apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

At the end of June, I'm taking a wooden loft bed out of an apartment I sublet. It will be offered on Craig's list free to anyone who wants to cart the pieces away.

Sorry. Forgot to mention that this was a NYC apartment.

these look sturdy but sorry not so cheap...

http://gothiccabinetcraft.reachlocal.net/beds-loft-beds-c-8_18.html

Hey Claudia,

I disagree with the assumption that mixing some metal with wood won't work. In fact, I have recently learned that contrasting materials is what makes that great "curated" look we see in so many fabulous looking spaces. If you deconstruct modern spaces, I think you'll find glass, metal, wood, etc -- all in high contrast to each other in a way that "frames" each distinctive piece.

That said, if you like the loft bed and don't want to try it because it won't match, I suggest you reconsider.

Swapping out my wood coffee table and wood end table for materials that contrasted with my antiques (oak and mahogany) including brass, glass, and stained sea shells (makes a stunning faux torise shell surface) opened up my living room space and allowed the oak and mahogany to really stand out.

I'm sorry I can't help find another but I can definitely confirm that you should NOT get that bed. I've had it for 3 years, and it is really, really awful. Even correctly put together, it's a bit wobbly; anything hung underneath or on rails falls off and rattles around when you climb up the stairs or turn over in your sleep. Also, unless you pad the top corners (ugly) or mover it really far from the wall (bad space economy) it will make an insane amount of noise when you and your partner get ... intimate (to the point that neighbors 2 floors up can hear it). It is inexpensive, but in the end causes much more stress than saving a few hundred more dollars would.

oh dear God
lol
that would really kill a tender moment or two

i don't know how good these are...but they are less expensive than the other one & pasted...

http://www.loftbed-store.com/loft-bed/type--1-bed-loft-area#

http://www.loftbed-store.com/loft-bed/type--1-bed-1-desk#

If you are doing this in NYC, there are tons of loft bed places, especially down in the East Village (NYU inspired I'm sure).

Big Apple Futons also has loft beds, and they are pretty good.

I agree that you should NOT buy that Ikea bed, it is very wobbly, I had to stay in one for a weekend and every night I felt like it was just going to collapse under me, and she had only had it for 1 year!

I would suggest making your own loft bed if cost is an issue, there are many websites out there that show you step by step instructions and you can cusomize it to fit all of your needs!

I built my own sleep loft area a few years ago when we converted a loft space. I essentially made it like a second floor in my bedroom area and wasn't hard to do.

The sleep loft was approx 9ft by 7ft, and i used 6 pieces of 4"x 4" posts as the "legs". I then bolted 6"x2" pieces along the top of the legs, all along the 4 sides, and to those I bolted width-wise a series of 2"x4"s every 12 inches. I probably didn't need to do it at 12" intervals, but I wanted to feel safer about it!

Along with bolting the "stud" pieces, I also used some metal anchors for further stability. I finally got some wood pieces to use as cross braces bolting against the legs and the top frame to prevent it from wobbling. Finally topped it with a couple of flat pieces of inch thick ply, lightly sanded it, finished it, and voila! Second floor!

It was SUPER sturdy. I never felt it wobble. I also drywalled one side of the sleep loft on the legs to make a little walk-in closet. I'm sure that didn't do much for stability, but it ended up really looking like a second level with the drywall at the bottom.

The actual construction took me a couple of afternoons, and the sanding and finishing another couple of days. But it didn't cost me an arm and a leg. I can't remember how much exactly, but it was just the price of lumber, metal anchor things and bolts. With the scrap lumber, I made a ladder.

Just to let you know, I'm a woman who knows a little woodworking, but definitely an amateur - I did have a friend who helped me out on my second day, but he didn't do very much other than some advice. When he saw my loft, he said that thing wasn't going anywhere!

I have had no experiences with this bed in particular but my husband and I bought a different metal bed from ikea (the kind with the metallic powder coating v.cheap) We actually sanded it down slightly and used a patina coating set (from Michaels) and it looks great. So painting is most definitely an option.
Good Luck.

If you're in a collegiate frame of mind, check out these beds. University Loft supplies many colleges with dorm furniture (in lots of 50), but you can buy them individually too. I purchased a twin bed for my daughter, and it is VERY sturdy. I imagine the loft beds are solid, too. You know a college doesn't want to be sued for collapsing beds! I bought it in the light color. http://www.csnbunkbeds.com/University-Loft-l303-c9322-A2448~718.html

Sorry can't offer an example or plans, but when I was in college, a friend built a beautiful queen size loft bed for his dorm room, in a weekend. I'm by no means an expert, but it seems like a relatively simple building project, and that way you'd get exactly what you want.

Thanks for the suggestions! I am definitely going to forgo Tromso, and may just wind up making a bed myself. Thanks again!

-Claudia

There IS a cost associated with building your own. Here is someone who started wanting to build a wood one and ended up choosing the Tromso!
http://general.arantius.com/my-loft-bed

http://www.oploftbed.com/

I made this loft bed a few years ago and it is SOLID AS A ROCK! No clattering or creaking of any kind. You will see a lot of photos in the gallery on this site, most of which are not inspiring interiors — but I believe the right treatment of the wood, with nice-looking linens, can look really nice.

I bought a loft bed from Timbernest up in Vermont for the same use. It was a little expensive, but was the only brand I could find that was open on all sides and tall (6ft. clearance underneath). The company was excellent; they replaced one of the shipping boxes when it was stolen from the landing in front of my EV apartment (for free).

That said, the bed is manageable. It's not overly wobbly, but not rock-solid either. If I had it to do again, I think my recommendation would be to build one yourself (especially if this is a space you could see staying in for a while). If the ceilings are tall, that allows you to build it to your own specs (pick any size mattress, leave a little room along one side for a "bedside table", etc). I've also seen fliers and craigslist posts for carpenters who do that type of work all the time. Might be worth letting them deal with the hassle of carting the lumber, etc.

or you could marry a carpenter... hehehehe

i take that back - i see you have a partner

Hey Claudia,

If you're still in the market, I actually did a lot of research in this area for another project. We went to every nyc showroom, and found that these had the widest selection of loft beds:

Gothic Cabinet Craft
31st and Lex location

Gothic Cabinet Craft
Broadway and 101st

Futonland
Amsterdam and 95th

Gothic Cabinet Craft
11th btw 51st and 52nd

Manhattan Style Furniture
14th btw 5th and 6th

George Smith [limited quanity]
Hudson btw Smith and Vandam

Big Apple Futons and More [limited quanity]
23rd btw 2nd and 3rd