Tatami Inspired DIY Platform Queen Size Bed Plans

I’ve had my eye on a DIY platform bed project utilizing the Tatami style joinery for a couple years now, but another project always seemed to keep coming up. That all changed recently when my daughter decided to redesign her room with a minimalist modern look and decided to ditch the old spindle bed.  This was the perfect opportunity for that clean, elegant platform bed design I’ve been looking to do.

I’ve done a little research online and in some designer magazines, but wanted not only to build this bed, but also develop a design that would make for an accessible project for the weekend woodworker.  I wanted a design that didn’t require specialized tools or skills, one that could be completed in a weekend and be economically priced.  I think this one fits the bill!  While it’s very  easy to build, it still looks like a designer piece of furniture once it’s been finished.

The other thing I like about this platform bed design is that it doesn’t require any hardware to set up or take down since it utilizes interlocking Japanese joinery to hold the bed frame together.  This creates a lot of versatility to move it around or to convert it into a different size bed.  If you’re looking to make a king sized version, you can find the materials and cut list in this post.  The construction and assembly below is the the same except for the additional mattress support.

I’ve also created a printable PDF version of this plan which you can purchase for $5 (it’s about 37 pages in all).  It’s all the info from the blog posts, but I’ve compiled it for easy printing in whatever section you want and included shopping list, cut diagram, assembly schematic and helpful project build pictures.  Basically, if you want a handy printable version so you don’t have to get sawdust all over your computer, you might consider purchasing this download.

King Version Now Available

I’ve also recently posted the materials list and cut sizes for a King Sized Version.  You can see that post here and you can purchase the King Plan here.

Here’s a cut list for a full size version.

Tools Recommended

• Chop or Miter Saw
• Table Saw
• Clamps (you’ll use a lot of clamps for this project!)
• Chisel (3/4″ blade)

Materials List for Queen Size

• 2×2 – 3 @ 8′
• 1×4 – 2 @ 8’
• 1×4 – 7 @ 6’
• 1×2 – 7 @ 8’
• 1×5 – 1 @ 6′
• 1×3 – 15 @ 6′

Cut List

• (1) 2×2 @ 80 1/2″
• (16) 2×2 @ 9 1/2″
• (8) 1×2 @ 6″
• (3) 1×2 @ 19 1/4″
• (4) 1×2 @ 77 1/2″
• (3) 1×2 @ 55 1/2″
• (2) 1×2 @ 1 1/2″
• (2) 1×2 @ 4″ trimmed to 1 1/4″ width.
• (2) 1×4 @ 85″
• (7) 1×4 @ 63″
• (2) 1×5 @ 7 1/4″
• (2) 1×5 @ 8 3/4″
• (2) 1×5 @ 6″ trimmed to 3 3/4″ width.
• (15) 1×3 @ 58 1/2″

Assembling the Bed Posts

I considered making the platform bed posts out of a solid block of 4×4 lumber, but that presented a couple problems.  The main issue was cutting the notches or dados into which the bedrails sit in an interlocking joint.  While I have a radial arm saw that would enable me to make the cuts necessary, I really wanted to create a plan that the average weekend woodworker could make without specialized tools.  Not everyone has access to a radial arm saw or a bend saw, which would also be a great tool for the job.

Also, depending on the size of the bedrail, even a radial arm saw might not be able to make a deep enough cut, which would limit the ability to easily modify the plan and make a higher bed post.  With the assembled method, anyone can pretty much make any height bed post they want.  So that’s what I decided to go with as I’m documenting my build.

The materials needed are 2×2 for the outer corners and 1×2 and 1×5 for the inside.  Because the 2x2s are actually 1 1/2 x 1 1/2, sandwiching a 1″ (actual size 3/4″) piece of wood between them makes the post 3 3/4″ instead of 3 1/2″ like a solid 4×4, so you can’t use a piece of 1×4 to go in the middle as this would leave a 1/4″ gap in the post.  Instead, use a table saw or a chop saw to cut the 1×6 to size.  Below is a picture of the materials cut and ready to assemble.

Making the Interlocking Bed Rails

This is probably the most challenging aspect to this plan, but don’t let it intimidate you.  It’s not that difficult and can be accomplished with a couple clamps and a Skilsaw.

Here’s a short video that describes a few ways you can make the interlocking joint.

Like I mentioned in the video, this is a very “forgiving” project because once you’ve cut the interlocking joints and set the rails into the bed posts, the joint is invisible.  So if your cuts aren’t perfect or your joints aren’t beautiful, that’s ok, no one can see them!

