Snooze-and-Store Bunk Bed
This do-it-yourself bunk bed project features a double bed on top and twin bed below with lots of storage and plenty of style.
Good To Know
This is a big project in many ways, not the least of which is its finished size. In fact, the only practical way to move it around and get it through doorways is to build it in multiple assemblies that fit together during installation (and come apart for moving again later). That's how we approached it, and you'll find the illustrations and how-to instructions are formatted this way to make the project more manageable.
Because there are multiple sub-assemblies that have to fit together fairly precisely, careful measuring and machining of parts is essential. You'll find that seemingly small discrepancies, such as the slightly undersize thickness of the plywood sheets, can make a significant difference when the parts are layered as in our panel construction. Be sure to check dimensions on your materials before you start, and plan on milling solid stock, such as the 2x4 trim boards, so that they fit better. You will likely find some very minor differences between the stated parts sizes and what you have to make to get a good fit, so adjust your plans as you work and refer to the illustrations often to ensure you are joining parts correctly.
Finally, a note about safety. By nature of their additional height, bunk beds involve some risks that conventional beds do not and so require vigilance by adults to ensure that the children using them stay safe. For example, the upper bunk should not be used by children under 6 years of age, and there should be no hardware or components around the top that might catch clothing. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (cpsc.gov) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (astm.org) each issue guidelines for safe bunk bed design, and our project complies with those recommendations. If you want to modify any parts for your own project, don't make changes without ensuring they conform to these established design specifications.
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Additional storage space behind the ladder is the perfect place for toys, books and games. Rubbermade Linen Wire Shelves (#246408) keeps it all organized.
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Start with the End Panel and Support Wing assemblies
In general, you'll want to cut your parts for just the particular sub-assembly you might be working on. One exception occurs immediately, however, with the T-shaped trim pieces that get milled from the 2x4 stock (see the Trim Detail illustration). The profile or cross-section of these parts is the same throughout the entire project, with only the lengths changing for any given assembly. So while you have your machines set up to mill the trim for the end panel assemblies, cut enough stock for the other sections also.
The end panels provide essential strength and support for this project, but they don't have to be solid throughout. We built ours using a sort of sandwich construction, with solid outer layers and some air space in the middle. (See illustrations.) A simple array of plywood cleats secures the perimeter of each panel assembly and provides strength for the bolt connections when the upper bunk is attached.
After you cut the half-panels (A) and the assorted cleats (B through E) and mill the trim stock (for F,G) you can start putting these assemblies together. Note that the cleats don't go to the edges of the plywood panels but rather are inset 1 inch; this leaves room for the tongue of the trim pieces to nest.
Use glue and 3/4-inch staples to attach cleats as shown to the inside faces of two adjoining plywood half-panels; the bridge cleats (C) along the top and bottom will straddle the joint, as will the center cleat (E) when it's installed. 
When all the cleats are attached, cut and fasten the rail trim (F) and stile trim (G) the same way; note that these parts are miter-cut 45 degrees at both ends.
To close up the panels, simply glue and staple the remaining two half-panels to the open side of the assembly. They will nest tightly inside the trim.
The support cleats (H) and cleat caps (I) will complete these sections, but don't attach them just yet; we'll do that after we assemble the headboard and footboard for the upper bunk and can fit them temporarily to drill for bolts. These cleats support the upper bunk during the final assembly stage so installing the connector bolts is easier.
The two support wing assemblies go together much like the end panels did, but their smaller scale simplifies the process. Use glue and staples as before to attach cleats to the inside of one plywood face panel (J) as shown, then install the trim and fit the other face panel in place to close up the assembly. These sections will help support the upper bunk at the footboard end and will also stabilize the entire structure, but they don't get installed until the final assembly.
Build the Upper Bunk
To keep things as simple as possible, the sidewalls of the upper bunk use the same sandwich construction as the previous panel assemblies. We used the same system of spacer cleats cut from 1/2-inch plywood, but the widths and lengths are tailored to these assemblies (see Front and Back Sidewall Assembly illustrations for details). The only complications are the cutaway portion on the front sidewall (for access to the ladder) and the joinery that connects these panels to the headboard and footboard.
On the inside face of each sidewall assembly, you'll need to rout a 3/4-inch dado as shown to accept the "tongues" of the headboard and footboard. (See Upper Bunk Corner Detail illustration below on the Upper Bunk Frame Assembly illustration.) Assemble the sidewall panels first, complete with the end trim (P), and then use a router with an edge guide to cut the dadoes.
