings are needed, or how much the finished product will cost.

Varieties of beds with a lifting mechanism from the best factories in Italy

To draw up a diagram yourself, you need to set aside on a sheet of paper segments equal to the length, width and height of the product, and then draw the shape and indicate the dimensions of each part separately. Such detailing is necessary for further cutting of the material. Computer programs and online resources that automatically create a layout based on the user’s measurements can greatly simplify the work. Another option is to find a ready-made drawing of the bed and adjust the parameters, strictly observing all proportions.

You should first draw a bedroom plan to make sure that the bed fits optimally in the room, leaving free passages and space for the rest of the furniture. If not, you will have to change the dimensions to suit specific conditions.

Finishing

Chipboard itself is an aesthetic and practical material.
It does not need decorative processing. That is, laminated chipboard does not need to be painted or varnished. The only thing is that when making a bed yourself, you can decorate its headboard :

• unusual shape (using an electric jigsaw);
• carving;
• artistic painting;
• using various decorative details.

Advice : if you are serious about furniture for the bedroom, try making a dressing table, bedside table or changing table. You may also be interested in a wardrobe or beds made of timber, solid wood and boards.

Drawings and diagrams

Drawings make assembling the bed much easier: diagrams show the exact dimensions of its parts, their number and attachment points. The simplest drawing of a double bed suggests using elements of the following sizes:

• headboard – 1664x722 mm;
• foot – 1664x296 mm;
• 2 side drawers – 2054x296 mm each;
• stiffener – 1608 mm;
• bottom – 2004x1608 mm.

If the frame is reinforced with 3 stiffening ribs (at the head, foot and in the center of the frame), then they will support the plywood bottom. Otherwise, bars will have to be attached along the inner perimeter of the box. The crossbar can be installed parallel to the drawers.

The master can make amendments to this drawing. It will not be difficult to change the shape of the headboard and equip the furniture with metal or wooden legs. Other changes to the design may involve the height of the headboard. If it is reduced to 296 mm, then the frame will perform only load-bearing functions. The assembly of the structure will be completed by securing the front and rear backrests. A cutout in the drawer allows you to place drawers under the bottom.

The drawings stipulate that the base for the mattress should be slightly larger in size. The bed, assembled according to the above diagram, is intended for a mattress 2000x1600 mm.

DIY bed with laminated chipboard drawers

By ordering cutting of purchased laminated chipboard sheets, you can assemble an original bed with drawers in just a few hours. To do this, you will need edging tape (if the edges were not processed when cutting, you will have to do it yourself), self-tapping screws, steel angles, a drill and fittings for drawers.

In the proposed design, the bed will have no legs at all, resting on the floor with the entire area of ​​the laminated chipboard sheet (suitable only for a perfectly flat base). The functions of the stiffening ribs and at the same time the frame for the top slab will also be performed by chipboard strips. The ribs will not be visible, so you can use regular sanded chipboard sheets for them, this will allow you to save a little on building materials.

Bed frame with drawers made of chipboard

For the sides and bottom of the boxes, you can use multi-layer plywood or the same sheets of chipboard. In the proposed design, the main attention is paid to the rigidity of the assembled structure, therefore the entire space under the top sheet of chipboard is divided into 6 segments, in each of which a box can be installed.

To install it, just attach the guides to the walls of the bed frame and the outer part of the drawer walls. As for the size of the box, it should be smaller than the opening for it by about 1.5 - 2 cm on each side. Then the gap will be masked with a decorative cover, which is attached to the outside of the box.

Connecting parts

Making furniture from chipboard is a rather complex process that involves joining many parts. Several methods are used for this. The most common ones are:

— Butt connection.

- "Dovetail".

In order not to complicate the work, we will consider a simple method of butt mounting. With this connection, the edges of the material are fixed with glue and various fasteners. This method can hardly be called durable.

The same is true for a mustache connection. It also requires an auxiliary mount. In this case, the connection occurs end-to-end with a beveled end at an angle of 45 degrees.

In a more durable and easier way, you can combine the parts with a seam connection. They can be fastened into grooves lengthwise or crosswise; the difference lies in the direction of the wood fibers towards each other. A seam connection can be distinguished from others by the ledge that runs at a right angle on the edge of the board.

Design options, sizing

It is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the build of the people who will use the bed, and their number. It can be single, one-and-a-half (for one large person) or double.

By making a bed from chipboard with your own hands, you can increase its length if it is intended for a very tall person. For children and teenagers, beds are made shorter and narrower.

The external dimensions of the bed must be determined based on the size of the room where it will be installed. Usually the headboard is placed close to the wall, and there should be free access from the footboard.

When determining the size of the bed, you need to start from the size of the mattress. When choosing it, you should adhere to the following principles:

• the minimum width of a sleeping place for an adult is 80 cm, for a child – 60–70;
• the length of the mattress must exceed the height of the tallest person (of those who will sleep on it) by at least 15 cm;
• The more a person weighs, the thicker the mattress is needed.

Expert opinion

Smirnova Ekaterina Anatolevna

7 years of experience in interior design, professional architect

People with non-standard dimensions (height more than 2 m) have to order a mattress made according to individual measurements. And you can make a bed from chipboard of a suitable size yourself, this will provide significant savings.

How to develop a drawing of a bed if the dimensions of the mattress are known? It should fit almost flush into the box, but a small gap is needed to allow the laundry to be tucked in; 0.5 cm on each side is enough. Thus, the internal dimensions of the bed box should be 1 cm in length and width larger than the dimensions of the mattress.

External ones depend on the thickness of the material and the configuration of the case.

For example, the schematic drawing and photo below depict a bed where horizontal linings are made on the vertical sides of the frame, so that the external dimensions are significantly larger than the internal ones (+31 to the width of the mattress and +37 to the length).

There are frame mattresses that have a rigid bottom and frame; when using them in a bed, a bottom is not needed; you only need to install crossbars to support the mattress and tie the structure.

You can make a bed with legs, but the simplest design is a bed resting on the lining of a box. Sometimes the bed rests on the back (foot) and headboard, and the sides are raised higher, in this case it is recommended to make internal legs - 2 longitudinal boards (chipboard strips) for additional support.

A popular solution is a double bed with a bedside table with folding lids at the head.

Chipboard bed design

Nature teaches us: The best solution is always the simplest. Minimum parts – maximum efficiency and strength. An example of this is amoebas, ciliates and other small rubbish. They are able to survive anyone, and did not care about changes in the situation. The base of our bed must be durable and indifferent, so we choose a box structure without legs.

If we take an average model with the dimensions of the parts adjusted to a standard laminated chipboard sheet, then we will make it for a spring mattress of 2000x1400x200 millimeters. Such a bed can be considered a double bed if your belly does not interfere with tying your shoelaces, and your wife’s dress fits in her cosmetic bag.

The bottom of the bed in the photo is made of plywood - but this option is for mass production. In a single case, it is easier to purchase one sheet of laminated chipboard and one sheet of cheaper sanded chipboard. The bottom will be one piece, not composite, which is structurally much more advantageous.