I bought this bed for several reasons: storage potential, materials, and customization opportunity. The floor-to-platform clearance under this bed, with no middle support leg, was a huge selling point for me. If you get the Queen sized frame you can fit both the Trundle and Drawers (on opposite sides and ordered separately) under the bed which allows for quite a bit of very customizable storage vs. many bed frames on the market with built in drawers.
The solid, Tulip Poplar wood was another big selling point. Youll see in some of the photos I have attached that the natural color is pretty light - personally, I found this very attractive. Out of the box some of the ends were a little rough and there was one major dent (probably due to shipping) on one of the leg pieces. I used 220 grit sand paper to soften the edges and take off any roughness, but there wasnt much. The dent wasnt bad enough for me to justify sending it back (you dont even see it, since it is on the leg against the wall).
I read another customers in-depth review about staining their frame and it was super helpful (ie: I didnt stain / finish the center beams, that just support the mattress). Since this was my first wood-related project I read several articles online (and watched several youtube videos) about Tulip Poplar, and the best options for finishing the wood. Some helpful takeaways: my frame had streaks of green in the wood; but this will turn a bit more brown in color over time, you can hasten the change by setting the boards out in the sun for a few hours. I laid mine on the back patio and opted for a clear coat of Satin Wipe-On Poly which is why theyre spaced out in my photo. I did the first two coats and then sanded with 440 grit sand paper and did a third coat based on recommendations. I have to agree, sanding between coats 2 and 3 is the way to go. I tried a few boards with three coats, no sanding between, and they are noticeable more rough - I ended up sanding and re-coating. By sanding in between you will get a silky smooth finish. I posted a photo with the various supplies I used to help anyone who likes the look (though its not really distinguishable from the out-of-box color, it is protected better from wear).
Just in case, I did take a photo of the color difference between a naked board and one with three coats of the Wipe-On Poly. It seemed to make things a smidge darker and warmer.
Assembly was incredibly easy and straight forward, but it did help to have a buddy and a power drill. As soon as it was finished we plopped the mattress on and I jumped right on it. Seems sturdy and my first guest had no problems.
Update: several guests and 5 months later, still in great shape.
Good Looking, Easy to Customize Assemble
I bought this bed for several reasons: storage potential, materials, and customization opportunity. The floor-to-platform clearance under this bed, with no middle support leg, was a huge selling point for me. If you get the Queen sized frame you can fit both the Trundle and Drawers (on opposite sides and ordered separately) under the bed which allows for quite a bit of very customizable storage vs. many bed frames on the market with built in drawers. The solid, Tulip Poplar wood was another big selling point. Youll see in some of the photos I have attached that the natural color is pretty light - personally, I found this very attractive. Out of the box some of the ends were a little rough and there was one major dent (probably due to shipping) on one of the leg pieces. I used 220 grit sand paper to soften the edges and take off any roughness, but there wasnt much. The dent wasnt bad enough for me to justify sending it back (you dont even see it, since it is on the leg against the wall). I read another customers in-depth review about staining their frame and it was super helpful (ie: I didnt stain / finish the center beams, that just support the mattress). Since this was my first wood-related project I read several articles online (and watched several youtube videos) about Tulip Poplar, and the best options for finishing the wood. Some helpful takeaways: my frame had streaks of green in the wood; but this will turn a bit more brown in color over time, you can hasten the change by setting the boards out in the sun for a few hours. I laid mine on the back patio and opted for a clear coat of Satin Wipe-On Poly which is why theyre spaced out in my photo. I did the first two coats and then sanded with 440 grit sand paper and did a third coat based on recommendations. I have to agree, sanding between coats 2 and 3 is the way to go. I tried a few boards with three coats, no sanding between, and they are noticeable more rough - I ended up sanding and re-coating. By sanding in between you will get a silky smooth finish. I posted a photo with the various supplies I used to help anyone who likes the look (though its not really distinguishable from the out-of-box color, it is protected better from wear). Just in case, I did take a photo of the color difference between a naked board and one with three coats of the Wipe-On Poly. It seemed to make things a smidge darker and warmer. Assembly was incredibly easy and straight forward, but it did help to have a buddy and a power drill. As soon as it was finished we plopped the mattress on and I jumped right on it. Seems sturdy and my first guest had no problems. Update: several guests and 5 months later, still in great shape.