The footboard and headboard also involve a sort of sandwich construction, but with just two layers of 3/4-inch plywood rather than the hollow-center construction featured on the previous panel assemblies. Note that the two "layers" (V and W) that make up these parts are flush only at their top edges, where the cap (X) attaches; the lower edge of the outer panel (V) extends 1/2-inch to hook onto the support cleats of the bed's end frame assemblies, and the ends of the inner panel (W) extend 1/4-inch to nest into the dadoes on the sidewall trim (P). 
Note that the ends of the cap (X) need to be notched to match the offset ends of the plywood panels (V,W); you can do this on a table saw before attaching the cap or with a handsaw and metal file after attaching.
While the headboard and footboard are still independent assemblies, mark the layout for the 3/4-inch counterbore holes on the inside panel (W) only as shown and, using a 3/4-inch Forstner bit, drill them on the drill press 5/16-inch deep. Then drill 5/16-inch bolt holes through the center of the counter bore holes. You'll use these pieces to transfer the hole patterns directly to the end panel assemblies you built earlier.
Lay the first end panel on sawhorses with its outside face up and clamp the headboard in place with the top edge flush and the ends inset equal amounts (1-1/4-inches) from the side edges. Then insert the same brad-point drill bit in each bolt hole and tap it so the point indents the surface of the end panel below. After you mark each hole location, remove the clamps and lift the headboard off. To get a cleaner look, we used the same 3/4-inch Forstner bit here to cut 5/16-inch counterbore so the hex bolt heads would lie flush with the plywood surface, then drilled halfway through the panel with the 5/16-inch bit. (You can skip the counterbore step if you aren't concerned about the connector bolt heads nesting flush.)
Flip the end panel assembly over to bring the inside face up and clamp the headboard in place again. (This is actually how these two parts will nest together when the bed is assembled.) Repeat the marking process, but before you remove the clamps and headboard to drill this face of the end panel, glue and screw the support cleat (H) and cleat cap (I) in place. This step ensures that the headboard will seat accurately for bolt alignment when you assemble the bed later.
Finally, remove the headboard and drill at the hole marks to connect with the holes you started from the other side. Repeat these steps with the footboard and the second end panel. Then you can assemble the upper bunk, starting by attaching the headboard and footboard to the sidewalls. Use glue and screws to secure these corner connections; for a cleaner look you can replicate our technique of counterboring 3/8-inch holes for the screws and gluing wood plugs so the screw heads don't show. Use a block plane to trim the plugs near the surrounding surface and then sand them flush.
At this stage, completing the upper bunk requires just the installation of the mattress support frame and plywood deck (see Upper Bunk Mattress Support illustration). Rout 3/4-inch-wide by 1/4-inch-deep dadoes and rabbets in the two frame rails (Y) as shown, then use glue and 1-5/8-inch screws to secure the frame joists (Z) in these joints. 
Fit the frame inside the bunk assembly and align the bottom edges flush, then attach with 1-5/8-inch screws. Then cut two 1/2-inch plywood panels (one 48 inches wide and one 8 inches wide) as shown to form the deck of the mattress platform and staple them to the frame.
Build the Lower Bunk
With the lower bunk bed, we switched gears a bit to use simpler techniques and thicker (3/4-inch) plywood. (See the Lower Bunk Assembly illustration.) This assembly uses more of a straightforward box construction with 3/4-inch-wide by 1/8-inch-deep rabbets and dadoes for the joinery, with everything secured by glue and fasteners, which can be screws, nails or staples.
Start by cutting the top and bottom panels (AA) to size and routing a 3/4-inch rabbet around the entire inside edge of each panel. Next, rout the dadoes for the dividers (CC). If you like, you can vary the spacing of these dividers to better suit your storage needs, but make sure there are at least two dividers and that the span between them and/or the end panels (BB) doesn't exceed 30 inches. 
Note that if you change the divider spacing you'll need to adjust the lengths of the flank and center rails (GG,HH).
Also, the two narrow frame stiles (FF) need a centered 3/4-inch dado on their inside faces to fit over the ends of the dividers. On most cabinetry and other plywood projects with a face frame, the frame stock is usually solid wood, but since this project is painted it's fine to use plywood for these parts as well.
For the assembly sequence, start by attaching the end panels (BB) to the top and bottom panels (AA), then slide the dividers into place in their dadoes. Then you can attach the back panel (DD) and the face frame parts.
