For most homeowners a home office is somewhat of a luxury. Most people do not have room for a full home office and trying to make use of a small space seems to be out of reach.
Make Use of A Small Space
Some creative thinkers have come up with a practical yet unique solution to the problem…a built-in desk/bed using reclaimed wood!
At first this may seem like an odd proposition. The concept is much like the traditional Murphy-bed.
Essentially a wall is paneled with reclaimed wood and in addition to the foldaway bed there is a desk attached. When the reclaimed wood wall is folded up a mobile platform extends creating a writing surface.
How you make use of a small space doesn’t have to have only one purpose. Hidden storage can also be built using reclaimed wood to hide home office necessities and to house bed linens and blankets.
Pre-fabricated Kits Are Available
If this idea is intriguing but you do not feel that you can build it from scratch using reclaimed wood, there are pre-fabricated kits that you can purchase. These come in twin, queen, and king configurations all compatible with reclaimed wood.
Its all in the details.
For successful functioning of this built-in bed/desk using reclaimed wood you will need to pay close attention to the small details.
- This includes the gas piston mechanism that lowers and lifts that bed/desk.
- You also may need to use standard plywood for the bed platform because of the weight and density of reclaimed wood. Using reclaimed wood for the basic structure is a sound choice because it can stand up to all of the wear and tear, but it is not maneuverable for the mobile parts because it is simply too heavy.
- You will also need to use some other light weight wood materials other than reclaimed wood to create the desk top. Since it will need to be able to fold up when the bed is lowered it will need to be as thin as possible without losing function.
- You can add some decorative hardware and other custom features using reclaimed wood to give your built -in desk/bed a finished look.
- Make sure that you have an entirely bare wall to work with because working with reclaimed wood is not and will never be an exact science. If you are familiar with reclaimed wood, you know that the dimensions vary from board to board since it does not go through any type of manufacturing process.
If you are an avid DIY-er you can easily compile all of the materials that you will need at your local lumber and hardware store. The project developers estimate that for all of the materials including the reclaimed wood, from start to finish, this built-on desk/bed will cost about $750-800.
Also because of the amount of customized cutting that is required and the amount of man power that it takes to work with reclaimed wood you should expect to invest around 65 hours into the entire building process.
Despite the time and monetary commitments this project requires, it will prove to be a very satisfying endeavor using reclaimed wood. Hiding your bed/desk in plain sight with reclaimed wood is a unique and functional way to transform an ordinary room from an office by day to a bedroom at night.
Are you a DIY-er looking to build everything on your own? Get in touch with us to hear about all the different styles of reclaimed lumber that we can provide you!
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