# Bedroom Wall Unit



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

*DrawerBase Design*

Sketchup File










I would like some critique on my design so far. This is going to be the base unit of my cabinet design for an entire wall unit. My initial design goal with this is just to get the drawer height set and comfortable with that. I have tried to add the faceframe elements, but am having trouble deciding on a method to attack that. I am probably over thinking it.










This is the initial unit layout for the Wall. Like I said above I am working on the base units for now, which will house drawers. The top units will probably have shelves, but could have more drawers…The center square is the bed

Please let me know what you think, and those who are able please feel free to comment or give me some pointers of my Sketchup model.


----------



## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *DrawerBase Design*
> 
> Sketchup File
> 
> ...


model looks good- one thing - it seems you have a different component for each of the drawer dividers? why not use the same component and make copies of it? (you do have copies on the left and right -but the bottom and top dividers are different components).

another personal preference of mine is in regard to the height of the bed- my workbench is ~34" and I wouldn't want to sleep that hight 

actually my previous bed was ~30" high , and had storage pullout shelves underneath - I never really cared much for it and replaced it with a new bed which is ~13" off the floor (top of mattress) which is much more inviting.


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *DrawerBase Design*
> 
> Sketchup File
> 
> ...


yea, I guesstimated the height of the bed, ours right now is kind of high its got that whole 18 inch european mattress thing going on…Once I remember to take a tape measure to bed with me(did I really just say that?) ill get the right measurement for the bed height…

Actually the drawer dividers are copies, but the rails and stiles are also separated components, it works out ok for cutlist…

thanks purplev


----------



## jlsmith5963 (Mar 26, 2009)

depictureboy said:


> *DrawerBase Design*
> 
> Sketchup File
> 
> ...


It is not possible to provide a full design critique for a project that is in such an early stage of development. So instead I offer the following design questions for your consideration:

Is the back panel that projects above the various parts suppose to act as a datum for the rest of the unit and if so should it also project beyond the sides? Also, why does it have a thickness beyond a 3/4" material thickness?

With bed set at the same height as the lower parts of the wall unit, how will the bedding and the base of the bed work with the rest of the design?

As currently massed the whole unit reads as twin units flanking a bed with a 'bridge' sandwiched between the twins. Is this the reading you desire? There are other massings that could be used. For example one alternate could have the 'bridge' spanning the entire distance across the unit. Another could be a 'post and beam' where the 'bridge' is extended so that it is wider than the bed and rests on a ledge in each of twin units.

Is the height between the top of the bed and the bottom of the 'bridge' enough to allow someone to sit up in bed? Does the height and the projection of the 'bridge' pose any head clearance problems when getting in and out of bed?

Is lighting to be integrated into the design?

Where does things like the alarm clock go and will you be able to see it (and hit the snooze button) without having to actually move?

Good luck as you move forward with the project.


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *DrawerBase Design*
> 
> Sketchup File
> 
> ...


Is the back panel that projects above the various parts suppose to act as a datum for the rest of the unit and if so should it also project beyond the sides? Also, why does it have a thickness beyond a 3/4" material thickness?

I am assuming you mean on the overall plan and not the individual cabinet plan. That is the bedroom wall.

With bed set at the same height as the lower parts of the wall unit, how will the bedding and the base of the bed work with the rest of the design?

I have to actually take a tape measure to the bed and ge the actual dimensions, I was going of the measurements for a queen mattress, and my man sense for what the height was….(you know things are bigger or longer than they really are)

Is the height between the top of the bed and the bottom of the 'bridge' enough to allow someone to sit up in bed? Does the height and the projection of the 'bridge' pose any head clearance problems when getting in and out of bed?

Again I have to do some serious measurement there. My reason for posting so early is that I really need some help or ideas for the cabinet. I am looking for feedback on how to do the face frames, if I should use face frames…how they should be setup…etc….Right now my stretchers are plywood, I was planning on using a faceframe on the cabinet, but wasnt real confident in how to start it out…thus the reason for my posting.

The massing was just to give an idea of what I was going for…

Is lighting to be integrated into the design?

Where does things like the alarm clock go and will you be able to see it (and hit the snooze button) without having to actually move?

Lighting is going to be integrated into the bridge. The alarm clock situation Ill address as the design evolves.

