Day Bed Tutorial...Part One

So we had this funny corner out on our back deck...

 that we decided to build somewhere to sit/lie.

Here's how we did it and how to possibly build your own.

It's easy, I promise!!

The Fast Five Details (love that movie!!)

- we built a frame to the size we wanted attaching it to our existing deck flooring as we went
- we screwed on our reclaimed hardwood to hide the frame
-we cut chipboard to fit on the top of the frame
- we attached foam to the chipboard and upholstered with an old sheet
- we made a washable, removable slipcover in our chosen fabric.

The Nuts And Bolts Of The Build


1. Work out the size you want your day bed to be. (ours is roughly 1200 x 1400 x 380)

2. The frame.

We used pine 2x4's and made frames to suit our measurements.
2 x for each end and 3 x for the remaining ends and one to go through the middle for support.
You need to think about where you'll need support to suit the size you're building.
Tony used his nail gun to join all the pieces together, and most hardware stores can cut it all to size for you.

Remember to subtract the width of the pine each end off your width (or Length) measurement for the 3 frames running through the middle. (see below)

We tried it out to make sure it fit, then screwed it to the deck and also the frames to each other.

Other alternatives to this would be - attaching chip board to the base and screwing 4/6 casters for a moveable day bed

or

- screwing down chipboard to the deck then screwing the frame to it to make it more weather proof so you could use inside as storage. Just add a hinge to the top!

3. The Sides.

Next we attached our reclaimed hardwood which Tony cut to size after measuring  the frame once it was screwed down.

He attached by screwing it from the inside so no screws are visible.

We left the hardwood as it was, we wanted the old, grey weathered look!

4. The Top

Once the sides were on, we measured the inside and cut a piece of chipboard to fit.

You might notice we made the frame a little lower than the hardwood sides are, so that part of the 'bed' (upholstered bit) will sit down inside for a nicer profile!

You could build the frame the same height as your sides so the upholstery sits right on top, you would need to do this if you were attaching hinges and having storage underneath.

Our way is to hard to get the top on and off...it's a snug fit! Which is what we wanted :)

At this point you've got yourself a pretty awesome stage...perfect for 4 year olds who got a microphone for Christmas to put on LOTS of shows!!

Hope this has been informative!

I'll be back tomorrow with Part Two - Upholstery.

Courts x

P.S The wires and power points you see are for Tony's outdoor entertainment...he got the wiring for a tv and speakers etc. done when we built on this extension.

I don't get it. It must be a 'boy thing'!