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Tatami Inspired DIY Platform Queen Size Bed Plans

I’ve had my eye on a DIY platform bed project utilizing the Tatami style joinery for a couple years now, but another project always seemed to keep coming up. That all changed recently when my daughter decided to redesign her room with a minimalist modern look and decided to ditch the old spindle bed.  This was the perfect opportunity for that clean, elegant platform bed design I’ve been looking to do.

I’ve done a little research online and in some designer magazines, but wanted not only to build this bed, but also develop a design that would make for an accessible project for the weekend woodworker.  I wanted a design that didn’t require specialized tools or skills, one that could be completed in a weekend and be economically priced.  I think this one fits the bill!  While it’s very  easy to build, it still looks like a designer piece of furniture once it’s been finished.

The other thing I like about this platform bed design is that it doesn’t require any hardware to set up or take down since it utilizes interlocking Japanese joinery to hold the bed frame together.  This creates a lot of versatility to move it around or to convert it into a different size bed.  If you’re looking to make a king sized version, you can find the materials and cut list in this post.  The construction and assembly below is the the same except for the additional mattress support.

Get the PDF for $5

I’ve also created a printable PDF version of this plan which you can purchase for $5 (it’s about 37 pages in all).  It’s all the info from the blog posts, but I’ve compiled it for easy printing in whatever section you want and included shopping list, cut diagram, assembly schematic and helpful project build pictures.  Basically, if you want a handy printable version so you don’t have to get sawdust all over your computer, you might consider purchasing this download.

King Version Now Available

I’ve also recently posted the materials list and cut sizes for a King Sized Version.  You can see that post here and you can purchase the King Plan here.

Here’s a cut list for a full size version.

  • Chop or Miter Saw
  • Table Saw
  • Clamps (you’ll use a lot of clamps for this project!)
  • Chisel (3/4″ blade)

Materials List for Queen Size

  • 2×2 – 3 @ 8′
  • 1×4 – 2 @ 8’
  • 1×4 – 7 @ 6’
  • 1×2 – 7 @ 8’
  • 1×5 – 1 @ 6′
  • 1×3 – 15 @ 6′

Cut List

  • (1) 2×2 @ 80 1/2″
  • (16) 2×2 @ 9 1/2″
  • (8) 1×2 @ 6″
  • (3) 1×2 @ 19 1/4″
  • (4) 1×2 @ 77 1/2″
  • (3) 1×2 @ 55 1/2″
  • (2) 1×2 @ 1 1/2″
  • (2) 1×2 @ 4″ trimmed to 1 1/4″ width.
  • (2) 1×4 @ 85″
  • (7) 1×4 @ 63″
  • (2) 1×5 @ 7 1/4″
  • (2) 1×5 @ 8 3/4″
  • (2) 1×5 @ 6″ trimmed to 3 3/4″ width.
  • (15) 1×3 @ 58 1/2″

Assembling the Bed Posts

I considered making the platform bed posts out of a solid block of 4×4 lumber, but that presented a couple problems.  The main issue was cutting the notches or dados into which the bedrails sit in an interlocking joint.  While I have a radial arm saw that would enable me to make the cuts necessary, I really wanted to create a plan that the average weekend woodworker could make without specialized tools.  Not everyone has access to a radial arm saw or a bend saw, which would also be a great tool for the job.

Also, depending on the size of the bedrail, even a radial arm saw might not be able to make a deep enough cut, which would limit the ability to easily modify the plan and make a higher bed post.  With the assembled method, anyone can pretty much make any height bed post they want.  So that’s what I decided to go with as I’m documenting my build.

The materials needed are 2×2 for the outer corners and 1×2 and 1×5 for the inside.  Because the 2x2s are actually 1 1/2 x 1 1/2, sandwiching a 1″ (actual size 3/4″) piece of wood between them makes the post 3 3/4″ instead of 3 1/2″ like a solid 4×4, so you can’t use a piece of 1×4 to go in the middle as this would leave a 1/4″ gap in the post.  Instead, use a table saw or a chop saw to cut the 1×6 to size.  Below is a picture of the materials cut and ready to assemble.