Thanks for the excellent critique…that is what I was really hoping for.


----------



## DaneJ (Aug 13, 2009)

depictureboy said:


> *DrawerBase Design*
> 
> Sketchup File
> 
> ...


Here are my 2c:
1. The bed seems too high, no chance of sitting on the edge with your feet on the floor.
2. I think most night stands are a few inches below the bed surface; you would not want a glass of water tipping over onto the bed.
3. There should be an open space between the bottom unit and upper, if you opened a door with that glass of water it would be knocked over, as well as any reading material, not to mention the watch, glasses, change, and wallet.
4. If you put glass doors, like a barrister bookcase, in the upper bridge you could put the clock etc up there.
5. Seems like you have the bottoms as 2 side-by-side units, if you made the outer one full depth and full height, you would have more drawer space and possibly a pair of doors in the upper third. The winters here require sweaters, for that reason, I would mix the drawers making a few big(deep) ones for those sweaters and sweatshirts.


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *DrawerBase Design*
> 
> Sketchup File
> 
> ...


Dave, ooooooh, I know why you guys keep saying that…See I did make instances of a single web frame…but then for my sizing(I have adjusted the widths a few times) I used freescale which makes everything unique…I just realized that finally…

oh yea about the textures….I knew to do that too, but since I am only "really" using textures just to coordinate my parts for cutlist I dont really worry about the grain directions and such…

Thanks all for the advice and criticisms…ill get that tape measure to the bedroom yet….


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *DrawerBase Design*
> 
> Sketchup File
> 
> ...


1. The bed seems too high, no chance of sitting on the edge with your feet on the floor.

Hehe…I cant do that now….Our bed is really high as it is right now…between the frame, the boxspring, the mattress and the pillowtop…


----------



## Huckleberry (Nov 7, 2007)

depictureboy said:


> *DrawerBase Design*
> 
> Sketchup File
> 
> ...


OK now that I have retooled the wheel, I will put in my input on this project. First off face frame or euro style. That is a matter of taste and willingness to build a piece. My input would be to make your drawer boxes the "euro" style so that as you get along in this project you are not held by limitations that you have already set in play. Use some nice 3/4" plywood and build you some sturdy boxes for drawers. And I build my base cabinets a little different in the fact that I make the cabinet without the toe kick. I make it separate as to me and my guys it is easier to level a toe kick than it is to keep moving a cabinet.

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm15/Huckleberry4664/Untitled.jpg

http://w292.photobucket.com/flash/tagWidget.swf?mediaURL=aHR0cDovL2kyOTIucGhvdG9idWNrZXQuY29tL2FsYnVtcy9tbTE1L0h1Y2tsZWJlcnJ5NDY2NC9VbnRpdGxlZC5qcGc%3D


----------



## jlsmith5963 (Mar 26, 2009)

depictureboy said:


> *DrawerBase Design*
> 
> Sketchup File
> 
> ...


As you move forward in the development of the design below are some questions that might help you determine the (sometime) dreaded question 'what should it to look like'.

Aesthetic questions
Do you want the design to follow a particular style? 
Do you already have (or own) a precedent that you want to follow?
Does the basic design suggest or eliminate a style(s)?

Skills/technique questions 
Do you want (need) the construction of the design to use your current set of skills and/or tools?
Do you want to use the design to develop new skills?
Does the amount of time (or schedule) you have limit your choice of designs?
How does the budget effect the design?

Of course answering these questions won't produce a design but it might help you focus on what direction to take. Good Luck.


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *DrawerBase Design*
> 
> Sketchup File
> 
> ...


yea, I wasnt going for a toe kick…but If i did, I would build a separate bottom…that is what I have read in the cabinet books I have read so far.


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

*Platform Bed Design Initial Ideas*

Well this is subject to change at anytime as directed by management.

With some help from the forums I have been designing the platform bed for my bedroom wall unit. Below are the initial sketchup designs. I had initially thought about using a torsionbox under the mattress platform but I think I was overdesigning the bed. So I raised the supports up to the 13.5 inches of the outside frame so that the platform will be supported by them instead.

The frame will be made of 6/4 oak with 2 sheets of mdf sandwiched in between. The mdf will be 3 section glued and screwed together with pocket screws using a reversible glue joint on all the edges.



