Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
Easy step-by-steps to build a bedroom nook Gather your supplies
2400 x 1200 x 17mm CD plywood, quantity to suit; 89 x 19mm dressed pine, quantity to suit; power saw; straightedge; clamps; timber screws, to suit; pencil; drill and bits; PVA; dry tree branch (about 50mm-dia); spirit level; jigsaw; pine beading (optional); 700mm-high timber stool or furniture leg; fine-grit sandpaper; varnish or furniture wax; paintbrush and mini-roller or clean cotton rag; European cushion cover with tie-tabs and cushion insert
NOTES
1. To neatly cut plywood, use a power saw along a clamped straightedge.
2. Position nook at 1 end of a narrow room, as close to 3 walls as possible.
3. Remember to factor in skirting boards, power points and room features.
4. Adjust suggested method and measurements to suit your space and any changes in materials.
Here’s how
STEP 1 Make a panel to go at head of bed. To do this, measure, mark and cut a sheet of plywood, to suit.
STEP 2 To frame panel, cut dressed pine to same length as top edge of ply panel. Cut 2 lengths of pine to suit long sides, 19mm shorter than overall ply panel height to accommodate top piece of frame. The bottom of panel will be left unframed.
STEP 3 Mark position of frame top and sides on panel. Drill a spread of pilot holes within marked frame area.
STEP 4 Decide which face will be front. Apply PVA then align top frame piece with top edge of ply panel.
STEP 5 Clamp in place. From back, predrill through pilot holes into frame piece. Affix with screws.
STEP 6 Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to affix side frame pieces.
STEP 7 To secure frame corners, predrill 2 holes through top frame piece into side frame pieces. Affix with corners with screws.
STEP 8 Cut tree branch to fit within frame sides, near top. Glue, predrill and screw in place.
STEP 9 Cut a panel to go along side of bed. This panel will align with top edge of other panels, but doesn’t extend to floor, so use ply sheet on its side.
STEP 10 Using pine, cut 1 top frame piece to run along top of panel. Cut it 212mm shorter than length of panel to accommodate other framed panels at each end, once assembled.
STEP 11 Cut a panel to go at foot of bed. This panel will align with top edge of other panels and extend to floor. Cut a notch from outside top corner of panel, about 700mm from floor level and 500mm deep. Here, this occurs around a window.
STEP 12 To frame panel, cut pine to same length as top edge of ply panel. Draw a curve on 1 end of frame piece. Cut curve with jigsaw.
STEP 13 Cut 1 length of pine to suit long side of panel, closest to back. Make it 19mm shorter so it fits below top frame piece. The bottom and other side of panel will be left unframed.
STEP 14 Mark position of frame top and side on panel. Drill pilot holes within frame area.
STEP 15 Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to affix frame pieces. Ensure curved end of top frame piece is at front.
STEP 16 Make 2 butt-joined L-shaped shelves. Decide on length of shelves, then cut 4 lengths of pine, to suit. Draw a curve on outside end of each shelf piece. Cut curves with jigsaw.
STEP 17 Mark desired positions of shelves on side and foot panels. Drill pilot holes to align with markings. Glue, predrill and screw to affix shelves. To support shelves at corner joins, skew-screw from underside.
STEP 18 With a helper, put bedhead, side and foot panel assemblies in position. Make level.
STEP 19 To affix nook assembly together, drive screws through bedhead frame into side panel.
STEP 20 Also drive an even spread of screws through foot of bed frame into side panel.
STEP 21 To make desk, cut a ply sheet, to suit. Cut a notch so that desk fits snug in notch of foot panel. Draw a curve on far end of desk panel. Cut curve with jigsaw.
STEP 22 Put desk in place, mark position of desk on side panel. Set desk aside. STEP 23 Cut a length of pine to run along underside back edge of desk. This should extend from notch to curved end of desk panel. Glue, predrill and screw in position.
STEP 24 To support desk, glue and screw a pine offcut (batten) to side panel. With a helper, bring desk into position and rest on batten. Screw desk to batten.
STEP 25 Support other end of desk with furniture leg or stool, here, fitted with ply pieces cut to size between leg supports to make shelving. Screw desk to leg or stool.
STEP 26 If planning to display artwork along top edge of nook, affix timber beading along front edge of each top frame piece using PVA and small nails.
STEP 27 Sand all surfaces of nook. Apply varnish using paintbrush and roller, or wax using rag. Let dry.
STEP 28 Bring bed into position and style your space. Tie the tabs of an upside-down European cushion to branch to create a soft bedhead.