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A four-panel playhouse-style bunk bed — front, rear, and two side walls, each built flat before assembly — with arched windows, a rear storage shelf, and an upper bunk opening.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front vertical bed posts | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 78" | Pine 2x4 | ☐ |
| Front horizontal braces | 3 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 77" | Pine 2x4 | ☐ |
| Front lower-opening vertical braces | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 30 1/2" | Pine 2x4 | ☐ |
| Front bed rails | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 77" | Pine 2x2 | ☐ |
| Front lower trim | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 30 1/2" | Pine 1x2 | ☐ |
| Front upper trim | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 25 1/2" | Pine 1x2 | ☐ |
| Lower front panel boards | 6 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 22 1/2" | Pine 1x4 | ☐ |
| Lower front window frame boards Arched cutouts for the lower windows. | 2 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 22 1/2" | Pine 1x6 | ☐ |
| Lower window flanking panels | 8 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 6 1/4" | Pine 1x6 | ☐ |
| Lower window flanking panels, narrow | 4 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 6 1/4" | Pine 1x4 | ☐ |
| Upper front panel pieces One gets the arched upper window cutouts. | 2 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 77" | Pine 1x6 | ☐ |
| Upper front panel piece | 1 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 77" | Pine 1x4 | ☐ |
| Window edge panel pieces | 4 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 15" | Pine 1x6 | ☐ |
| Center upper panel pieces | 2 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 17" | Pine 1x6 | ☐ |
| Lower window sills Notched 2-1/2" x 3/4" on center at each end. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 15" | Pine 2x4 | ☐ |
| Lower window side trim | 8 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 13" | Pine 1x2 | ☐ |
| Lower window top trim Arched to match the window opening. | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 11 1/2" | Pine 1x4 | ☐ |
| Upper window sills Notched 2-1/2" x 3/4" on center at each end. | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 20" | Pine 2x4 | ☐ |
| Upper window side trim | 8 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 9 1/2" | Pine 1x2 | ☐ |
| Upper window top trim Arched to match the window opening. | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 16 1/2" | Pine 1x4 | ☐ |
| Rear vertical bed posts | 2 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 78" | Pine 2x4 | ☐ |
| Rear horizontal braces | 3 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 77" | Pine 2x4 | ☐ |
| Rear bed rails | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 77" | Pine 2x2 | ☐ |
| Rear lower trim | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 30 1/2" | Pine 1x2 | ☐ |
| Rear upper trim | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 25 1/2" | Pine 1x2 | ☐ |
| Rear panel boards, lower 4 at 1x4 width, 3 at 1x6 width — matches the source build's coloring on this section. | 7 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 77" | Pine 1x4 or 1x6 | ☐ |
| Rear panel boards, upper 5 solid boards, or join painted scrap lengths with pocket screws for a color-block effect. | 12 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 77" | Pine 1x4 or 1x6 | ☐ |
| Rear shelves | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 77" | Pine 1x4 | ☐ |
| Shelf brackets 45° cut on the long side, trimmed back 1/2" on the short side. | 8 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 3 1/2" | Pine 1x4 | ☐ |
| Side panel frame pieces Three per side panel, left and right. | 6 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 38" | Pine 2x4 | ☐ |
| Upper bunk opening, vertical | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 21" | Pine 2x4 | ☐ |
| Upper bunk opening, horizontal | 1 | 1 1/2" × 3 1/2" × 18" | Pine 2x4 | ☐ |
| Upper side panel trim | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 22" | Pine 1x2 | ☐ |
| Lower side panel trim | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 49" | Pine 1x2 | ☐ |
| Side paneling, narrow | 12 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 38" | Pine 1x4 | ☐ |
| Side paneling, wide | 14 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 38" | Pine 1x6 | ☐ |
| Upper side panel pieces near opening | 4 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 18" | Pine 1x6 | ☐ |
| Mattress support slats | 10 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 39" | Pine 1x4 or 1x6, for mattress slats | ☐ |
| 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 varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig, Tape Measure. Materials: Pine, 2x4, 8 ft, Pocket hole screws, 2-1/2", Wood glue
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.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: Pine, 1x2, 8 ft, Pine, 2x2, 8 ft, Wood screws, 2-1/4", Wood glue
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.
Tools: Jigsaw, Pencil. Materials: Pine, 1x6, 8 ft
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.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Jigsaw. Materials: Pine, 2x4, 8 ft, Pine, 1x4, 8 ft, Pine, 1x2, 8 ft, Wood glue
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.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: Pine, 1x6, 8 ft, Pine, 1x4, 8 ft, Wood glue
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.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig, Tape Measure. Materials: Pine, 2x4, 8 ft, Pine, 1x2, 8 ft, Pine, 2x2, 8 ft, Pocket hole screws, 2-1/2", Wood glue
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.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: Pine, 1x6, 8 ft, Pine, 1x4, 8 ft, Wood glue
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.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Miter Saw. Materials: Pine, 1x4, 8 ft, Wood glue
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.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: Pine, 2x4, 8 ft
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.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Drill / Driver. Materials: Pine, 1x6, 8 ft, Pine, 1x4, 8 ft, Pine, 1x2, 8 ft, Wood glue
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.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: Wood screws, 2-1/4", Wood glue
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.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Random Orbit Sander. Materials: Pine, 1x4 or 1x6, 8 ft, for mattress slats, Sandpaper, assorted grit, Primer and paint
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.