Bed posts pieces cut and ready for assembly
Bed posts pieces cut and ready for assembly
construction of the bed posts
Top view of bed post construction
another view of bed post construction
Another view of bed post construction
Bed posts are assembled with wood glue
Bed post assembly with wood glue
Bed posts assembled with wood glue and clamps
Bed posts assembled with wood glue and clamps

Making the Interlocking Bed Rails

This is probably the most challenging aspect to this plan, but don’t let it intimidate you.  It’s not that difficult and can be accomplished with a couple clamps and a Skilsaw.

Here’s a short video that describes a few ways you can make the interlocking joint.

Like I mentioned in the video, this is a very “forgiving” project because once you’ve cut the interlocking joints and set the rails into the bed posts, the joint is invisible.  So if your cuts aren’t perfect or your joints aren’t beautiful, that’s ok, no one can see them!

example of bed rail in the bed posts

Example of how the bed rails will fit into the interlocking bed posts

stacked dado blade setup on a radial arm saw
Using a Freud stacked dado blade setup on my radial arm saw to cut the bed rail slots.
Bed rails marked for deep[ cut dados
I’ve clamped the bed rails together to make the dado cuts for joinery.
clean dado cuts using a radial arm saw
I made the clean dado cuts with multiple passes of the saw about 1/4″ each time.
Initial bed rail assembly
Checking to make sure that the bed rails fit correctly!
One of two shots of the interlocking bed rail joints
Another picture of the interlocking bed rail joints

Adding the Trim and Mattress Supports

When adding the trim, there are a few different options.  By far the easiest is to simply glue the trim to the rails.  While this is easy to do and produces a very strong joint, I totally get it that you may want to anchor the trim using some additional kind of joinery.

The easiest option is to use wood screws to join the trim (in addition to wood glue!).  You can also use a Kreg Jig, which I know a lot of people like, to make pocket holes on the underside of the trim pieces.  This will make a very strong joint, but with 1×2 lumber, the pocket holes may be slightly viewable.

If you happen to have (or have access to) a biscuit joiner, that’s my preferred method and the one I’ll illustrate below.

The “trick,” if you can call it that, to this part of the build is to cut your trim so that it’s very close to the post, but not so tight that it makes getting the rail into the post difficult.  I would recommend cutting the rail trim and slat support pieces, holding them in place with the rails locked into the posts and then trimming again if necessary.  Ideally, you’d like about 1/32″ play between the trim and the post.  This will also accommodate any swelling if the humidity is high.

Marked for trim
Make marks on each of the bed rails to indicate where the posts are located to position trim pieces

As illustrated in the image below, you’ll want to be careful to measure and cut the trim so that it doesn’t interfere with the post joint.  I left about 1/32″ between the trim and the post joint so that the bed rails could be assembled and disassembled easily.

Marking the Trim
I carefully marked the trim and rail pieces to cut biscuit slots

As mentioned above, I used a biscuit joiner when assembling the trim.  You could certainly use pocket holes to attach the trim as well.  It’s also feasible to screw the trim in place with wood screws from the inside of the bed rails, however you should take great care to pre-drill screw holes straight and make pilot holes.  It’s certainly also fine to simply use wood glue and clamps to get a solid joint.

Rail Trim ready for Assembly
Here I’ve cut the biscuit slots and the trim is ready to be glued to the rails
Markings for joints
Whether using biscuits or screws, get in the habit of marking and indicating which faces join where.
Rails prepped for assembly
The bedrails have been prepped for assembly, but I’m going to glue each one of them in place to make sure the trim is positioned correctly
Headboard and Footer Trim
The headboard and footboard trim glued and clamped

Queen & King Sized Center Support

One of the design elements that was important to me in this plan was to make the bed super easy to set up and take apart with no hardware or tools.  So knowing that the queen (and soon to be king) sizes will need some center support, I developed a shelf system using excess 1x lumber to support a 2×2 beam spanning the middle of the bed.  The 2×2 will rest on the shelves with a side brace and then have a footer that can be positioned in the middle.  You can, of course make a couple footers and this design is easily modifiable if you are making a king sized bed and feel more comfortable with more than one support.

The shelves are glued in place.  Of course you can reinforce them with wood screws if you like, but it’s not necessary.  If you do use wood screws, be sure to pre-drill your holes.  It’s good practice in general and with wood pieces this small, neglecting to pre-drill may result in the wood splitting.