The below image shows the base assembly with the top removed. The holes will be for drawers once I have them designed.



and here is the initial wall view with the bed included.


Any thoughts, ideas or critiques are welcome.


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

*Lingerie Chest - Starting Design*

Well this is just a short post. I have started the design for the lingerie chest. Here is its picture:



I used a really neat technique from an article in popular woodworking. It allowed me to do most of the figuring and layout in sketchup once I figured out some of the minor math behind it(i dont have the dividers) If you want to know how I did it let me know….i Think it turned out really nice…

now I just have to design the drawerboxes and the fronts…of course all this is subject to change due to management considerations….

forgot to add I did some looking around to try and find some different dimensions for the layout…

I finally went with about 52×20x18


----------



## jlsmith5963 (Mar 26, 2009)

depictureboy said:


> *Lingerie Chest - Starting Design*
> 
> Well this is just a short post. I have started the design for the lingerie chest. Here is its picture:
> 
> ...


Just an FYI
There is almost always more than one way to skin a cat (so to speak) George Walker article demonstrates one method (which I find a bit tedious but still produces a fine result) here is another (also known as the square root of 2 in architectural circles):

HAMBRIDGE PROGRESSION
(i.e. calculating graduated drawer heights)
1. Make square A • A (A = drawer width)
2. Strike arc from square A • A's diagonal
3. Draw horizontal line from intersection of arc and vertical line
Note: You cannot pre-select the total height of all drawers. Final height of the drawers is a function of the number of drawers and drawer width.
Formulas










There is also this wed page that will do the calculations for Hambridge as well as links for calculating an Arithmetic progression and Geometric progression.


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *Lingerie Chest - Starting Design*
> 
> Well this is just a short post. I have started the design for the lingerie chest. Here is its picture:
> 
> ...


yep I have used those pages in the past. I tend to be a visual person, so even though his method may be a bit tedious, it was helpful for me to see the layout as i went.


----------



## SPalm (Oct 9, 2007)

depictureboy said:


> *Lingerie Chest - Starting Design*
> 
> Well this is just a short post. I have started the design for the lingerie chest. Here is its picture:
> 
> ...


Very nice start. I admire the thought process that goes into such a massive project.

One very stupid factoid that I discovered while researching my own lingerie chest is: They always have seven drawers. One for each day of the week. But I am quite sure that modern use of such a chest would not have each drawer reserved for a day, but rather for a type of garment.

Anyway, I thought it kinda interesting,
Steve


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *Lingerie Chest - Starting Design*
> 
> Well this is just a short post. I have started the design for the lingerie chest. Here is its picture:
> 
> ...


that is a neat factoid…I guess back in the old days…..


----------



## kimball (May 16, 2009)

depictureboy said:


> *Lingerie Chest - Starting Design*
> 
> Well this is just a short post. I have started the design for the lingerie chest. Here is its picture:
> 
> ...


Better 7 drawers (one for each day of the week) than 12….....


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

*Design Phase is Complete*










Well I finally have the complete design done. The total hardwood count is kind of low…so I am thinking ill revamp some things still…Maybe Ill go solid wood across the platform instead of using MDF in the middle…But other than that and the drawer webs, I think I have hardwood everywhere feasible..

Let me know what yall think


----------



## CaptainSkully (Aug 28, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *Design Phase is Complete*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Very nice design! I would reduce the amount of hardwood wherever possible. I'm assuming the platform will be under a mattress of some type. Wood would move, making things more difficult. MDF or plywood would be stable and cheaper, and if it's not visible, who cares? Save the money for the "show" side, face frame, etc.


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

depictureboy said:


> *Design Phase is Complete*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Looks like a great design.

I don't know that I'd go with MDF, I'd probably go with a nice looking plywood.


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *Design Phase is Complete*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I figured mdf under the mattress just because it was flat and wouldnt be seen.

I have a friend who can get me #1 common oak for 1.15 a board foot s2s…so I wasnt too worried about the amount of hardwood…I just have to find out what grade plywood he can get at the price he told me…


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *Design Phase is Complete*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Good design should be great.


----------



## rrrun (Jan 1, 2010)

depictureboy said:


> *Design Phase is Complete*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I love the design; it's not too far from the bedroom suite my wife and I bought and use today.

