AREA42 was commissioned to design a platform bed for a client moving into a new apartment in D.C. As her first “big girl” apartment (i.e. no more roommates), she wanted a new bed that commemorated the milestone. Knowing that this likely wouldn’t be the last time she moved, I wanted to design a bed that was able to be taken apart and move with her easily. Her only requirements were that it fit a queen sized mattress and had the ability to store and display her book collection.

Here were the first iterations of designs:

Right off the bat, I knew I wanted to have the bed fold up for easier transport. What I spent the most time trying to figure out was how to hold the mattress. The best way I could describe how I came up with the final solution is by referencing the hit 2008 movie, Slumdog Millionaire. You know how he was able to answer all the questions by recalling past experiences in his life?

Well, back in 2018, I went through a Japanese Tatami mattress phase where I thought all my problems would be fixed if I started sleeping on the floor. I’d wake up earlier, my back wouldn’t hurt anymore, and I’d have an overall healthier life. I never did end up getting a Japanese Tatami mat, but in doing that research, I learned that the reason why bed frames have slats for the mattress to sit on top of, was to provide the mattress airflow to prevent moisture build-up that can lead to mold, mildew, and odors.

With this information, I knew I couldn’t just plop the mattress on top of some plywood and call it a day. I also didn’t want slats like a traditional bed frame has, so I decided to plunge-cut holes which provided airflow and the additional benefit of shedding some weight from the bed, which would make moving it a whole lot easier.

Here is the final design mock-up:

The bed is made up of two layers stacked on top of each other with hinged “eaves” on either side that fold up for easier transport. The 5” in between the layers allows for books to be stored and displayed. With the final design in mind, it was time for the material sourcing and fabrication.

Material list:

Four sheets of 60”x60” 3/4” Baltic Burch plywood
Two 4” piano hinges
Eight flat straight steel brackets
Cherrywood stain
Semi-gloss polyurethane finish

A core ethos of AREA42 is zero-waste. With 4 sheets of plywood, there were two 40”x60” sheets leftover after all the necessary cuts for the “body” of the frame were made. I decided to use excess material to create blocked feet for the bed. By layering 7 5”x5” squares of 3/4” plywood, I could make 5”x5”x5” blocks to attach to both layers of the bed.

Platform Bed

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