Create a “no hardware” center support joint on the header and footer using cut pieces of the excess 1x lumber
Center Support Joint with Center Bar

For the center support I used excess 1×6 material from the post assembly and sandwiched 4 pieces together to create a footer that will cradle the center 2×2 beam.  This footer is, again, assembled with a generous amount of wood glue.

Use excess 1×6 lumber to create a center support footer for the bed

Center support footer

The beautiful thing about this footer is that it is very stable, fits the center 2×2 beam like a glove and is an elegant design for the bed (even though no one will see it!).

Assembly showing center support footer

Here’s the assembled frame with the center support beam in place.  The strips lying on the floor on the left and right are the bed slat supports which I added after I had attached the trim to the bed rails.  This was the only part of the construction where I used wood screws.

Bed Frame with Center Support Footer

Building the Headboard

Using a biscuit joiner for headboard assembly
View of headboard 1x4s with biscuit slots
Headboard glued and clamped
Headboard attached to the platform bed frame
Frame Assembly with Headboard and Bed Rail Supports

Final Assembly

The final assembly includes cutting 1×4 slats to support the mattress.  You can use the same lumber that you used to construct the bed frame, of course, but since the support slats won’t be visible underneath the mattress, I’d recommend using some less expensive common board or furring strip lumber for this.  When I was developing this plan for a queen sized bed, the 6′ select pine boards were about $5 each vs. 1×4 furring strip lumber which were about $1.50 each.  That was meaningful savings when buying 15 slats.  The cheaper lumber needs to be sanded a bit more, but it was worth the extra work for me!

I used furring strip lumber for the mattress support slats
Final assembly of the platform bed before sanding and staining

Finished Project

Here’s a final shot of the finished bed. Next project are accompanying retro look night stands that I’ll be building soon!  See the sneak peek below (plans on that to come soon).

Project Cost

Project Cost (for the materials only) was approximately $250 at the time I built this platform bed.  Lumber costs fluctuate pretty widely with the construction economy.  I’ve found comparable beds online selling in the $800-$1,200 range depending on type of wood and finish for queen size beds.

Get a printable PDF version of this plan which you can purchase for $5 (it’s about 37 pages in all).  It’s all the info from the blog posts, but I’ve compiled it for easy printing in whatever section you want and included shopping list, cut diagram, assembly schematic and helpful project build pictures.  Basically, if you want a handy printable version so you don’t have to get sawdust all over your computer, you might consider purchasing this download.

And Finally…

Here’s a sneak Peek of the Night Stands I’m working on.  More to come on those in another post.

Finished nightstand next to the tatami inspired platform bed.

87 replies on “Tatami Inspired DIY Platform Queen Size Bed Plans”

Hey, I’m new at woodworking, or at least woodworking for anything that requires precision. My biggest question here is actually getting the wood. First, I’m wondering what type of wood I should get, and what I should be looking for as far as keywords for that type of wood (quality, standard, sanded, etc etc). The second thing I’m worried about is how to get wood that isn’t going to end up bowed. Whenever I browse, all the wood I see is warped and I know that won’t work here. Is that something I can get at Home Depot/Lowes/Menards or do I need to go to a specialty store?

Hi Parker, that’s a good question. It’s no secret that wood from the big boxes isn’t that great. However, I know lots of folks who have had success finding straight wood, but sometimes it takes a little digging. Make sure you’re looking at the select project boards and not the construction grade lumber. That will generally be somewhat better quality. I’ve done this particular bed with both pine and poplar from Home Depot and they’ve worked well. If you go to a specialty wood shop, you can definitely find more variety, particularly if you want to use hardwoods, but you’ll also typically pay a good bit more, and you may need to mill your boards a little.

Thanks,
Ed

Hello Ed! I am interested in the king size Tatami platform bed plans. I would like to make the bed a few inches taller than your plans, would that compromise the structural integrity of the bed? I would like 16 inches of clearance from the floor to the bottom of the bed rail. Thanks!

Hi there! I really love this build! Great job and thank you for sharing this with all of us.

Can you explain how you were able to find the materials for this at $250ish total cost? Im asking around all my local lumber options and I am not finding anything remotely close to that in hardwood. Im looking at all the cheapest options. Id love to know if my process is offbase from yours. Beginning wood-layman here.