Our unit definitely uses plywood and chip board for under the mattress. Save the $$$.

Provide for lighting & electrical connections. Some lights under the bridge, or switches/dimmers for table lamps on top of the unit might add a dramatic flare to the piece that will enhance your craftsmanship.

Good luck!!!


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *Design Phase is Complete*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


hehe…I think we have alot of the same design idea…I am going to put puck led lighting under the bridge, and I am using utility plywood in the bottom of the design, you can see the plan on the other pages of my blog…do you think I need to use regular plywood or is OSB strong enough for something like that? I have been watching Holmes on homes, and I notice in Canada they have something called strandboard which looks like OSB framing…2×4, 2×6…i would never have thought it was strong in that sense…


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

*Raw Material has arrived.*

Well i got my delivery of wood tonite. YAY….its all surfaced 2 sides. But I am going to have to straightline most of it…which should be ok…its all 16 and 12 footers…most are more than 5" wide, a few are a nice 10 inches or so…I am short about 100 bd ft, but since I doubled what i needed, I should be ok…


----------



## mmh (Mar 17, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *Raw Material has arrived.*
> 
> Well i got my delivery of wood tonite. YAY….its all surfaced 2 sides. But I am going to have to straightline most of it…which should be ok…its all 16 and 12 footers…most are more than 5" wide, a few are a nice 10 inches or so…I am short about 100 bd ft, but since I doubled what i needed, I should be ok…


What type of wood are you using? Maple, cherry??


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *Raw Material has arrived.*
> 
> Well i got my delivery of wood tonite. YAY….its all surfaced 2 sides. But I am going to have to straightline most of it…which should be ok…its all 16 and 12 footers…most are more than 5" wide, a few are a nice 10 inches or so…I am short about 100 bd ft, but since I doubled what i needed, I should be ok…


its oak, I am going to have walnut panels in my doors…


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

depictureboy said:


> *Raw Material has arrived.*
> 
> Well i got my delivery of wood tonite. YAY….its all surfaced 2 sides. But I am going to have to straightline most of it…which should be ok…its all 16 and 12 footers…most are more than 5" wide, a few are a nice 10 inches or so…I am short about 100 bd ft, but since I doubled what i needed, I should be ok…


Looks like some great wood. Nice catch for the price.


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *Raw Material has arrived.*
> 
> Well i got my delivery of wood tonite. YAY….its all surfaced 2 sides. But I am going to have to straightline most of it…which should be ok…its all 16 and 12 footers…most are more than 5" wide, a few are a nice 10 inches or so…I am short about 100 bd ft, but since I doubled what i needed, I should be ok…


yep, i was really impressed with it…its supposed to be #1 common..but man oh man it looks like fas….


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

*Panels are together....*

Well I have all my panels glued up. I did pretty well considering I only have 4 clamps. I was able to get them all relatively even and glued up using my clamps and Kreg Jig. I was going to try and take them somewhere locally to have them drum sanded down, but I spent yesterday with my 603 in my hand…sweat on my brow…and now flat boards ready for assembly.

Well really I have 4 more to do, but I have the panels for my crosspiece flattened, and the panels for my shelving and endboards flattened….everything is moving along nicely. I also started cutting the walnut for my raised panels as well as getting them glued up too. they also appreciated my 603 loving…


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

*Spray Day*

Well I got an HVLP sprayer from Harbor Freight. Kicking myself in the butt cause I havent gotten one sooner…several weeks of work, in several hours…sheesh…

anyway here are some pics for you…..




























Right now I am spraying dewaxed shellac. I am trying to decide whether I will need to topcoat with poly or not…


----------



## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

depictureboy said:


> *Spray Day*
> 
> Well I got an HVLP sprayer from Harbor Freight. Kicking myself in the butt cause I havent gotten one sooner…several weeks of work, in several hours…sheesh…
> 
> ...


Hope you have that door locked, or disabled somehow, or some nice looking work could be in the driveway.


