Building an industrial-styled loft bed and study

I made a video documenting the past few weeks, during which time I've been converting my spare room into a work-from-home space, as well as keeping a spare bed for when I have visitors.
I don't really know what I'm doing most of the time, and I only had basic tools and a small space to work, but after a lot of trial-and-error and guess work, i'm pretty happy with the results.
Thank you for watching :)
MATERIAL COST ($AUD)
Merbau posts and beams ~$800
Desktop (3.6m Merbau) ~$900
Coach screws ~$50
Brackets ~$10-15 each (about 16 in total)
Bed slats (pine) ~$100 total
Cabinets ~$300 each
Corflute (black plastic) ~$20
Thin wood sheet ~$30
Ladder legs ~$50
Ladder steps ~$30
Metal pipe around bed ~$120
Metal pipe under shelf ~$45
Shelf timber ~$60
Spray paint ~$5
Stain and watercolour ~$60
Hollow door and cantilever (to support desk) ~$60

[@shoopus6309]

SOMEONE ACTUALLY USED THE MATH THAT WE LEARN IN SCHOOL 💀

[@MichaelTanMusic]

haha first time since school i think!

[@nojannik]

or actually static physics lol

[@ObrunoDF]

Exept this, all the rest is doable. lol

[@vladymartinez1232]

@@ObrunoDF you could use trial and error, but dude that math is easier than typing a comment 😂😂

[@kavishdaya2634]

@@nojannik I'm first year civil engineering and I'm doing static physics damn

[@rafsanpantho364]

The fact that my man actually used high-school math for something is genius

[@MichaelTanMusic]

haha first time for everything!

[@KMORICOPSubscribekrlebiro]

@@MichaelTanMusic😂😂

[@LukTzeChing]

finally, sin cos tan comes to handy

[@plastic_cleopatra]

I can't even remember that kind of math. I use business math everyday 😂

[@tomaszstarzZz]

@@plastic_cleopatra divide and multiply? 😂

[@Niqo96]

Are we just going to ignore the fact that freaking birds come and chill on this guy house like he’s a Disney character?

[@Tio-Nino]

Yes we are.

[@s2kinky577]

welcome to Australia

[@jd156]

clicked on this for the thumbnail, stayed for the great storytelling. the way you narrated the process and showed all the details and insights on the decisions you made were very refreshing. I love the end product!!

[@lulupiink6698]

This guy has some serious skills. I can only imagine he saved himself a lot of $$ doing all this himself. Bravo!

[@juicemor1]

Well... actually it doesn't save you a lot in most of the case, sometimes it cost more cuz you wanna buy the best material available. But the joy of designing and building it from 0-100% is priceless. And it fits 100% perfectly to your expectation cuz you can change and improve along the build.

[@georgemartinezza]

skills --- serious skills .. and the tools?

[@benclarkson4205]

SERIOUS skills... but deffo not something you do to save money. Awesome vid!

[@homechoicehk]

George Martinez 😂

[@decespugliatorenucleare3780]

It's not that hard - problem is: do you realize how much time did he spent on this thing? That's some serious commitment. Unless he does a minimum wage job, that's not worth it - outside the fun, that is (these things are a ton of fun to do)

[@mq3096]

Given that this was your first major carpentry project and entirely self-taught, I’m very impressed by your creative solutions to unanticipated issues along the way (black nail polish, the blue water colour, 3D printing a jig, stabilising the loft and desk against shearing/sagging). No doubt the end result was incredibly satisfying to have created something so great with your own hands. Now come build my new desk set up please.

[@MichaelTanMusic]

thank you for commenting! yes, always fun to solve problems as you go.

[@joodasheq]

​@@MichaelTanMusic Did you print the template for drilling? Do you perhaps have a thingiverse? That's an amazing build and very useful jig.

[@MichaelTanMusic]

Patryk S never heard of Thingiverse, will check out now!

[@joodasheq]

@@MichaelTanMusic do you perhaps have stl to share?

[@jbryanramirez5951]

Could someone tell me please, what is the name of the program you use for 3D modeling? I would appreciate it very much ♥

[@anonymousowl5240]

Probably one of my favorite DIY videos ever. Every other major diy video is a guy with a big truck, big workshop, and tools. My dude lives in an apartment, I love it!

[@taurieltaurieli4700]

Super contul

[@SCYTHEGFK]

The bedroom we all wanted our dad to build us when we was 10 jeez this guys kids would be happy

[@miloughh]

i wish we have a subject teaching us how to do things like this

[@MichaelTanMusic]

yes me too! but thankfully now there is KZbin!