Hi Jamie,
The price of lumber has definitely skyrocketed since the time I originally created this plan. Also, depending on what type of hardwoods you’re pricing, that could make a huge difference. The pricing I originally calculated for my build was using poplar lumber, which is commonly found at Home Depot and Lowe’s and is relatively inexpensive, along the lines of pine. In my area, wood prices are starting to come down a little, but they are still very high.
Thanks,
Ed

Hi Ed, I just purchased today March 1st your plans for Tatami Style Platform Bed (Queen Size) and very pleased with the detail. I am wondering if the version I have purchased has the the updates that was mentioned in your blog by others? And again great plans, time permitting I hope to start this project plan this weekend.
Cheers,
Cal

Hi Calvin, thanks for the note. The update I believe you’re referring to was for the King sized version and an incorrect measurement in one of the pictures for the center support. That didn’t affect the Queen version.
Thanks,
Ed

Ended up making the king size version and it looks great! We’ve been sleeping on it for a few months now and my wife is very happy with the results. Also very easy to take apart and put back together. Also I chose not to screw the slats in for easy moving and have had no issues.

Ed- your king bed Tatami plans list both:
(4) 1Γ—5 @ 8 3/42” from the cut list and
4 at 6″ from the 1×5 in the diagram. Can you clarify which is correct? I have all the cuts made except these last ones. Thanks.

Thanks for the good catch. I re-checked the measurements and the 1x5s are for the supports under the bed structure and the taller ones are 8 3/4″ and the inner, shorter, ones are 7 1/4″ as outlined in the PDF. The measurements on the post are not correct and I’ll fix that.
Thanks!
Ed

Hi Ed,just started to build the queen platform bed. Great directions real straight forward. The print out is well worth the money. Thanks again

Bed build went well and ended up pretty straightforward. I did end up making the bed rails little thicker just in case. But so far it’s held our new king size mattress without issue, and I have two little kids that have been jumping on it. I did just leave the slates unattached and it seemed to not be a problem at all after I put the mattress down. Thanks Ed for the great design.

I am thinking about trying to tackle this. Some added tools and lumber would be similar to buying a finished bed, but then I’d have the tools!

Question: are the slats set in loose? I know a lot of beds fasten them together with some material and support the ends of the strip in place.

Hi Robert, thanks for the note. The slats in the plan aren’t attached, but there are a couple ways people do that. The easiest is to get a couple strips of nylon webbing and attach that to the slats using a staple gun. Some folks cut wood blocks & attach them to the bed rail supports that go in between the slats and keep them in place. I like the first method since you can roll up the slats if you’re moving or transporting the bed and they stay together pretty well.
Thanks,
Ed

Hi. Nice plans. I see that the bed supports are flush with the tops of the rails and the measurements suggest that the mattress sit on top of the bed rails. Is there any issue with the mattress sliding? Would it be better to have the the slats a bit lower so they mattress won’t slide side to side?

I have not had any issues with the mattress sliding, personally. I did have a customer that did inset the support slats slightly like you describe. You can see a couple pictures of it (the pictures are mainly focused on the joint) on my Facebook page. It would certainly be easy to do that.
Thanks!
Ed

Is the mattress supposed to sit on the rails on the sides and footboard? If you were to put mattress dropped in between rails, what size need to be increased on rails side, and headboard and footboard?

Hi Joel, yes the mattress sits on the rails on the sides, but doesn’t completely cover them. The side trim pieces will be slightly wider than the mattress, so it appears that the mattress sits on a solid base. If you wanted the mattress to “drop in” between the rails, you would need to extend the width of the headboard and footer by at least 2″ (it’s 74 1/2 in the model) to give the mattress a little bit of wiggle room (king mattresses are typically 76″ wide).

Thanks!
Ed

Hello,

Getting ready to build and noticed that your cut plans call for the 1×3 slats to be cut to 58-1/2″. However in a sketch model on page 21 it is calling out for 60-1/2″. From my math it should be 58-1/2″, can you confirm please?