Riding on 2-inch swivel casters, the lower bunk can be pulled out, making it much easier to make the bed or change the sheets. At this point you can soften any sharp edges or corners with a sanding block and paint all of the assemblies with your color of choice.
Safety Railings and Ladder
The guard rails and stabilizer rails not only provide necessary safety and rigidity, their natural finish also offers a nice contrast the white-painted sections and makes for a clean contemporary look.
Cut the 1x6 poplar to length as shown and mark each rail for its location. For mounting the guard rails, we chose to use 6-inch lengths of threaded rod. To create the 1-1/2-inch gap between the rails and the bunk edge, we fitted a steel spacer or sleeve that also served to conceal the exposed section of the threaded rod.
Mark the rod spacing on the bottom edges of the guard rails and use a doweling jig or a shop-built guide to drill 3/8-inch holes for the rods as shown; a little more than 2 inches deep is plenty. Set the rails upside down and inject epoxy into the holes, then insert the threaded rods and let the adhesive cure for at least a few hours. Dry-fit each rail individually and mark the hole locations on the upper edges of the bunk sidewalls and the two end panels. The holes you drill on these edges should differ slightly: First, make them slightly larger (7/16-inch) and deeper (2-5/8-inches) and offset them toward the outside of the edge so the oak rails and bunk sides are flush. (NOTE: The holes do NOT get drilled into the headboard and footboard edges).
Apply the stain and/or finish of your choice to the guard rails and let the final coat dry overnight; to install the rails, inject epoxy into the holes in the bunk edges and fit the steel rods into them; don't forget to slide the steel spacers onto the threaded rods before seating them.
Next, cut and drill the two poplar stabilizer rails (II) as shown, and set them aside. They won't be attached until you are assembling the bed.
The ladder is probably the simplest assembly you'll make for this project. Cut the uprights (NN) to size and then drill stopped 1-1/4-inch holes into their inside faces, spaced as shown and offset toward the front edges of the uprights to allow more hand and foot room. A hole depth of 1/2-inch will leave plenty of material for the uprights; do this on a drill press so you get consistent depth with each hole. Paint the uprights as desired set side to dry. Then cut the rungs (OO) to length from 1-1/4-inch dowels; use a cutoff stop to ensure all are exactly the same length; this is critical for getting a strong and stable ladder. Apply your finish to the rungs, except for 1/2-inch of length at each end. Epoxy all the rungs into one upright, then fit their opposite ends into the holes in the other upright, also with epoxy for the bond. Let set overnight.
Bringing it all together
With careful and patient work up until this point, the final assembly should be simple. You will need at least two strong adult helpers, however.
Stand the end panel for the headboard end upright and nest that end of the upper bunk into the support cleat assembly on the end panel. 
Then bring the other end panel to the footboard end and nest that end of the bunk on the support cleat there. The assembly will be slightly wobbly but the weight of the upper bunk will be supported without your holding it up. To tighten things up a bit, insert the hex bolts with washers into their holes in the end panels and through the headboard and footboard, then insert another washer, the lock washers and spin the hex nuts on and tighten them all.
Next, use the No. 12x1-inch pan-head screws to attach the shelf brackets to the upper and lower trim (M) pieces of the support wing panels you built during the earlier stage of the project. The brackets should attach to the inside faces of the panels, and when they are fitted in place as shown, the other leg of each bracket should be fastened to the inside face of the end panel, below the footboard.
The entire bed assembly should be fairly rigid now, but the poplar stabilizer rails (II) will lock it together even more solidly. We started with the lower rail, placing its bottom edge at a height of 17-1/4 inches and securing it with 1-1/2-inch flat-head sheet metal screws. This height allows it to act as a stop for the mattress in the lower bunk. You can adjust this height for thicker or thinner mattresses. Drive just two screws at first, then check to make sure the bed end panels are plumb before adding the others. Then install the upper rail the same way, leaving a 1-1/2-inch gap between the two boards.
To install the ladder, drill countersunk 3/16-inch holes through the stile trim (N) on the front support wing. Fit the ladder into place against the wing and the bunk, then drive 2-1/2-inch screws from inside the wing into the edge of the uprights.
All that remains is to roll the lower bunk into place and set up your storage systems. We used Rubbermaid Linen Wire Shelves (#246408) and cut them to fit.
Once your kids see their new custom bunk beds, they'll likely race past you to give them a try. Allow them their enthusiasm, but take a few minutes to talk about the safe way to use the bed so nobody gets hurt. That's the surest way to make sure they'll enjoy it the way you intended.