[@brianlin5636]

Michael Tan yeah but nothing beats learning in person from a professional.

[@420noscoper8]

In ireland we have dcg teaching us to use the computer programs showed here and woodwork showing us how to work with wood

[@steampunknord]

I did cause my school had the workshop space but it only taught me the basic concepts.

[@cdyne7851]

You do. It's called KZbin. Traditional education in a classroom is woefully outdated.

[@goobyplease]

The wood craftsmanship and how those birds just come to him, hes confirmed a descendant of Noah

[@MichaelTanMusic]

Haha could be?? thanks for checking it out!

[@MichaelTanMusic]

next project: Industrial-styled Ark

[@goobyplease]

If Netflix makes a Sims series u would be the perfect protagonist we all need.

[@achimlichtenhagen3144]

"Sorry, Noah, but, where does all this water come from?" "Oh sh... Maybe I´ve should have sealed all this pipes."

[@Schmidlap]

I mean... technically that includes everybody.

[@Zachadiddle]

That is a fantastic space! You've given me ideas about how to combine a spare bedroom with a music room and I really appreciate you. Thanks for sharing!

[@thebluestig2654]

There's a few other ways to prevent that long desk from sagging or bowing in the middle. 1. Find a square steel tube with an internal diameter the same thickness as the wood and cut one side off the tube creating a C-Channel. Fit the C-Channel around the wood on the long edges of the desk (after painting it black of course). Screw and glue into place. The glue is to prevent future squeaking as things grow and shrink with temperatures and humidity. Or if you can find pre-made C-Channel that can also work, but is sometimes more expensive than square tubing. 2. If you want the top of the desk to remain smooth just use a piece of angle iron that runs the full length of the desk and attach it on the front edge with the other half of the angle underneath. Screw and Glue into place. Painted black it makes a nice trim piece while preventing bowing/sagging. 3. This method is far more complicated and requires two complete slabs of the desk to sandwich together while hiding quarter inch thick by 1 inch wide pieces of steel inserted into channels cut half an inch deep into each slab. The steel pieces will sit vertically and run the full length of the long edge of the desk. Glue into place to prevent rattling of the steel and help to hold the two slabs of wood together. Method 3 can also be used to make book shelves that will hold lots of weight but won't bow and have no visible means of reinforcement.

[@kajalsidhu2207]

Definitely saving this for my personal projects. Thank you!

[@GetHandsDirty]

This is an awesome build!! The end result is very good, seems super sturdy and beautiful as well :) Loved the integration of the 3D printing to make the model and templates - I might actually expand on this idea in the future :D This inspired me as well!

[@L0wPressure]

So nice to see you DIY guys\gals watch each other as well :)

[@qwertyfied4921]

OMG! I was just thinking about your channel while watching this video.

[@jeromevandegracia7611]

Nice.. I've been watching your channel too.. :)

[@f2premium46]

@@L0wPressure hi

[@jbryanramirez5951]

Could someone tell me please, what is the name of the program you use for 3D modeling? I would appreciate it very much ♥

[@Elpacto16]

Awesome design, awesome narration, awesome editing, awesome end result. Awesome video.

[@MichaelTanMusic]

hey thanks mate, appreciate it.

[@DBoylie14]

Agreed.

[@chromabak919]

The quality of the entire project is mesmerizing

[@K0n5tant]

Absolutely gorgeous. I'm so glad this came up on my recommended, and I love the editing!

[@MichaelTanMusic]

Ah thank you for the kind words :) glad you enjoyed!

[@352marshall]

I would love to study at that desk till the very edge of exhaustion and then crawl up the ladder to have a well deserved nap. Spot on!!

[@adityaprabaswara5428]

I found this to be so satisfying to watch from the beginning to the end. Very impressed by your skillset!

[@biljoe209]

I like that you were able to do this despite living in an apartment. Really nice

[@lmazl7826]

Definitely build more stuff and put it on your channel Michael, this build is elite. Could make a fortune selling beds like this!

[@Yusmaidhar]

So you're like a music producer, a designer, and a master craftsman, all packed into one single person... I envy your mad skills...

[@MichaelTanMusic]

haha thank you, definitely not a master though :) hobbyist!

[@seventhstranger]

looks great and the best part is that, you know exactly where the desk or structure would sag! your technical knowledge is excellent! great job man!

