NotchLoading plan…
Loading plan…
This is the wall-panel bed itself: front, rear, and two side panels, each framed and paneled flat on a bench before the four walls ever meet. The roof, shutters, window boxes, and pergola trim shown in the original inspiration are separate add-ons layered on afterward, not part of this cut list — building the four structural panels first, on their own, is what makes those later additions optional rather than mandatory.
The arched window openings are the one place where "measure twice" isn't enough — trace the first cut arch and use that actual cut piece as the pattern for every other arch on the same panel. Two arches that are freehanded separately, even carefully, come out close but not identical, and it shows most on a matching pair of front windows. The rear panel's paneling is the other place worth a genuine choice: solid full-length boards are simplest, but joining painted scrap lengths with pocket screws into one long color-blocked board (as the original build did above its shelf) turns builder's scraps into a design feature instead of throwing them out.
The upper bunk's side opening — the notch cut into one side panel's frame — is what a child actually climbs through to reach the top mattress, so its vertical and horizontal frame pieces need to land exactly where the mattress platform sits, not wherever is visually convenient.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Pine, 2x4, 8 ft | 16 each |
| Pine, 1x6, 8 ft | 20 each |
| Pine, 1x4, 8 ft | 20 each |
| Pine, 1x2, 8 ft | 12 each |
| Pine, 2x2, 8 ft | 6 each |
| Pine, 1x4 or 1x6, 8 ft, for mattress slats | 10 each |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 3 box |
| Pocket hole screws, 2-1/2" | 2 box |
| Wood screws, 2-1/4" | 1 box |
| Wood glue | 6 oz |
| Sandpaper, assorted grit | 6 sheet |
| Primer and paint | 1 set |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Front vertical bed postsPine 2x4 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 78" |
| Front horizontal bracesPine 2x4 | 3 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 77" |
| Front lower-opening vertical bracesPine 2x4 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 30 1/2" |
| Front bed railsPine 2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 77" |
| Front lower trimPine 1x2 | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 30 1/2" |
| Front upper trimPine 1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 25 1/2" |
| Lower front panel boardsPine 1x4 | 6 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 22 1/2" |
| Lower front window frame boardsPine 1x6Arched cutouts for the lower windows. | 2 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 22 1/2" |
| Lower window flanking panelsPine 1x6 | 8 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 6 1/4" |
| Lower window flanking panels, narrowPine 1x4 | 4 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 6 1/4" |
| Upper front panel piecesPine 1x6One gets the arched upper window cutouts. | 2 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 77" |
| Upper front panel piecePine 1x4 | 1 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 77" |
| Window edge panel piecesPine 1x6 | 4 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 15" |
| Center upper panel piecesPine 1x6 | 2 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 17" |
| Lower window sillsPine 2x4Notched 2-1/2" x 3/4" on center at each end. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 15" |
| Lower window side trimPine 1x2 | 8 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 13" |
| Lower window top trimPine 1x4Arched to match the window opening. | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 11 1/2" |
| Upper window sillsPine 2x4Notched 2-1/2" x 3/4" on center at each end. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 20" |
| Upper window side trimPine 1x2 | 8 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 9 1/2" |
| Upper window top trimPine 1x4Arched to match the window opening. | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 16 1/2" |
| Rear vertical bed postsPine 2x4 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 78" |
| Rear horizontal bracesPine 2x4 | 3 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 77" |
| Rear bed railsPine 2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 77" |
| Rear lower trimPine 1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 30 1/2" |
| Rear upper trimPine 1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 25 1/2" |
| Rear panel boards, lowerPine 1x4 or 1x64 at 1x4 width, 3 at 1x6 width — matches the source build's coloring on this section. | 7 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 77" |
| Rear panel boards, upperPine 1x4 or 1x65 solid boards, or join painted scrap lengths with pocket screws for a color-block effect. | 12 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 77" |
| Rear shelvesPine 1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 77" |
| Shelf bracketsPine 1x445° cut on the long side, trimmed back 1/2" on the short side. | 8 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 3 1/2" |
| Side panel frame piecesPine 2x4Three per side panel, left and right. | 6 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 38" |
| Upper bunk opening, verticalPine 2x4 | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 21" |
| Upper bunk opening, horizontalPine 2x4 | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 18" |
| Upper side panel trimPine 1x2 | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 22" |
| Lower side panel trimPine 1x2 | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 49" |
| Side paneling, narrowPine 1x4 | 12 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 38" |
| Side paneling, widePine 1x6 | 14 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 38" |
| Upper side panel pieces near openingPine 1x6 | 4 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 18" |
| Mattress support slatsPine 1x4 or 1x6, for mattress slats | 10 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 39" |
Buy 74 boards at 8 ft.
