Platform Canopy Bed
Considering that canopy beds are really damn expensive ($3-6k), I wanted to find a way to use affordable lumber and hardware to save thousands of dollars. Most 4-poster beds also don’t look very masculine. So, I wanted to challenge myself to design one that struck a balance between masculine and refined and build it without professional knowledge or expensive equipment, to think outside of typical interior furniture construction and improvise with unconventional hardware intended for a different use. Canopy beds seem to have become purely aesthetic and without utility, so I also wanted to create a functional rationale for the structure and add cool innovative features to it. I also wanted to find a connection between the design and my personal appreciation for rock and metal music.
What I came up with was a structure built from 4x4’s of cheap Doug fir connected by exterior pergola corner brackets and deck post bases with twin saddles that hold 2x4 rails. 1x6 skirts are mounted behind the rails and hide the gaps underneath while providing an inside ledge to hold 2x12 slats that sit flush with the rails’ top edges, allowing for 2x4 trim to cap off and finish the look of the construction without any visible screw holes, need for glue, planing, hardwoods, or miter cuts.
Some of my project objectives/mandatories:
cost-savings compared to similar beds that retail from $3-6k
expensive or complicated tools not required
easy construction method without glue, planing, hardwoods, or miter cuts
innovation: new POV on canopy bed aesthetic with improvised hardware/materials for a different use
innovation: directional lighting for wall art inspired by concert stage lighting
innovation: bed-side guitar knob dimmer switch on bed post for reading light control / art lighting
innovation: platform without mattress can be used as a house party stage
creates a functional rationale for the canopy structure (innovations above)
capable of knocking-down if a move is needed
balance of masculine / refined
reflects my personal style/taste of music/rock genre
compliments Industrial room/loft style