I have seen posts over the years of people turning beds into benches but had never had the opportunity to convert one myself. That is, until now!! My client had her childhood twin size bed which held sentimental value but she didn’t have a use for it as a bed.
We discussed options and decided that turning it into a bench would best suit her lifestyle and needs.
These conversions are never one-size-fits-all because every bed is designed and styled differently. In the case of this bed, the headboard remained unaltered, but I did remove the top rounded detail on the footboard to create a solid surface to build the benchtop. Once I adapted the footboard, I framed in the sides and back at bench seat height, and added a board across the top of the footboard to match the height.
I built the bench seat out of 5/4 X 6″ pine boards. Once the boards were attached and glued, I planed the surface down and rounded out the corners (to prevent perpetual leg bruising for my client’s family). I then notched out the back of the seat to accommodate the headboard posts.
I contacted the client mid-project because the slots from the bed rails were visible on the inside legs of the bench. I could have filled them in, but I really loved that idea of leaving them visible as a nod to the bed’s former life. She agreed so the slots stayed.
Now it was time to add the cosmetic touches. The bench base was painted in a flat black finish, followed by a coat of clear wax for a soft sheen. The seat was stained and sealed with polyurethane in a satin finish.
Finally, I attached the seat to the bench to complete the project.
I absolutely love that a sentimental bed from her childhood lives on in a new form.