How to Make a Platform Bed from IKEA Boxes by Yourself

Julia, a blogger from Germany who specializes in home renovations, loves sleeping on high beds that are hard to find in stores. She had already built a bed by herself, but after moving she needed more storage space. That's when the idea came to combine tall dressers with a high bed. We share an instruction that will help you build such a bed too.

You will need:
Materials:
✓ IKEA Nordli dresser with 4 drawers;
✓ IKEA Nordli dresser with 8 drawers;
✓ corner brackets (12 pcs) + screws;
✓ slatted bed base with a width of 140 cm;
✓ fabric tape;
✓ mattress with a width of 160 cm;
✓ wooden shelves with a length of 54 cm (for a corner bed).

Tools:

✓ drill,
✓ utility knife,
✓ pencil,
✓ screwdriver.

To avoid buying additional dressers for the back walls, you can use wooden shelves as shown in the photo below, which should be placed on their side. Their height should match the height of the dresser.

If your bed, like the one in the renovation project, stands in a corner, you can install wooden boxes instead of additional dressers.

Step 1. Assembling the Bed Base

First, you need to assemble the IKEA furniture and wooden shelves. Then place the dressers and boxes so they form a stable frame measuring 160×200 cm. Connect them using corner brackets.

To attach the corner brackets, mark where the screws should go and drill holes using a wood drill bit. The boxes can be connected to each other by cutting the corner brackets in half, as was done by the renovation author.

Step 2. Attaching the Slatted Base

Attach the ribbed side of the fabric tape to the sides of the bed base (along its length). Attach the other side to the slatted base. To save time, glue it entirely onto the slats and then trim off excess with a utility knife. Attach the slatted base to the bed frame.

The author of the instruction decided to use fabric tape so that the slats can be periodically lifted — the center part of the bed is also used for storage.

In the center of the bed you can store Christmas ornaments, suitcases, sleeping bags and other rarely used items.

Step 3. Almost Done!

The bed base is ready. You just need to find a mattress of the appropriate width (160 cm). Don't skimp on the mattress, as a quality one will ensure a healthy spine and sound sleep.