Example of how the bed rails will fit into the interlocking bed posts

Adding the Trim and Mattress Supports

When adding the trim, there are a few different options.  By far the easiest is to simply glue the trim to the rails.  While this is easy to do and produces a very strong joint, I totally get it that you may want to anchor the trim using some additional kind of joinery.

The easiest option is to use wood screws to join the trim (in addition to wood glue!).  You can also use a Kreg Jig, which I know a lot of people like, to make pocket holes on the underside of the trim pieces.  This will make a very strong joint, but with 1×2 lumber, the pocket holes may be slightly viewable.

If you happen to have (or have access to) a biscuit joiner, that’s my preferred method and the one I’ll illustrate below.

The “trick,” if you can call it that, to this part of the build is to cut your trim so that it’s very close to the post, but not so tight that it makes getting the rail into the post difficult.  I would recommend cutting the rail trim and slat support pieces, holding them in place with the rails locked into the posts and then trimming again if necessary.  Ideally, you’d like about 1/32″ play between the trim and the post.  This will also accommodate any swelling if the humidity is high.

As illustrated in the image below, you’ll want to be careful to measure and cut the trim so that it doesn’t interfere with the post joint.  I left about 1/32″ between the trim and the post joint so that the bed rails could be assembled and disassembled easily.

As mentioned above, I used a biscuit joiner when assembling the trim.  You could certainly use pocket holes to attach the trim as well.  It’s also feasible to screw the trim in place with wood screws from the inside of the bed rails, however you should take great care to pre-drill screw holes straight and make pilot holes.  It’s certainly also fine to simply use wood glue and clamps to get a solid joint.

Queen & King Sized Center Support

One of the design elements that was important to me in this plan was to make the bed super easy to set up and take apart with no hardware or tools.  So knowing that the queen (and soon to be king) sizes will need some center support, I developed a shelf system using excess 1x lumber to support a 2×2 beam spanning the middle of the bed.  The 2×2 will rest on the shelves with a side brace and then have a footer that can be positioned in the middle.  You can, of course make a couple footers and this design is easily modifiable if you are making a king sized bed and feel more comfortable with more than one support.

The shelves are glued in place.  Of course you can reinforce them with wood screws if you like, but it’s not necessary.  If you do use wood screws, be sure to pre-drill your holes.  It’s good practice in general and with wood pieces this small, neglecting to pre-drill may result in the wood splitting.

For the center support I used excess 1×6 material from the post assembly and sandwiched 4 pieces together to create a footer that will cradle the center 2×2 beam.  This footer is, again, assembled with a generous amount of wood glue.

Center support footer

The beautiful thing about this footer is that it is very stable, fits the center 2×2 beam like a glove and is an elegant design for the bed (even though no one will see it!).

Here’s the assembled frame with the center support beam in place.  The strips lying on the floor on the left and right are the bed slat supports which I added after I had attached the trim to the bed rails.  This was the only part of the construction where I used wood screws.

Building the Headboard

Final Assembly

The final assembly includes cutting 1×4 slats to support the mattress.  You can use the same lumber that you used to construct the bed frame, of course, but since the support slats won’t be visible underneath the mattress, I’d recommend using some less expensive common board or furring strip lumber for this.  When I was developing this plan for a queen sized bed, the 6′ select pine boards were about $5 each vs. 1×4 furring strip lumber which were about $1.50 each.  That was meaningful savings when buying 15 slats.  The cheaper lumber needs to be sanded a bit more, but it was worth the extra work for me!

Finished Project

Here’s a final shot of the finished bed. Next project are accompanying retro look night stands that I’ll be building soon!  See the sneak peek below (plans on that to come soon).

Project Cost

Project Cost (for the materials only) was approximately $250 at the time I built this platform bed.  Lumber costs fluctuate pretty widely with the construction economy.  I’ve found comparable beds online selling in the $800-$1,200 range depending on type of wood and finish for queen size beds.

Get a printable PDF version of this plan which you can purchase for $5 (it’s about 37 pages in all).  It’s all the info from the blog posts, but I’ve compiled it for easy printing in whatever section you want and included shopping list, cut diagram, assembly schematic and helpful project build pictures.  Basically, if you want a handy printable version so you don’t have to get sawdust all over your computer, you might consider purchasing this download.

And Finally…

Here’s a sneak Peek of the Night Stands I’m working on.  More to come on those in another post.