October 27, 2016

DIY Planked Platform Bed (Pottery Barn Knockoff)



As mothers, we serve our children in endless ways, a lot of which goes unnoticed. They only know that by sheer magic they aren't hungry or dirty or cold or lonely for long. Until you build them a bed. That, they notice.  My youngest son had been sleeping on a mattress on the floor for more than a year as I worked on every project except his. (Someday he will learn that the squeaky wheel gets the grease around here.)  But now, a year later,  he is off the ground and sleeping in the "coolest bed in the house" according to my two teenagers who chose to purchase theirs instead of letting mom make them. (Cough, cough, told you so, cough.)

The project was a bit cumbersome because of its size, but it was a pretty easy build. The cost was reasonable as well (excluding my chiropractor visit) since I used select pine to go with the rest of his rustic decor.  I'll post the sliding barn doors separately so you can see what I mean.   I figure I saved at least $500 by building my own and it is a far cry sturdier than the poorly made pieces my teenagers chose, which is the very reason I started woodworking in the first place. I wanted "real" furniture but didn't want to pay real furniture prices.

The bed is platform style with just enough room underneath for sliding storage and enough slats for a memory foam mattress.  I found the plans on Ana White's website. The only change I made was slightly taller "feet" so he had some more room underneath.

I found some pulleys and cages and cloth-covered cords for his reading lights and attached the switches to the side of the bed frame so he could roll over and turn off the light with minimal effort.  Because life is hard.

A built-in desk and storage under the attic stairs is next, but that may take another year because I'm heading to the next room... I can't stay in one place too long or the inspiration starts to wane.  And we don't want that.

Sleep well, my baby.

[For those of you who love details, the bedding is Izod from Kohl's and the wall mural is from Pottery Barn Teen.]


October 3, 2016

A Look Inside

I've been so busy making this farmhouse a beautiful space for our family, I didn't have time to post about it!  Did you notice the huge drop-off in blog activity from 2012 to 2016?  Just picture me exhausted. 😳  In all honesty, this has been one of the largest and most rewarding "canvases" I've ever "painted"!  Making this farmhouse a peaceful, beautiful, nourishing environment for my family is something I will never forget. It's a space made for exhaling -- a place that makes you want to cook big breakfasts and read by the fire late into the night. A place with scratches and cracks and creaky floors and a story. I will never be finished and many of the rooms below are still a work in progress,  but I wanted to give you a little glimpse at the place we get to call home.