Thanks!
Chuck

The project went well. I have not applied a finish yet nor have I decided on a headboard size yet, I may want to go slightly wider than the frame. I also modified the dimensions to work for a CA King bed. I had the rails protrude slightly to give it a bit more of a joinery/Asian look. I left a review on your plan’s site and will include photos of a detail of the corners. I hit the edges with a 1/8 rounder with my router and I changed the way the bed sits on the frame to have it sit in the frame. I found your plans to be very helpful and time-saving. $5.00 for these is a bargain. If I can remember I will do some photos of the frame without the mattress and will send them later.

Thanks Eric, I appreciate the note and teh review! I saw your pictures and the joints look great! Nice work. I’d love to see some pictures once you get the headboard made and finish applied. Thanks!
Ed

Hi Ed!

Thank you very much for these plans. I’m a little confused at the cut list for your post. Why are the 1×5’s 6” and 7 1/2”?

Cut List:
(2) 1Γ—5 @ 6β€³
(2) 1Γ—5 @ 7 1/2β€³
(2) 1Γ—5 @ 6β€³ trimmed to 3 3/4β€³ width.
Thank you!!

Hi Jackson, Thanks for the note. The 1x5s are used in 2 places.
First is to make a support for the middle bed rail. The measurements for that actually should be 8 3/4″ and 7 1/2″. The measurements are correct in the downloadable plan, but I forgot to fix it on the post (which I just did, thanks!).
The other place the 1×5 is used is to make the middle section on the bed posts. Since the posts are constructed out of 2x2s, they’re actually 1 1/2″ by 1 1/2″ so after you sandwich the 1×2 in between them, that means the cross piece needs to be 3 3/4 wide, so that’s why the notation to that effect.
Thanks,
Ed

Thanks again Ed! I purchased the downloadable plan and it’s very detailed and clear in there. Great design and excellent plans! Much appreciated.

Ed: I just purchased your King version PDF. In the shopping list section it specifies “PLATFORM BED (QUEEN) SHOPPING LIST.” Is this supposed to say “KING,” or is this list actually for the QUEEN as it indicates?

Thanks!

Hi Eric,
Thanks for the head’s up about that. The list is correct for a king, but the heading is a misprint on me for leaving β€œQueen” there and I’ll change that to King.
Thanks for the catch on that and also thanks for order!
Thanks,
Ed

Update

I finished the bed and it turned out great. I made it with birch and and cherry. I think the plans are worth the $5. The only thing I would say is double check the size of your 2×2’s. The plans are made with using nominal pine sizes where the 2×2’s are actually 1.5×1.5. The 2×2’s I bought ended up being 1.75×1.75. I am not sure if this is because they were hardwood. This was an oversight on my end and has nothing to do with the plans. I do not want anyone running into the same issue I did. I ended up not putting the outer trim on the bed, but it turned out great.

Hello Ed,
Thank you so much for your careful attention to detail in presenting this beautiful bed design. Well done! I have long wanted to build a Tatami style bed but keep getting stuck on cutting the deep dados!

I am curious if you would be willing to elaborate on how you attacted the headboard to the bedframe. I can’t quite make out any jointery in the photographs. Thank you,
Nathan

Hi Nathan,
Thanks for your kind words. The headboard construction is essentially the same as the footer as far as the joint is concerned. The bottom 1×4 has the same bridle joint as the side rails and the footer and inserts into the the post slots joining the side rails. The only difference between the headboard and the footer is that the headboard has 5 additional 1x4s all joined together. There are also some reinforcing supports on the back of the headboard that you can see in one of the pictures on the post.
Thanks,
Ed

Hey Ed,
Do you happen to have the plans and cuts for a king bed? I’m going to build it this weekend and would like to avoid screwing up any converted measurements.

I would love to create a version of this as a narrow twin size 73 x 28” bed. Having very little woodworking experience, could it be possible for me to take your plan and make an easily set up version to take on the road with me. Portability, easy break down / setup and nothing nailed or glued is important in my plan.

