Slatted Four-Post Farmhouse Bed (Queen)

Drill three 3/4" pocket holes on each end of every 1x12 slat first — that's all the 3/4" holes on the whole bed, so you set the jig once. Then reset the jig for 1-1/2" stock and drill the 2x6 headboard rails (two per end) and the footboard bottom panel (three). Doing it in two batches instead of switching back and forth saves a surprising amount of fiddling.

Attach the slats to the top and bottom 2x6 rails with 1-1/4" pocket screws and glue, leaving a 3/8" reveal on each side of every 1x12 where it meets the 2x6. Even reveals are what make a slatted panel look intentional rather than approximate.

Attach the finished headboard panel to two of the posts. If you trimmed the slats to 23-3/4" as in the cut list, set the bottom rail 28-1/4" up from the bottom of the posts.

Repeat the process for the footboard: slats between the top 2x6 rail and the 2x10 bottom panel, 3/8" reveals, attached to the two shorter-exposed posts. The footboard is lower than the headboard, so the panel sits proportionally down the posts.

Join the 2x10 side rails to the head- and footboard posts with bed-rail brackets (recommended — the bed comes apart for moving) or with pocket screws for a permanent build. Brackets earn their cost on a bed this heavy the first time you have to move it through a doorway.

Glue and screw the 2x4 cleats to the inside of the side rails with 2-1/2" screws roughly every 8", positioned so the mattress slats sit at the right height for your mattress and box spring (or slat system).

Lay the 2x4 mattress slats across the cleats. If your mattress needs it, run a center support the length of the bed with a leg down to the floor — a queen span benefits from one. Sand and finish.