We own a ~140 year old home, and we are looking to remodel one of the bedrooms upstairs, for our 4 year old daughter.

We want to make her bed "inside" the wall.. if you want to see exactly what we have in mind, go to disneyhome dot com, click on tinkerbell under the tweens section. The bed in there is what we are basing our idea on.

So, we have a space that should be the right size, and eliminate some building.. its like :____: so we would really only need to build the front (top in this diagram?) wall.. so, any suggestions would be GREAT.. we really need cost efficient... and i havent been able to find any plans online, if anyone knows... thanks a bunch!

Space at the head or foot of the bed could be turned into closet or desk...

Allow plenty of head room so that she'll still be able to sit up when she's 12.

I considered the concept for one of my guest rooms till I asked myself how I'd change the sheets: doable of course, just a little more complex.

I started with the matress dimensions, added a few inches to each side for tucking in the blankets/comforter, etc.

The rectangle on the front comes off to allow better acess for changing out the matress should that ever ned to happen.

On the inside, bookshelves at the head and foor of the bed. Two wall sconces on the back wall. Dimmable halogen reading lights at the head. I built a shelf insode the front wall, above the opening, partially to act as a strongback to add strength to the front wall, but it was plenty strong without it. She uses that for beanie babies, etc.

Don't recall the budget, but about 7 sheets of 3/4" birch ply for the platform and bookshelf carcasses, a few sheets of 3/4" mdf for the raised panels, 1/2" mdf for the backs of the bookcases, and poplar for the stiles and rails, as well as the drawers.

The drawers are 30" deep on 30" K&V 150# full extension slides.

I remember spending about $380 on the wood and another $275 or so on hardware (drawer slides, hinges, knobs, bookshelf pins, lighting) and paint.

I spent quite bit of time trying to figure out how to safely incorporate a step up into the bed...only to discover my kids climbing up and jumping off the plaform while I was doing my head scratching. So there is no step, they simply climb right in with no problems. This was when my kids were 6 and 4 years old.

Fun project, hope yours turns out well.
Mongo

I bet your daughter LOVES the space.

kudzu, my daughter is 16 now, and the bed is still holds her attention. As well as that of her friends, and her friends' parents...

We had a sleepover last night, and the girls draw straws to see who gets to sleep in the bed. Doesn;t matter how many times they;ve been over. Her 16 and 17 year-old friends aren't jaded by it's "cuteness".

As to future buyers, in my case it's not a concern. I built this house for my family to live in, not to sell to others. And should the day come that I do sell? I don't care.

A couple of points. I was concerned that she might want a larger opening as she aged, but that wasn't the case. I did plan for that and built a spare framed insert that's stored down in the basement. The small rectangle on the front of the bed's facade that contains the round opening is removable, and an insert with a larger opening can be installed in its place.

I also put the A/C return for her room inside the bed, up in the top of one of the bookcases. That way air is circulated through the room and through her bed, which keeps it from getting stuffy in there.

It's well-built, and as such I consider it to be an asset and not a liability.

I do, however, understand that it may not appeal to everyone. After all, not everyone has good taste!(g)

Mongo

May I ask: Did you just teach yourself all this stuff or did someone help you learn in some more formal way? Because it wasn't your first career, right?

The one drawback to them is they're kind of hard to make up neatly with ordinary sheets and blankets, especially if they're larger than a twin bed. Lots of stretching and tucking from awkward angles (sort of like trying to make up a bed while you're in it). My mother solved the problem by using a fitted sheet on the mattress and a duvet with a washable cover as the only blanket. No top sheet, and no ordinary blankets. Changing the bedding then required just changing the fitted sheet, and a fresh cover on the duvet.

James

Nope, not my first "career."

1) Engineering
2) Aviation
3) Construction
4) Software business.

I'm not doing engineering anymore, but I'm still juggling the other three. Getting ready to formally exit the construction biz over the next couple of years to concentrate on the software/consulting. I'm sure I'll keep my toe in the water, though as I still enjoy the creative aspect of construction. The goal is to get the software/consulting big enough to get bought out.

It's been a somewhat long and somewhat winding road. But I'm not yet ready to turn the next corner...I first need to sweep up the litter that I've left behind me.(g)

Mongo

Speaking of aviation, did you read about that man in Switzerland who built himself a personal jet device? A bit OT, maybe, but not really--it's all part of challenging ourselves to new heights, whether on land or in the air :)

Rosefolly

All these beds are for boys so they didn't want anything to "girly".
The one bed is just a captains bed built in w/ a bookshelf.

The other group of beds are for 3 little boys. One L shaped, w/ a bunk on top. This is very sturdy, big drawers on bottom beds & we have the ability to remove (with a little work) it should we want to.

My daughter changes them by climbing into the bed and doing the two back corners, then hopping to the floor and doing the two front corners.

The mattress has a couple inches clearance on each side, which allows room for the bedding.

As to possibly ever having to change the mattress, or for flipping it a couple of times a year, I made the front panel on the bed removable.

Another reason was just in case she wanted a larger opening on the front of the bed. In that case I'd remove the panel (as shown in the photo below) and then simply add trim to the rectangular opening.

Mongo