Hi Mary Ann, yes, this plan can easily be adjusted for a twin size. That really just involves shortening the lengths of the headboard and footer. The rest of the construction is the same. And I particularly designed it to be easily taken apart without any hardware so transporting it would be easy. I’ll be glad to work out the cut lengths for the header and footer & support slats, however it might take me a week or so to get to it.
Cheers,
Ed

Hi Sky Beck, thanks for the note! I don’t have a plan already made with full size bed measurements, but the Queen plan would be easy to modify for a full size bed by just changing the width of the headboard and footer. Also, you would likely not need a center support underneath the slats for a full size plan. A quick Google search tells me that different mattress manufacturers measure full size beds sliightly different, between 53″ and 54″ vs. 60″ for a queen (I would measure the one you have), so you’d just reduce the width measurements in the queen plan accordingly. For example, if the full is 53″, then reduce the width of the header measurements in the plan by 7″.
Thanks!
Ed

Fantastic looking bed and nice plans! I’m curious whether you anchored the slats to the bed at all with screws or any type of hardware or wood pieces in between, or whether they slide back & forth, if not. Thanks!

Thanks for the comment! I appreciate your dropping by my site. As for the slats, I did not anchor them at all and haven’t had a problem with them moving. But that being said, I’ve seen some folks do a couple different things to keep them spaced apart. Of course you can screw some or all of them in to the rail supports. You can also get some nylon webbing strips and screw or tack them into the slats, one going up each side and maybe a 3rd going up the middle. Or you can use spacer blocks, but that still involves putting screws into the rails. I really like the nylon webbing idea because it makes transporting the bed easier since you can sort of roll up the slats and they stay together. Hope that helps!

Thanks, appreciate the rapid response and ideas. I do think using wider slats tends to reduce sliding around; and the nylon webbing I have seen with commercial platform beds.

Hello,

I would like to make the bed post at least 18 inches tall with rails about 8 inches tall. I am thinking of using 3 inch square post sections instead of the 2 inch ones you used. I want a wider foot to avoid rocking. I also need a tall headboard so I think I might make the headboard post taller. Please advise.

Thanks.

TJ Roberson

Both of those modifications would be easy to do. You’ll want to use wider trim pieces on the bed rails as well as the footer to compensate for the thicker legs. You can increase the height of the headboard by using thicker stock lumber as well as more boards (or both) depending on how high you want it to be.
Thanks!
Ed

I would love plans for a twin or narrow twin size. And yes, at least 18 to 24 inches tall posts. It’s really impossible to find plans for smaller beds. I don’t trust myself to adjust the math for a smaller bed.

Hi! Your sketchup model shows the header and footer length to be 65″, but in the instructions above, you have 63″… the three small decorative rails seem to be 2″ off in the sketchup as well. Any guidance?

Hi Annette,
Thanks for the comment! Yes, the rails should be 63″. I updated the downloadable plan some time ago, but forgot to upload a replacement model to the SketchUp warehouse. I’ll go ahead and do that. The trim pieces (1) on the header and (2) footer should be 55 1/2″. That compensates for the width of the footers – 3 3/4″ on each side. That being said, measure your mattress. the 63″ with is to accommodate a standard 60″ queen size mattress, but some of them run a little large. Let me know if that answers yoru question.
Thanks!
Ed

Hi,

Mark again. Do you need a table saw for this. It seems like you could get most of the work done with a miter saw

Hi Mark, yes, you can do the whole project with a miter saw and a skil saw. A table saw is helpful to rip the 1×5 that’s sandwiched in the bed post design, but not totally necessary and there’s a pretty easy work around for that. You could feasably use a miter saw for the bed rail joints, but it would be easier with a skil saw.
Thanks,
Ed

Hi Ed,

Mark again, I am getting close to building this. Do you think the rails could be done with dowls. I am thinking of doing through dowls going through both the support and rail. I am planning on building it with maple and walnut and using walnut dowls for the rails. Please let me know what you think.

Hey!

Your blog is wonderful. I know it’s been a few crazy months, but looking at your comments, it seems you may have had the specs for a King sized version of your tatami inspired frame? I wanted to ask before I took a stab at modifying the instructions here just in case my guestimates for the adjustments were off.

If not, no worries, thank you for spending the time to put this out there at all in the first place!

Looking forward to hearing back in any case,

Lindsay

Thanks for the note Lindsay! I appreciate it. I haven’t written up a king sized plan yet. It’s still on the to do list! But making the modification isn’t difficult. To make a king version, you’ll need to modify the width of the header and footer by 16″. A standard king is 76″ x 80,” but be sire to measure the mattress that you intend to use in case you need to make slight adjustments. I’d also recommend that you put 2 2″x2″ support beams down the length of the bed at 1/3 intervals instead of 1 beam down the middle for additional mattress support. Let me know how your project goes.
Cheers,
Ed

Hi,

I am attempting to replicate this build with a full size bed, but I am wondering…what size biscuits did you decide to use?

