This Is the Bed That Chris Made

Our local IKEA has some great Saturday Shocker events, and a few weeks ago, we picked up the SULTAN king-size latex mattress for just $300, reduced from $700. I think IKEA may be discontinuing this mattress, but we were pretty happy to snatch up a king size mattress for this price.

Chris and I have found that just because a mattress is expensive, doesn’t mean it is comfortable. We tend to prefer firm foam mattresses for optimal back alignment and minimal movement transfer. Before this one, we had tried two queen memory foam mattresses. We like the memory foam, but they always tended to break down in a year or two, leaving large depressions in the foam. The latex foam mattress isn’t quite as firm at first blush, but it feels denser and you don’t sink in as far. I’m hoping it will last a little longer than the memory foam mattresses, but at $300, it’s not too bad of a risk.

Well, since we had a king-size mattress, we needed a king-size bed frame. Unfortunately, most nicer options were out of our price range, and the cheaper options (IKEA) were too cheap. So being the intrepid DIY-er that he is, Chris decided to build a bed frame for us.

The platform itself was simple — Chris just used a nail gun to nail a bunch of 2x4s together, exactly like framing a floor or wall. Then he used 2x8s to make the legs and frame. We decided to keep it simple and modern with two 2x8s butted up against each other for the legs.

Before putting the frame together we sanded, stained and sealed the wood. We used Minwax Classic Gray for the stain, which is a beautiful weathered gray, one of Minwax’s newest colors. After it dried, we brushed polyurethane over top and let the frame off-gas in the garage for a few days. Finally, Chris brought it into the room and screwed all the wood together. He also screwed two pieces of plywood on top of the frame to form a solid base for the mattress.

And here it is, in all its delicious king-sized glory.

It’s not perfect. The gaps at the seams area tiny bit wider at some areas than others. But that just adds to its homemade charm, I think.

I love the weathered gray color. And we used a polyurethane with a satin finish, so it’s not too shiny.

Here’s a better look at that leg. I love how solid and rustic it feels.

It sure feels good to be up off the floor. And the clearance under the bed is just tall enough for me to fit the Dyson underneath…a nice unexpected plus…

The next step is to DIY a nice comfy upholstered headboard. I’m inspired by this upholstered nailhead headboard from House of Earnest:

I’m thinking of doing it in a gray or natural linen. It think it will look great in the wider king size!

Slowly, bit by bit, the master bedroom is starting to come together!