[@blurocktech]

A real life (but much cooler) version of Ron Swanson - building anything he wants at a fraction of the price. You are an inspiration, my man.

[@c.jillallen-hood4685]

I love this video. I am doing this same idea for myself, but my bed is slightly larger. Thanks for your posting this!

[@mayo_moto]

Great build! It's nice to see a well laid plan come together and some simple engineering principles at work.

[@tactical9897]

Man I commend you for this. The use of fusion to get a close model & approximate wood lengths, the use of limited space and still turning it into a workshop, the fact that you filmed all of this in a concise, easy way. I’m amazed at the quality of how this all turned out. You sir, are one dedicated person. 👍🏼👍🏼

[@WaveofConfusion]

If i had the open space in a bachelorette style suite, I'd so do this. This is stunning and amazingly put together. Mad props man!!

[@sepacamp]

WOW - I was watcing some "do it yourself" videos and wasnt feeling so convinced about the designs and the feasibility, so I was about to go for the easiest alternative and buy. Now I really want to try it out. Thanks!! I will certainly watch the rest of your videos! Greetings from Germany!

[@JonnyQ408]

Perfect for a studio or even a "tiny home" with tall ceiling in the bedroom, that way you have a bed, and office space.

[@NIKITKOKIS]

Wow. You're a man of many talents

[@ShadrachsGuitar]

I love how your Gretsch perfectly matches the room. Great job!

[@beabea5985]

Finally, someone properly concerned with the stability of the construction. It always seemed to me that other videos feature too little focus on the safety and stability of the finished piece. Great video, awesome end result.

[@andresvelasquez6898]

Wow! This build is so sick! Thanks for sharing the whole process. I wish I could build my own.

[@MichaelTanMusic]

I'm sure you could, i spent ages watching videos like this before I bit the bullet and went timber shopping! Thanks for the comment :)

[@LIZZIED0LL]

That wood is absolutely stunning! Also, I could listen to this guy's voice all day! It's relaxing!

[@idgnfs]

i think the most amazing part is that you did all of this from inside your apartment

[@debreczi2]

Man, this gave me such an inspiration. Something I really needed right now. Thanks so much.

[@kaferrat]

What a great room transformation. Love the look of black details with the wood. Love that 3D printed drill jig you used. Sadly this is the only video of its kind on your channel. Time to redo & film some more rooms in your home. 😉

[@MichaelTanMusic]

haha yes, this project was a bit left-field for me! as you can see i mostly do videos about music! :) thanks for watching

[@TheRealKitWalker]

Watching you make this was so satisfying and very very inspiring. I'm so inclined to re-use space in my room as well and create a bed/work room for myself. 🤓👏👏

[@MichaelTanMusic]

You can do it!

[@isaacmelgaco5386]

@@MichaelTanMusic what is the name of that song at the end of the video

[@davidmimay]

I like the voice-over it makes the video so calming and "effortless". I can tell that you look for excellence and nothing less, really inspiring to watch and a really nice project! Thanks for sharing it👌

[@Psoewish]

The raised desk portion has given me some inspiration to build something similar for my desk :D

[@Ninety-Nine]

I've already impress with his 3D modelling but when he's started using high school trigonometric, whoahhh... This dude must be one smart student. The bed also impressive man.

[@dito3897]

KZbin recommend me this video. Watching with no intention then turns out it was really inspiring vid, superb transformation. Good job!

[@MichaelTanMusic]

oh cool! Thanks for checking it out! Cheers

[@SkyblueHippie]

same here! And to think this was your FIRST time doing woodwork? WOW! I wish you were my flat neighbor..

[@RAINE____]

It's actually quite nice to see you being mindful of your neighbours haha I often wonder that when watching videos like this

[@Jaethewoo]

holy crap, from video quality, audio and content all exceeds most diy videos out there. Quality right here!

[@chodeyboi4754]

I'm on a small marathon of videos like this and you're the first one I've seen so far that used the triangle supports. I'm not a builder by any means but I always figured the triangles would help alot of peoples' builds be more stable! For the desk support, I would've went the easy way and used kitchen countertop supports 💀. Your idea was much more functional haha. Nice work!

[@Nedwin]

Man, you are a carpenter artist, a musician, a tech enthusiast, and such a cool man. Girls would scream loud begging for attention in front of you. 👍

[@us3r11]

Amazing. You're handy! The final result looks really good. And the guitar is 👌❤️

[@betamax1091]

I can’t even put together Ikea furniture without breaking a joint or connection. This dude is nuts. He has to be a professional to have built this. I wouldn’t have even known what I didn’t know that I didn’t know, that I’d be screwing up. Amazing!

[@goldiluckx]

holy, first time ive seen such accurate craftsman working , this is inspirational thank you

[@MichaelTanMusic]

thank you for the kind comment :)

[@timecodes1439]

1:06 day 1 3:52 day 2 5:01 piping 8:23 day 3 12:08 Result

[@zach3699]

I wish I had this room as a kid! Sheesh! I want to do something like this for my daughters eventually.

[@hobiologe3866]

I really don't know what I should find more impressive; the work itself or the way you cut the video. Well done, mate. Absolutely stunning piece of work (both). Cheers

[@pj427]

this was so calming to watch but I was blown away at the same time. very awesome build! I'm attempting a loft bed build in my room as well, and this just gave me such great ideas. again, great job on this, and stay safe!

[@MichaelTanMusic]

cheers, hope it goes well!!

[@ryankeller2509]

*me watching video* "alright I'm going to watch this hipster re vamp his lame apartment." *KZbin-er buys quality wood and use trigonometric functions to calculate his dimensions* "I sincerely misjudged this guy."

[@MichaelTanMusic]

ryan keller hahaha this comment made my day

[@justintan1255]

And he was using CAD software to model his build o.0

[@jbryanramirez5951]

Could someone tell me please, what is the name of the program you use for 3D modeling? I would appreciate it very much ♥

[@xFragg3r]

@@jbryanramirez5951 Fusion 360

[@danielgeorge7075]

I've got an OCD to symmetry and making things align just perfectly... and oh my is this so satisfying!!!

[@ingke23]

This project is so satisfying to watch and see the final product. You should really be proud of yourself.

[@jesrever]

i actually watched this twice, just cause i loved the editing and your sense of humour. really great job my dude.

[@MichaelTanMusic]

thank you for watching! cheers

[@minecraftnoob737]

man this video is so good I have watched this for 5 hours now

[@kanada13uk]

This is an amazing project, Brovo!!

[@simple18yearold]

*He’s a Hero, walking on floor full of tools and screws with just bare foot...*

[@MainframeJeff]

Me: Hmm, that's a mistake, I'd have a flat ladder unless he's making it removable. Me, 30 seconds later: OK, good.

[@Cresitaaaaa]

When the math we learnt in school is actually used in real life 😩😂. This is so beautiful tho. Good Job

[@MichaelTanMusic]

haha first time for everything!

[@gerimiegarcia5451]

I hope more of this DIY project. I guess this is so beautiful and informative too.

[@mr_gingersnap]

Omg! I love this! I have a small apartment also and I love finding ways to make to transform it and make the most of the space.

[@ivaylo.nikolov]

Man, it's perfect- the bed, the desk, everything! Just... there should be a nice computer and monitor on there :D ... I was waiting for it in the end :P

[@MichaelTanMusic]

thanks for the comment! and there is now.... Dual 4k screens of course. They just hadn't arrived when I finished the video and i was impatient haha

[@xeanloui8099]

I love the sound of fastforward scenes, it kinda reminded me of the Pokemon on gameboy emulator when you fastforward it

[@james_d_eaton]

What a fantastic finished product! Love the way it looks, and thank-you so much for sharing. I've been considering something like this for my son's bedroom, and this video will be great to show him. You've given me some awesome ideas. Thank-you!

[@MichaelTanMusic]

My pleasure, I'm glad that this video was helpful! Best of luck, would love to see how it turns out!

[@ScottKilmartin]

Great work Michael. Solid skills by you.

[@Jun1_p3r]

though dark colours make a room look smaller this looks amazing my room is all light colours with white and just some plywood covered like laminate timber look id much rather have darker colours

[@MichaelTanMusic]

me too, everyone told me not to get dark but i just couldn't handle the ikea-pine look haha. the room was tiny anyway so i'm not too fussed. It's cozy ;)

[@user-pg3yg7id1z]

I can't explain it but somehow this DIY reminds me of those underground pool making videos

[@MichaelTanMusic]

haha, except i used power tools and don't have 20 billion views

[@user-pg3yg7id1z]

@@MichaelTanMusic jokes aside, really great project. I'm already 20 years old now and i don't think i can achieve this 😭

[@Qeizu]

Dude I'm a student in Sydney and this is so inspiring, thanks man

[@thecoolben]

Excellent build! I'm impressed at what you're able to do in a limited space. I live in the states and have a two-car garage (part workshop, part storage of unnecessary crap), and I wish it was bigger...

[@naimiqbal6400]

Damn! Never thought that the school maths would be very helpful in diy-ing

[@MichaelTanMusic]

to be fair i hadn’t used it before this haha

[@user-zj8fh4id5u]

never thought id be this entertained by a building video lol (you should try out for House Rules or The Block)

[@dyllangavinsucks]

I declare this as the best KZbin video of the year in my personal year end list.

[@Motivation-Quotes-Psychology]

Congratulations for the work done and the uniqueness that can be seen in what you do. Thank you for sharing your experience. Greetings from Romania!

[@MrBokkyboy]

This is a bit scary. I'm in the middle of changing the visitor's room. Just yesterday we talked about doing this. Today I open YT. And Boem your video popped in my face. 🤪. Love it love it love it. I see alot of peeps asking about the jig thingy. I'm also interested in that. Also the bed file but I'm oké with the jiggs 😝😝😝.

[@teddycooper2439]

This is insane, but a monitor would really make this setup better, but thats just my opinion. Insane build!

[@MichaelTanMusic]

It currently has 2 monitors on it :)

[@2masjoeker184]

I seen a video on tiktok of a similar pc directly underneath the bed so I searched for ideas and came across this video. This is too dope!

[@davidjeremiahmalazarte7572]

FINALLY! Someone explaining what they are doing 💯🔥

[@uhyanyan]

"At this point, it was a little bit late for drilling..." my upstairs neighbor would disagree with you :)

[@MichaelTanMusic]

hahaha

[@WilliamAiken]

Before watching this video I thought, “this would be a cool project to attempt” During: this is not possible to do, but I’ll stick around for the satisfying content After: must be nice..

[@adamgumm2265]

I've been making random furniture for 8 years or so and definitely learned a few tricks here!!! Awesome build! Nice work! :D

[@MichaelTanMusic]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@tomhsu9277]

That’s the best design I have seen… And the style of the design is so great

[@carlosvazquez8803]

You did a really good job certainly in everything, I'm surprised with number of likes that this video has, Good job man, I really enjoy y learn a lot.

[@MichaelTanMusic]

thank you :)

[@richard.n.carter]

I too am a fan of the Industrial look. I am in Central Texas and am 6'3" so a clear leg space under the desk is a Pet Pease of mine. I am learning the basics of ergonomics tailored to my size and desk height is 33 inches.

[@amirelhaddaoui6333]

great video, great result, hats off for this guy, he's a king

[@nickr8747]

Hey love that lamp, Any idea where I can buy one like it?

[@charlieemily998]

Math: Finally, someone on KZbin understood my value U_U

[@MichaelTanMusic]

hahaha, first time for everything!

[@mofeedboss9170]

Who else didn't want this video to end? Great job!

[@lisanagle6907]

I am a girl normally hate watching the build and go right to the end to see how it all looks but this I enjoyed watching the full video . He was smart well spoken enjoyed it smart man

[@XPprints]

“Safety first” and then literally had bare feet stepping on nails

[@MichaelTanMusic]

hahaha whoops

[@DeltaMusicTV1]

U should get into selling concepts and furnature, this is very impress and, in fact, outstanding design/quality

[@MichaelTanMusic]

ahh thanks for that, I am happy that people are watching this video. I had no idea if anyone would like it.

[@DeltaMusicTV1]

Michael Tan trust me, a bunch of ppl like that kind if content, specially if it‘s well made. And your style and color choosing, makes it even better

[@davidhulk11]

What a master craftsman you are. Looking at your work this thrilling.

[@MichaelTanMusic]

thanks for the kind words mate, hope you enjoyed watching.

[@robertstimmel1100]

Great job! I wouldn't want to be the guy coaching this apartment after, but the end result looks worth it!

[@jimmy.christian]

Next day things to do: _Moving house_

[@Leonoravmb]

So.. that's the purpose of calculus? Amazing

[@MichaelTanMusic]

SOH CAH TOA!!! haha remember?

[@furanku9506]

@@MichaelTanMusic sounds familiar.. but dude i forgot all my high school math even college lmao

[@mikoyc.425]

I remember, that's Trigonometry 🙂

[@Arrwmkr]

Very inspiring and excellent job Michael, well done. Love the look too.

[@MichaelTanMusic]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@Winston-1984]

That's an awesome use of space.

[@DanielHealey85]

Towards the end of the vod there is a song "Hush Wide Awake" @ MichaelTan i'd love to own this song - where can i buy, please