Thanks for your help,
Michael

Hi Michael, thanks for the note. I used #10 biscuits. You can pretty easily modify the frame length and width to accommodate the full size without fundamentally changing the construction of the bed.
Cheers,
Ed

Yeah, I’ve already modified and have the legs built and 1×4 notches cut and in place….thanks for your quick response and plans!

Great looking bed!
I was hoping you might share a sketch up file of the project (or what you have so far). Thanks!

Hi! Would it be possible to modify this design to make the clearance under the bed higher (so making the whole bed taller) without compromising the structural integrity of the bed? I love the tatami woodworking design but have been trying to find a bed that’s got an 18” clearance to maximize storage in a small bedroom.

Hi Rachel, yes you can certainly modify this design to increase the height of the bed. That won’t be a problem at all and won’t affect the structural integrity. You can always put a second support block in the middle, assuming a queen sized mattress. Let me know if you end up building it and send some pictures my way!
Thanks,
Ed

Hi Bryce,
To make the bed without the headboard, you’d just eliminate 5 of the 63″ 1x4s and also the 3 1x2s that measure 19 1/4″.
You’ll need everything else. You may also want to add the “outside” trim piece for the header rail since the plan doesn’t have one because of the headboard. That would be an addition strip of 1×2 that measures 55 1/2″.
Thanks,
Ed

Lovely bed, and thanks for the excellent photobuild.

Pity only that you glued the outer horizontal planks the way you did. Now you it looks like a hamburger and I think that when you glued it a quarter rotated and layered them up it would look like a solid piece of wood.

Thanks for the note. I think you’re referring to the bed rails, and if so, it would look nice to use 2 1x2s layered on the top edge. It would create a thicker rail edge, and that would probably compliment the thick post leges. Good idea!
Cheers,
Ed

Really like your design…can you share how it’s held up since you built it? Any squeaking? Also, you’d mentioned plans for a king bed…do you have plans for that you could share, ie: dimensions?

Thanks Brandon. The bed has held up great & no squeaking. I have not yet been able to modify the design for a king version, but it’s on the project plan for the next few weeks. A king mattress is generally 76″ x 80″ and the main modification that you’ll want to make is to have a secondary support under the slats besides, of course, the increased width.
Cheers,
Ed

Thanks for the reply. Just wrapped up my build. Turned out great. Not sure how to share pics on here but happy to share.

Such a great guide! So helpful for a new woodworker like myself. I am doing some research to build a king size tatami. I figure even if I fail, I can still buy a commercial one for $900 😁😁😁. I’ll keep an eye out and maybe start working on the bed posts!

Thanks Maddy, I appreciate the comment! This plan is pretty easy to modify the length & width dimensions to accommodate a king bed. The only main difference I’d recommend is a 2nd center support due to the additional width. Otherwise you can keep the same basic structure of the plan. Good luck with it!
Ed

I’m a high-schooler in a woods course and I was wanting to make this as m final project and I was wondering if you could go more in depth with what on the cut list is for each part of the bed. The reason was I was wanting to use contrasting woods such as walnut for the headboard and feet but birch or maple on the sideboards and trim.

Good afternoon Tyler,
I’m actually working on a downloadable plan for the bed project, but I haven’t put all the additional material in the post yet because I’m still creating some of it. I’ll email you a screen shot from SketchUp of the cut list that has some of that detail and you can let me know if that answers your questions. Also, if you are familiar with SketchUp, I’ll be glad to share the model with you.
Cheers,
Ed

Hi There,

This is one of my first woodworking projects, and I’m wondering if the bed rail supports can also be solely glued, or do they require screws and/or biscuits for the added support?

Thanks!

Hi Elijah, thanks for the note and good luck with your project! As for the bed rail supports, yes they can be glued, but I would recommend some additional reinforcement with screws since they are the primary supports for the slats holding the mattress. Biscuits are not necessary.
Thanks and be sure to send a couple pictures of your project.
Cheers,
Ed

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