Chelsea Top Bunk

Mark and carefully cut both headers with a jigsaw — cutting 1-1/2" stock with a jigsaw takes patience, so go slow and give yourself room to correct small errors. Clamp both headers together once cut and sand the top edges until they match perfectly, working from coarse to medium grit.

If using a pocket-hole jig, drill all pocket holes before assembly. Without one, use the 2x2 legs to hold the header in place temporarily while you glue and clamp the header to the panel. Attach headers to both panels this way.

Attach the base trim to the outside of each panel using 1-1/4" finish nails and glue.

If not using pocket holes, screw through the legs into the header with 3" screws (predrilled and countersunk) and apply ample glue along the header's bottom edge. Attach the legs to the panels using countersunk screws from outside the legs, or the pocket holes drilled earlier.

Attach the guardrail boards to the guardrail legs with 1-1/4" finish nails and glue (or screws), adjusting carefully for square as you go — square is the one thing that's genuinely tricky about an otherwise simple assembly. Fill any remaining gaps with scrap 1x3.

Attach the cleats flush to the bottom with 2" screws and glue, placing screws every 6–10". If not using a bunkie board, lay the slats across the cleats and screw down.

If pairing this with a separate bookshelf or desk base, screw the bunk down to the base from underneath. Confirm the base is genuinely rated to carry the loaded weight of a mattress and sleeper before use — this is a real structural connection, not decorative.