Skip to main content

Full size bed frame with storage hack — no tools required!

We hacked IKEA KALLAX units into a full size bed frame with storage to save space and money. Since we already had the KALLAX units, we wanted to use them up.

The bed is the perfect height for sleep and everything, with plenty of storage.

KALLAX full size bed frame with storage - ikea hack

Related: This is how I made a waterbed frame from KALLAX units


The KALLAX shelves are easily accessible from all sides and you can reach the space in the middle from the sides or from the top for larger items.

Reaching inside from the top is a bit of a drag (you have to lift the mattress and some/all of the plywood sheets) so we only use it for long-term storage/seasonal items.

 IKEA items used:
Optional:
Other materials and tools:

Full size bed frame with storage assembly

Step 0: Assemble the KALLAX units.

KALLAX units

Step 1: Position the KALLAX units in a U-shape, with the opening towards the wall where you want your head to be. Any floor surface is fine, but a rug or carpet will make it less likely to slide around.

Non slip mat

Step 2: Cut up the non slip rug pads to fit on top of the units where the plywood will go, and place them there.

Plywood

Underbed storage space

Plywood
Plywood

Step 3: Add the plywood sheets on top.

KALLAX full size bed frame with storage - ikea hack

Step 4: Cover with a bedsheet to keep clean, and put the mattress on top.

Other useful information:

You can use a single plywood sheet instead of three separate ones (we had to have it cut so it could fit in our car). Alternatively, you can also use a mattress frame/bed slats or whatever you like to sleep on.

KALLAX full size bed frame with storage - ikea hack
How long and how much did it cost? 

Initial assembly took about half hour. Total cost of the 3 KALLAX units, plywood, and rug pads is around $200.

What do you like most about the hack? 

Simplicity and effectiveness, easy to assemble and disassemble (good for moving).

What was the hardest part about this hack? 

Carrying the KALLAX units and plywood sheets up the stairs.

What to pay special attention to? 

Non slip rug pads keep the plywood secure on the KALLAX base.

KALLAX full size bed frame with storage - ikea hack
Looking back, would you have done it differently? 

Use a better quality or treated plywood.

And that’s it. A very simple hack for a full size bed frame with storage.

~ by Ilya and Sarah

The post Full size bed frame with storage hack — no tools required! appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Hackers Help: How to attach headboard to ESPEVÄR mattress base?

I’m trying to figure out if a headboard can be attached to an Espevar Mattress Base , and how to accomplish that. I’m looking at a standard metal headboard (because I just prefer the look of curved metal to what IKEA offers) and am not interested in a slat base with just a mattress on top, and a wall mounted headboard is not an option due to renting. Thanks for any help! ~ Amy *** Hi Amy I’ve not seen the ESPEVÄR in person but I believe it is possible to attach a headboard to it. From the website, the ESPEVÄR looks like a regular wooden slatted mattress base under a bed base slipover. As to how to attach it, that will depend on the fittings on the metal headboard. So you will just need to get the right hardware to secure the metal headboard to the wooden frame. And make some small openings on the slipcover to let the fixtures to go through. Jules Photo: IKEA.com Try these free-standing headboards for size A lime green and white headboard that takes centerstage in the r

Turning 2 SVARTA loft beds into one big double loft bed

One double loft bed coming up! I felt like I had too little living space. I wanted a loft bed, but still loved my ‘old’ 160 x 200cm IKEA mattress. There seemed to be no IKEA or even other affordable 160 x 200 double loft bed options. Then, my boyfriend suggested getting two second hand IKEA loft beds and making it into one. I set out to find whether someone did this hack. I found many people asking if it could be done, but to my surprise, nobody seems to have documented trying it. So I decided to be the one to just do it and share it for anyone that wants to do it too. IKEA items used: SVARTA loft bed x 2 (and in my case, my old IKEA wooden slatted bed bases at 200 x 80cm x 2 and my well loved IKEA 160 x 200cm mattress). Photo: IKEA.com Of course, you can buy everything new. You have the option to choose the 2 wooden slatted bed bases like I did with a 180 x 200cm mattress. Or stick with the metal bed base provided and use two 90 x 200cm mattresses. (Though you might hav

Should You Decorate for the Holidays If Your Home is on the Market?

‘Tis the season to be jolly, but should your home reflect the joy of the season if you’re also trying to sell it? If you love to decorate for the holidays, missing out on this once-a-year opportunity might sound like torture. On the other hand, you don’t want to miss the chance to sell your home because of your decorations. So, should you decorate for the holidays if your home is on the market? We’ve got some “nays,” “yeas,” and “other considerations.” No, Don’t Decorate An elaborately-decorated home in Houston. Image: Regina Gust Designs Our first two realtors are against decorating for the holidays if you’re trying to sell your home. According to Anita Springate-Renaud, licensed partner and broker at Engel & Völkers Toronto Central , your festive decor can distract buyers from looking at the home’s raw design. “Elaborate decorations can distract and shift a prospective buyer’s focus away from what they should be looking at when shopping for a property.” So what should they