NotchLoading plan…
Loading plan…
This is two separate builds joined into one bed: a headboard/footboard pair, and two long storage bases (one per side of the mattress) that carry six drawers each. Treat the storage bases like cabinets on their sides — because that's what they are — and the drawer-slide layout is the part that decides whether the whole thing feels right or fights you every day.
Install the drawer slides before you box in the dividers with plywood, not after. Once the back panel is on and the box is closed up, you're reaching in blind. Inset the slides 3/4" from the front edge of the opening so there's room for a drawer face to sit proud later, and cut every drawer box exactly 1" narrower than its opening — that's the clearance most bottom-mount slides need, and it's unforgiving in both directions: too tight and the drawer binds, too loose and it racks.
The headboard and footboard are the same panel with different leg lengths, so build them side by side and you'll catch mismatches before they're permanent. The moulding detail on the front is optional — skip it for a plainer look, or add it for a piece that reads as furniture instead of a box on legs.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 3/4" plywood, 4x8 sheetHeadboard and footboard panels. | 1 each |
| 3/4" plywood, 4x8 sheet — ripped into stripsRipped into ~15-3/4"-wide strips for the two storage-base sides and dividers. | 2 each |
| 1/4" plywood or backerboard, 4x8 sheetStorage-base backs — also what squares the boxes up. | 2 each |
| Pine, 1x3, 8 ftTwo for headboard/footboard trim, two for mattress slats. | 4 each |
| Pine, 2x3, 8 ftHeadboard and footboard legs. | 2 each |
| Pine, 1x2, 8 ft | 1 each |
| Decorative moulding, 8 ftOptional front detail on the headboard/footboard. | 2 each |
| Pine, 2x4, 8 ftStorage-base frames. | 4 each |
| Pine, 2x2, 8 ftStorage-base rails and mattress cleats. | 2 each |
| Pine, 1x4, 8 ftDrawer box sides. | 7 each |
| Pine, 1x8, 6 ftDrawer faces. | 4 each |
| Drawer knobs or handles | 12 each |
| 14" bottom-mount drawer slides, pair | 12 pair |
| Pocket hole screws, assorted | 1 box |
| Brad nails, assorted | 1 box |
| Wood glue | 8 oz |
Overall cost: $$$$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Headboard/footboard panels3/4" plywood | 2 | 3/4" × 26 3/4" × 36" |
| Panel top trimPine 1x3 | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 36" |
| Panel bottom trimPine 1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 36" |
| Headboard legsPine 2x3 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 2 1/2" × 49 1/4" |
| Footboard legsPine 2x3Same panel as the headboard, just shorter legs. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 2 1/2" × 30 1/4" |
| Moulding, longOptional. Long point to long point, both ends mitered 45°, not parallel. | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 30" |
| Moulding, shortOptional. Mitered to match. | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 16 3/4" |
| Storage base sides3/4" plywood strip | 4 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 75" |
| Storage base ends/dividers3/4" plywood strip | 8 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 14 7/8" |
| Storage base backs1/4" plywood | 2 | 1/4" × 16 1/4" × 75" |
| Storage base frame railsPine 2x4 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 70" |
| Storage base frame endsPine 2x4 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 10" |
| Mattress cleatsPine 2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 75" |
| Drawer support blocksPine 1x3 scrap | 14 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 7" |
| Drawer box sidesPine 1x4 | 24 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 14" |
| Drawer box fronts/backsPine 1x4 | 12 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 21 1/2" |
| Drawer facesPine 1x8 | 12 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 23 3/4" |
| Drawer bottoms1/4" plywood | 12 | 1/4" × 14" × 23" |
Buy 35 boards at 8 ft.
4 boards
2 boards
Drill 3/4" pocket holes around the top and side edges of both plywood panels. Attach the top and bottom trim to the front face, then attach the legs flush to the trim and to the back of the plywood with 1-1/4" pocket screws. The headboard and footboard are the same panel — the footboard just gets the shorter legs, so build both side by side and check them against each other before moving on.
If you're adding the moulding, glue and 3/4" brad-nail it to the panel faces now, mitered corners tight. Skip this step entirely for a plainer look — it changes nothing structural.
This is the step to get right before anything else in the storage bases: attach drawer slides to both ends of each opening and to both sides of every center divider, inset 3/4" from the front edge so a drawer face has somewhere to sit. Do this now, while everything is still open and you can reach every screw — once the plywood back goes on, you can't.
Build the 2x4 frame for each storage base, then attach the plywood sides, ends, and dividers with pocket holes or 1-1/4" brad nails and glue. Nail the 1/4" plywood back on last with 3/4" brad nails — beyond closing up the box, the back panel is what squares the whole base up, so check for square right before it goes on and hold it there while you nail.
Assemble each drawer box from 1x4 sides, fronts, and backs with 1-1/4" brad nails, then nail on the 1/4" plywood bottom with 3/4" brad nails. Every drawer box must be exactly 1" narrower than its opening — measure your actual openings before cutting, don't trust the plan numbers blindly, since the slides you bought set the real clearance.
Attach the drawer-side slide members to each drawer box and slide the boxes into the storage bases. Attach the drawer faces to the boxes with an even gap around all sides — use spacers to hold the gap consistent while the glue sets. Add moulding to the faces here if you're using it.
The storage bases carry real weight once loaded, so build a support box under each one flush to the back and to the headboard side — these are what keep the drawers from sagging the frame over time.
Screw the headboard and footboard to the storage bases. Add 2x2 cleats along the inside of the bases and lay 1x2 or 1x3 slats across them to support the mattress, screwed down so they can't shift. Check the whole assembly for square before you call it done.
No reviews yet
Sign in to review this plan or share your build.
No reviews yet. Be the first to build this.
2 boards
1 board
5 boards
4 boards
7 boards
2 boards
3 boards
2 boards
3 boards
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →