How to Build a DIY Modern Bed

I've got the whole background story, and the details and tutorial over on the blog at:
www.woodshopdi...
And you can find the matching nightstand details and tutorial here:
www.woodshopdi...
A while back, I shared a video tutorial for some modern two drawer nightstands. But that wasn't the whole story. That was just one part of a set that I built last spring.
Then life got busy, we sold our house, moved in with my mother in law, built a house, and are just now getting settled in. So it took me a while to get my crap together to talk about this DIY modern bed.
But today, I'm finally sharing the tutorial for the bed to complete the set. I actually built these to replace our old, dated bedroom suite right before we packed up and moved. Not really a great idea seeing as then we had to pack up and move it with us haha. But I'm not known for my great ideas.
BUT, I had been wanting some simple, modern bedroom furniture for a while and I wasn't going to let the opportunity pass me by.
So if you are looking for a couple fun projects and some new bedroom furniture, I used some new joinery methods here that I don't normally use and these would be great projects to grow your skills.
I've got the whole background story, and the details and tutorial over on the blog at:
www.woodshopdi...
And you can find the matching nightstand details and tutorial here:
www.woodshopdi...
If you like this video, be sure to subscribe to my KZbin channel and also be sure to check out tons of other fun projects on the blog at www.woodshopdiaries.com .
Happy Building! :)

[@mauriceadammarquez2523]

You are amazing. It was very comforting to to hear you say here that you were frustrated with the dowels as you were putting together the headboard. I too have had those frustrating episodes with the dowels… I I have made many of the pieces you’ve made in your videos. I have bought the plans and follow along. My goal is to be able to use the application you use and design things I have in my head to make them real. Anyway, you really are an inspiration

[@fms6306]

It has to be said ur the only female wood worker I'm following. You make practically useful stuff that looks great. Thanks to u I'm inspired to build my own cabinets

[@WoodshopDiaries]

Thanks so much for following along! I’m glad you enjoy the videos 👍

[@SirCricket]

"If your not making mistakes, you're not doing anything." Love the natural tones of the poplar!

[@BronkBuilt]

Bed looks great! I love dowel joinery. It is strong and pretty easy. A tip is instead of using your tape to mark the reference lines, put your two boards together how you want them joined. Clamp them if needed. Then using a combination square, or free hand really, mark across both boards. Then as long as you set the dowel jig on the reference lines you'll know your holes will mate up perfectly.

[@WoodshopDiaries]

Thanks so much! I actually figured out to do that after the fact on this build. It was my first time using dowels but if you check my latest video, you’ll see I now use a square to mark my dowel lines 👍 I wish I had thought of that before I built this bed, though 🤦🏼‍♀️😂😂

[@rosecityremodel2015]

Gorgeous bed. And thanks for including the errors of the build. It’s helps any one else making the bed avoid the same error.

[@nathancassius9484]

sorry to be offtopic but does any of you know of a method to log back into an Instagram account..? I was stupid lost the account password. I would love any assistance you can offer me.

[@chadkarsyn4452]

@Nathan Cassius instablaster :)

[@matthewbarber7830]

I just built this a few months ago and love it! My parents love it too, so I’m gonna make one for their guest room. Great design Shara!

[@darrenlukensow2815]

I’m buying all the plans. I have a ton of hard maple and spalted. Great stuff. Thank you

[@WoodshopDiaries]

Awesome! Thank you! Happy building!

[@billofalltrades1468]

Dowels mess me up all the time! Great build, I love the set!

[@WoodshopDiaries]

Thank you! I love using them now, but my first experience was rough haha

[@mulumbamathias6875]

Simply beautiful , educative and entertaining

[@WoodshopDiaries]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!

[@3x3CustomTamar]

That’s a beautiful looking bed shara!

[@PeteBarta]

I really love the design of this bedroom set. Great work

[@bradmaberto8844]

I just finished up a Cal-King version of this bed. Your plans were easy to follow.

[@CheleGalloza]

Beautiful design! I am learning little by little thank you so much!

[@andrewlynch27]

Your design is very nice. A clean and modern frame....especially with that great poplar. I would suggest a center rail to support the slats.

[@adamcturnbull]

Gorgious look. I had the volume off so wasnt sure about the middle support. I love those bed metal support attachments

[@golfgal2008]

Great job! This is the nicest bed I've seen so far. I am planning on making a queen bed and I really like your design and idea. Keep up the great work!!

[@WoodshopDiaries]

DIYPMGal1 awesome! Beds are so fun to build. Thanks so much!

[@lothordyazubuike3882]

Watching you From Burkina Faso, west Africa, great work...

[@Hatchmade]

I’m curious to how your headboard panel is holding up? You didn’t allow for any wood movement with the way you dowelled it together. Beautiful clean design, I really like the way it looks. I’ll definitely be checking out your plans.

[@WoodshopDiaries]

Hatchmadeit thank you so much! Our headboard has held up really well so far. It’s been about a year and a half or so I think and it hasn’t bowed, warped, split, nothing. 👍

[@Hatchmade]

I get such huge temperature swings where I live I suspect wood movement means I’m going to have to modify your plans a bit if I build it.

[@aussiefreediver]

@@Hatchmade That headboard breaks every rule of woodworking, your instincts are right into modifying the plan. One thing you could do is put 2 dowels in the center, glue those, and leave the top and bottom end floating. It doesn't need too many dowels as there's no downward pressure.

[@ZolaBolingo]

I want a DIY bedroom with storage underneath. Thank you for sharing. Good job & Girl power

[@WoodshopDiaries]

ZolaBolingo I’ve got plans for a storage bed as well here: www.woodshopdiaries.com/diy-farmhouse-storage-bed/ 👍

[@aidansmyth6480]

I see you had a visit from the Chief Inspector of Quality Control at 7:11,

[@chrisanthony144]

Hi Shara, Awesome job on the bed!

[@WoodshopDiaries]

Thank you!

[@vdobrovo]

Very nice, clean look; i am probably going to cooy your design as i was looking for bed ideas... will modify some parts joints though

[@hate8766654321]

I love your videos. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this channel grows.

[@Bekim8310]

yeah me too, I think she's going to do very well.

[@WoodshopDiaries]

86_holden thank you so much!!

[@sevinfurly9346]

🧚‍♂️🧚‍♀️love your builds always🧚‍♀️🧚‍♂️

[@WoodshopDiaries]

Thank you!

[@andycastellanos68]

Great job

[@WoodshopDiaries]

Thank you!

[@andycastellanos68]

Shara Woodshop Diaries you’re welcome, I’m actually gonna try to build my own bedroom set, wish me luck 🤞🏼😊

[@mikea953]

great job and almost epoxy led light on board on bed smile

[@LittlebigG]

Girl that’s a cool shop you got in there!

[@athenatallmadge8412]

Do you happen to have instructions for a full bed? Also, would it be easy to add built in drawers at the foot?

[@WoodshopDiaries]

I have plans for full, Queen, and king here: woodshop-diaries.myshopify.com/collections/beds/products/diy-modern-queen-size-bed-frame-pdf-plans It wouldn’t be too difficult I wouldn’t think to add drawers in the end.

[@athenatallmadge8412]

@@WoodshopDiaries thank you for the quick reply!

[@patelkrunal311]

Amazing. I'm going to build this, thank you for posting! Do you have a vide of the nightstands?

[@WoodshopDiaries]

I do. Check here: www.woodshopdiaries.com/diy-modern-nightstand-two-drawer/

[@xyz123pooh]

Hi! I am almost done with this build and am wondering if you think the 2x2 legs on each slat are fine without using a center support running head to foot? Have you noticed any sag in the middle?

[@WoodshopDiaries]

I’ve been personally using this bed since I built it with these exact slats. They’ve worked great and I haven’t felt the need to replace/rework them.

[@xyz123pooh]

Great to know! Thanks and love this design. Had a glue up snafu in the headboard as well but it came out great!

[@anneoconnorao]

You didn't use a box spring right? The mattress sits right on the slats? Excellent!!