15 boards
Attach the front vertical bed posts to the top horizontal brace with 2-1/2" pocket hole screws from the underside and glue, keeping the posts turned so their narrow edge faces the front. Attach the remaining two horizontal braces on the inside of the posts, wide face out — the middle brace 25-1/2" down from the top brace, the bottom brace 30-1/2" down from the middle, screwed and glued from the back so the boards sit flush with the front edge of the posts. Attach the two lower-opening vertical braces 26" in from each post's inside edge, leaving a 25" center opening. Check every board for level.
Attach the 2x2 bed rails to the inside of the frame's bottom and middle horizontal braces — the bottom rail flush with the bottom board's bottom edge, and the middle rail flush with the top of the middle board, for extra headroom in the lower bunk. Attach the front lower and upper trim pieces to the vertical posts, wide edge out, flush with the front face.
If you want arched windows, mark the arch locations on the upper panel piece and door opening per your own layout, using a large round object as a template for a clean, repeatable curve. Cut the first arch with a jigsaw, then use that cut piece as the pattern for every remaining arch on the same panel — freehanding each one separately almost never comes out identical.
Notch a 2-1/2" x 3/4" rectangle on center at each end of the lower and upper window sills, and dry-fit into the window openings — expect to do some fitting. Glue and nail the sills into place. Trim out each window's sides with 1x2 material, then the arched top trim, keeping edges flush and gluing and nailing throughout.
Attach all the lower and upper front panel boards, window edge panels, and center upper panel pieces to the frame. Fill nail holes, sand any rough edges, and touch up paint before moving on — the front panel is now complete.
Build the rear frame identically to the front frame — vertical posts, top brace, then the middle brace 25-1/2" down and the bottom brace 30-1/2" down from that, screwed and glued flush with the outside post edges. Attach the rear bed rails and the rear lower and upper trim the same way as the front.
Dry-fit the rear panel boards against the trimmed frame. For the upper section, either use solid boards or join painted scrap lengths at random with pocket screws to create a color-blocked panel — keep board width consistent within each row. Turn the assembled panel over, drill pocket holes along the top and bottom edges of each row roughly every 15", alternating placement row to row, then glue and screw the whole panel together before standing it up and screwing it to the frame.
Cut eight shelf brackets from 1x4 stock: mark 3-1/2" for the long side, cut a 45° angle, then trim 1/2" off the point with a straight 90° cut to leave a small ledge. Find the third board down from the top of the rear panel, mark 15" in from each end, and attach the first two brackets flush with that board's top edge using a nail gun and glue. Mark another 15" in from those and attach the remaining two. Glue the shelf boards to the panel and brackets and nail in place.
Assemble the frame pieces for each side panel, screwing rather than gluing the frame joints so the whole bed can still be disassembled and moved through a doorway later. Add the upper bunk opening's vertical and horizontal 2x4 pieces to one side panel only, positioned where the child will climb through to the top bunk.
Attach the upper and lower side panel trim flush against the outside edges of both side frames. Using glue and a nail gun, panel each side from the inside, working top to bottom — the upper sections use the narrower side-panel pieces near the bunk opening, and the lower sections alternate wide and narrow boards down to the bottom of the bed.
Attach the three shorter walls to the back wall with 2-1/4" screws and glue at the leg joints, then attach the front wall to the side walls. Check the whole assembly for square as you go.
Lay the mattress slats across the bed rails, spaced 8–10" apart and lined up along the rails. Screw down to secure. Fill any exposed fastener holes, sand every surface, and prime and paint the whole structure.
No reviews yet
Sign in to review this plan or share your build.
No reviews yet. Be the first to build this.
4 boards
11 boards
35 boards
9 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 →