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *Spray Day*
> 
> Well I got an HVLP sprayer from Harbor Freight. Kicking myself in the butt cause I havent gotten one sooner…several weeks of work, in several hours…sheesh…
> 
> ...


hehe..yea i was the only one home during the day…the only other person that has a remote is for the other door…heh


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

*Spraying is becoming better*

I want to thank everyone who commented on my spraying conundrums the last couple weeks…

I am now adding 2 dixie cups of denatured alcohol to 1 quart (sprayer cup) of dewaxed shellac…it is going much better. I also realized that the sprayer shipped with the largest needle installed. I downgraded to the smallest and that seems to be going much better now too….










You cant see it in the picture, but the finish is super clean…I put on about 6 coats last night and you can still feel the grain and it doesnt look super shiny like before, i like this much better…I will be adding a coat or two of lacquer(i think I still havent decided yet) after its all together…

These panels are a bit lighter than the rest, but I think it has to do with my prep work on them…I sanded to 110, watered it down, sanded 110 again…sanded 220 watered it then sanded again…then I put the blo on with one of those cabinet roller polyfoam brushes instead of pouring it on and slopping it around…

We'll see how it goes..these are my nightstand panels. I still have to make one more I didnt cut enough wood for 4..bleh…


----------



## Maggiepic (Aug 26, 2010)

depictureboy said:


> *Spraying is becoming better*
> 
> I want to thank everyone who commented on my spraying conundrums the last couple weeks…
> 
> ...


I'm glad you have your spraying technique dialed in. An old rule of thumb when spraying is "thin it until it sprays nice". Of course the thinning means more coats but less problems. Of course dealing with catylysts, hardners, epoxies, and urethanes is a different story. That's for another time.
Write down your mixing ratios for future use. Also your tip size and gun in case you get another. Sometimes it's hard to remember when you want to repeat the process on a future project…..at least that's my problem….I think…I don't remember.


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

depictureboy said:


> *Spraying is becoming better*
> 
> I want to thank everyone who commented on my spraying conundrums the last couple weeks…
> 
> ...


Great job. I've blown 2 1/2 Gallons fo shellac in the last week on toys. Glad you are getting more proficient.


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

*Moving upstairs*










Well I finally pulled the trigger. I noticed that I was falling into the rut that I do with my code, always waiting to release until its just right…well it never gets there, you have to pull the trigger not look back and fix the little things you miss as you move forward….

So anyway with the help of a friend I was able to get the tall cabinets upstairs. I have the back on one unit and it survived the move, my wife wanted me to get the other one moved up too while I had help; it didnt survive the move…I didnt have the back on yet and when we were muscling it upstairs the glue joint on the top panel failed and it came off. luckily the way we were moving it, no one was hurt and the unit didnt go anywhere. So I just have to reglue the top and assemble the back…on the twin to this. then I have to build the bridge.

Looking for an electrician now to move 3 outlets around.


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

*creeping along...howdoyado?*

well things are progressing, this coldness has really slowed things down alot, both just because you cant do alot when its cold, and its messed with my motivation some…

anyway I have started on the drawerfronts for under the bed since I can get them inside for the glue and finish to cure as needed.

here are a couple pics…

dry fit









first coats of finish, dry fitting in the opening


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

*Home Stretch...I can see the finish line*










I am finally on the homestretch..things are coming together nicely now and my wife is VERY happy with me..  thats what really counts.

Now I only have to do:

Faceframes for the bridge
Drawers for inside the cabinets
Drawers for the bottom of the cabinets with drawer fronts
Top Decorative molding…

yay!


----------



## wseand (Jan 27, 2010)

depictureboy said:


> *Home Stretch...I can see the finish line*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Looking real good and as long as the queen is happy that is all you need to know.


----------



## Robb (Aug 18, 2007)

depictureboy said:


> *Home Stretch...I can see the finish line*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That looks great! I dare not let my wife see this, or I'll be doing at least one, if not a couple .


----------



## depictureboy (Jun 5, 2008)

*Finishing Touches*

I added the top cap over the weekend. It really ties everything together…










I have 2 drawer fronts and 2 doors to complete and I am done. I had to restart the finishing on them because the shellac started peeling off after I started the wet sanding…so I am trying my hand at lacquer.


----------



## lightweightladylefty (Mar 27, 2008)

depictureboy said:


> *Finishing Touches*
> 
> I added the top cap over the weekend. It really ties everything together…
> 
> ...


These are really gorgeous! When are you going to share them in PROJECTS? You need to let us all see more pictures of them complete so we can admire them more.

L/W


----------