[@paulamartinas7503]

Great project, you make it seem so simple thank you!

[@ifollowjesus1667]

Amazing!

[@WoodshopDiaries]

Thanks!

[@sarabrady4266]

So, I'm curious if you have done a full set for this suite as in a chest of drawers and dresser also? My next question is, do you ever build this kind of stuff for other people to purchase?

[@WoodshopDiaries]

I did. I’ve done two dressers and nightstands to match. Check out my latest videos 👍 unfortunately I never build the same thing twice, so I don’t build much on commission.

[@Jakewarb]

Did you use a finish lacquer, sealant, etc?

[@WoodshopDiaries]

I used Danish oil 👍

[@dkhuntin10]

Hmmm should I build this or buy my daughter a pottery barn bed for $800? 🤔 LOL easy answer. You make beautiful furniture!

[@WoodshopDiaries]

Haha you know my vote! 😉🤣 happy building!! 🙌

[@austinwise7436]

How has this held up? Have you had any issues with the headboard expanding or contracting?

[@WoodshopDiaries]

No issues at all. Its survived several moves and I’m still using it today

[@SuperKwame1]

Great job!

[@mexicanmajesty678]

Silly question... but if i wanted to make the bed taller how would i go about that? do i just adjust the legs? and then carry that throughout the build, or would i need to add extra supports by thickening the legs as well?

[@WoodshopDiaries]

Sure, you can just make the legs on the footboard longer and raise the side pieces to sit higher off the ground and then extend the supports under the slats

[@chrismoore9997]

Sorry you had trouble with the dowels. It turned out great looking. How did you fix the dowel situation?

[@WoodshopDiaries]

Chris Moore just one of my dowel holes didn’t line up. So I removed the one messed up dowel and left the rest of them 👍

[@mohdakram-ke1bg]

Shara Good work I like

[@guyboulay9900]

Super travail !

[@joaquinvazquez685]

Quedo hermosa

[@blessingchannel1487]

Amazing I like

[@jtotheb-ip2hh]

very nice

[@MarcosLopez-hy3px]

Excelente proyecto!!!!!

[@eeeclaverr4239]

you are really good!! its beautiful

[@burhanhyder26]

Great work! But I'm not sure if it's DIY. I'll have to be a carpenter for that😄

[@WoodshopDiaries]

I did it myself 👍 I’ve got plans to show you how to do it yourself as well. Definitely DIY-able 😎

[@MrGeroth]

Awesome

[@sandman2651]

brilliant, liked and subscribed

[@WoodshopDiaries]

mike nicholas thank you!!

[@alanbajpai]

Great job! What are those hooks called?

[@WoodshopDiaries]

AB they’re bed rail brackets 👍

[@alanbajpai]

Thank you!

[@joelthoenen3733]

How do you like that cutech planer? I'm getting one soon and curious how you like it. Great build by the way

[@WoodshopDiaries]

joel thoenen I’m happy with it! I use it pretty regularly and I’ve never had any issues with it except when it gets really clogged up with sawdust (I need a dust collector). I’d recommend it 👍

[@joelthoenen3733]

@@WoodshopDiaries good to know. I've gone thru 3 budget box store planers so I'm hoping the cutech is more durable. I use a lot of reclaimed lumber so I'm rough on them.

[@germang2831]

Awesome , how much was the cost?

[@WoodshopDiaries]

german galindo I couldn’t tell you exactly, but I used 100 board ft of poplar to make the bed and nightstands both. It was $2 a board foot. Then adding the screws, wood glue, hardware, and plywood, that’s another $100 or so. So that gives you an idea. $300 ish for the whole set

[@pablo76arg51]

Hello sorry; wood from which tree do you use?

[@WoodshopDiaries]

This is poplar 👍

[@jamestford]

What stain did you use to seal the popular?

[@WoodshopDiaries]

James Ford I didn’t stain the wood. I just applied a danish oil to finish it 👍

[@shagovdima]

круто, молодец!

[@irvinwittmeier5208]

!;-)

[@wasrados]

will you marry me???