Beds and Cabinets for me and my sweet wife Elise

[Juan Hovey]

After nearly one third of a century of marriage, we decided it was time to sleep in separate beds, judging sleep of a higher priority than you know what.

What you see are the results - extra long single beds with bedside cabinets to match. European beech is the primary wood, walnut the second. The walnut medallions are of claro walnut, purchased from Michael Kemmes at Woodnut, a great dealer who specializes in claro walnut near Grass Valley, CA.

If I had to do the beds over again, I'd make the beech panels on which the claro walnut ellipses appear conform to the space they occupy - meaning I'd cut an arc across the top to match that of the top rail of the footboard and headboard.

I think I might also re-noodle the finish - a simple gel stain. It's OK, but having just figured out how to get a hand-rubbed oil finish on elm wood (see my separate post), I'd try an oil finish instead.

This was the most complex project I'd ever undertaken, and the caveats above aside, I'm very happy with the result. Ditto my wife, who no longer finds her sleep interrupted in the middle of the night when my restless leg syndrome kicks in.
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[Roy Wall]

Juan -

Those look great -- nice design. I bet is was a ton of work but well worth it. Beautiful set!!!

[Gordon Eyre]

Very nice Juan, the beds are a work of art for sure.

[Bobby O'Neal]

That's a killer design. Well done project.

[Ronald Blue]

Very nicely done! Awesome job. Did you design them yourself or did you have plans? If so where did you get the plans? I wouldn't mind making something similar one of these days.

[Juan Hovey]

Ronald - I started out studying designs for mission beds, including one from Rockler, but then went my own way. I didn't want oak, for one thing - too heavy and dark. And I wanted some visual interest to the thing. So I decided on European beech, with walnut strips laminated in the legs and claro walnut ellipses for the headboards and footboards. I also didn't like the heavy look of the vertical slats you see on most mission beds, so I narrowed them and turned them sideways, so that you see a narrow, not a fat, slat when looking at the bed.

As for plans, I ended up drawing my own with Google Sketchup but again went my own way when actually building the beds.

If I had to do it over again, I'd cut a curve on the top of the boards on which the claro walnut ellipses rest, to match the curve of the upper rail on the foot and headboards. And of course I'd fix all the joints that didn't quite close up, and I'd apply a better finish, and so on, etc.

That much aside, I'm happy with the result. So is my sweet wife Elise, who no longer has to deal with one of the great annoyances of middle age, restless leg syndrome.

Thanks to all for looking - and for the kind words, too.

[Ron Jones near Indy]

Those are very nice. Great choice on the materials.