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Installed

March 27, 2020

Sheltering in Place

One of the great pleasures of my work in construction is the satisfaction I get from improving my client’s homes and workspaces. With the Shelter In Place order in effect, many are scrambling to make room for family members, in this case an adult child sent suddenly home from college.

While there was no extra room in her home, a rented room in a house, a studio with a vaulted ceiling in the garage did have space. But was that going to mean losing a productive work and art space?

A loft bed was the solution. With the materials and tools delivered the day beforehand, we built in a day a simple suspended platform that looks great and provides a cozy nook underneath.

While this could be a DIY project for the handy, hiring a professional gives you additional design sense, structural expertise, and piece of mind.

The outer corner is suspended from a threaded rod, anchored to a block lagged into the ceiling rafters. The simplest and cheapest solution to get up onto the platform was a step ladder. Hooked over a custom wood block, this is another place where the expertise of how to secure something to a wall is important. Studs are usually not necessarily where you want them. Mostly constructed from 2x4s, the extra height of the sanded 2x6 fascia provides a lip at the top edge.

Further refinements may include a visual screen along the side, a low railing if rolling off the mattress pad feels worrisome, and shelving both for the loft and the nook below.