Double Twin Bunk Beds Build DIY

Double Twin Bunk Beds – Introduction

As our kids grew we were facing a dilemma. What exactly was our problem? Kids don’t like sharing, not that they used to like it before, they just didn’t really seem to have their own opinion about it as they do now. This newfound dislike for sharing beds with their siblings was not our leading reason for making these built-in double kids twin bunk beds. We understood that they were growing quite fast and would be needed an additional two beds in the near future, which means the beds in their room would dominate the very limited floor space that exists in a standard bedroom. Therefore we went from searching for bunk beds online, to designing our own. In this post, you will follow our progress.

Framing

We started this project in the midst of the lumber shortage, therefore price spiked for dimensional lumber. Instead of going with standard 2×4’s from Home Depot which was about $8 for an 8’ in Idaho at that time, the price was competitive enough that we decided to use engineered studs. The great thing about these is their superior strength, and of course no more sorting through hundreds of pine studs just to find one that’s not warped in any way. These engineered studs are razor straight and were a dream to work with.

Electrical / Lighting

Make sure to get all your wires and boxes in before proceeding to the next step.

Lighting was a must-have for our kids, as the bunk above blocks a majority of light; especially when they do most of their reading in the evenings. I tapped into an existing outlet, which would be covered by the build permanently, to power all the new lighting for each bed. Each individual bunk would have its own switch and set of two LED lights, I highly recommend using a dimmer switch with dimmable LEDs. When you decide to read in the evenings, a full-powered LED will cause more glare than you would think.

Installing the LEDs to the bottom bunks was quite easy, I can not say the same for the upper bunks. There is more to take into account; Do you have attic access? When centering your lights, will there be a roof joist in the way? So be sure to check these things and make adjustments before committing to this addition.

I went with these LEDs specifically because they do not require much space, unlike a true can light would. They also install simply with two spring-loaded clips on either side, and you can change the light from warm soft white to bright daylight anytime.

Carpentry

For the finish carpentry, I used 1/2” MDF 4×8 sheets, because of its smooth and ultra-flat surface. All the cutting left behind sharp square edges which I rounded out using a 1/8” router bit, sanding will also work but might be a bit more time consuming than the former option. I wanted to make this bed pop and act as an accent piece in the room, so adding shiplap to the ceilings of each bunk really added some spice to our build, but it sure isn’t cheap. We spent an extra $700 on shiplap alone.

Prepping for paint

This has got to be my least favorite segment of the build. Going back and filling all the nail holes, caulking, and then sanding down to a smooth finish. Although not something I enjoyed, I realized later how important this step was. Just remember, after the paint finish dries, any imperfections you might have thought looked “good enough” will be more noticeable.

Painting

I decided to use a spray gun to paint this project instead of rollers and brushes, which adds a frustrating step to the process; Isolating the project from the rest of the room. This includes drop clothes across any exposed carpet areas. As you might have guessed, when using a sprayer, the painting process creates a fog-like environment which will in fact reach and ruin any uncovered areas outside your project space. Make sure to wear a good respirator!

Finishing touches

I had some leftover material from when the flooring in my home was getting installed, which worked out just perfectly as an accent wall for the individual beds. I also installed this same material inside the niches. If you don’t have extra material laying around the house, Home Depot has some great options for very little cost which I highly recommend. It turns what is a bland wall into a head turning project.

Rails / Ladders

With previous beds that I have purchased from various stores, over time screw/nail held ladders and rails would need constant tightening and maintenance. This was a big pet peeve of mine. So… when it came to building the ladders and rails, I chose to use solid wood (Hard maple and white oak) and join them using wood glue.

I built the ladder and rails into one piece to simplify the installation, all the steps and rails are attached using Festool Dominos and glue. I used the same method to install the ladder/rails to the bed frame. In order to use the Festool dominos, you do need to use a Festool joiner, which can be a little too expensive to justify in buying if this is the only project you plan on using it on. I have used it on multiple projects thus far and have been very happy with my purchase.

Decorate

All that’s left to do now is to decorate. If you enjoyed this blog post, please give our time-lapse of this project a view on our YouTube channel below. Thank you!

Disclosure

Faith’s Homemaking is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and links to Amazon.com.