Bed Builder: Trevor Jessup
Trevor Jessup is a “hacker extraordinaire” in my Bed Builder Hall of Fame. He's a relatively new dad of a 4-year-old boy, Lee. While browsing the Internet for interesting bed designs, he came across my IKEA Hack Platform Bed and loved the design for Lee's first “big boy” bed.
Real Steps with Drawers
Having read all the questions and comments about using cabinets as steps, Trevor decided to go a different route. He framed real steps by hand (not with cabinets) and put drawers in them to maximize the space! The result is amazing! Well done, Trevor!
Interview Questions
What country/state and city are you from?
I live in West Jordan, Utah.
How did you find the bed video?
Browsing YouTube at different DIY projects and came across this bed.
Who did you build the bed for?
Built this for my son Lee who is 4 years old.
Were you planning a new bed or room makeover before you saw the video?
Yes and no, we were needing to do something for him since he was just on a basic frame and nothing fun and then I found your video and loved the idea and he was excited about the hideout underneath.
If there are siblings, what was their reaction to the bed?
No siblings yet.
What size mattress did you use?
He's using a twin mattress for now, but I built the frame big enough to accept a full-size mattress.
Did you attach it to the wall or make it free-standing?
I attached it to the wall and used 1×4 on the base of the cabinets to get clearance for the doors off the carpet.
Which method did you use to reinforce the step cabinets?
I decided to leave those out and divert from the plans and use actual stairs for strength and also for later design ideas for adding a desk to the side, and I will also be adding in drawers for the risers in the stairs so as not to waste space.
Where is the IKEA store where you bought the cabinets? Tell me about your experience buying the cabinets.
I bought the cabinets from the Draper, Utah store, it was my 1st time in Ikea and was amazed at the shear size of the store and how easy it is to lose track of time browsing through the maze of aisles. All other material and tools were purchased from my local Lowe's and Harbor Freight.
How long did it take you to build?
I'd say about 2.5 to 3 days for everything but the drawers, most of the time was just trying to figure out how to make the stairs to the right level with the bed and also make sure they ended up level themselves.
Tell me about your experience building the bed.
I had a blast building it and then seeing my son's face when he saw it. Definitely made it worth every $$ I spent.
What, if anything, did you change from my design?
The only thing I changed from your design was using stairs instead of cabinets for future ideas.
What would you do differently next time?
Probably just use a different trim to border the top edges and take a little more time framing up the stairs to make completely level (thick carpet makes things more difficult).
