Any insight on how to build this platform bed?

I'm looking for a new bedframe and came across this pretty slick frame by Lago, the Beam bed.


Unfortunately, I cannot seem to find anywhere in the states that actually sells it so it's time to explore the option of building it myself. The biggest thing keeping me from just doing it is I am by no means a carpenter and it seems if I just threw it together it may be likely to just fall apart.

Now, the obvious parts from looking at other pics is that there are two central pieces in the middle that hold the vertical boards in place... somehow. How would one go about making sure the base was stable? Also... what type of wood should be used for the vertical boards? MDF?

I think this could be a fun project but at this point I don't know nearly enough to dare jumping into it so I am seeking some advice from the more knowledgable. Thanks in advance!

 

This is basically what's known as a platform bed. I'm guessing, since there's no blueprint to show otherwise, that they might have started with constructing a square box at the center of the bed, then branched out with 14 equal sized boards to attach to the square. Given the angle, I'd think the remaining 4 corner boards might be a bit longer. Once these boards were cut and positioned in place, it's then most likely topped with with a smooth plywood board, perhaps painted to match the others. The last piece I'm seeing is at the head of the bed but I can't tell whether it's been painted or upholstered, both of which could be done but the angle of it leads me to believe it may have been attached to the under mattress board with hardware that allows it to be layed flat or locked in at an angle.
The entire system would depend on what size bed you'd want. With that said, you first need to know what size your mattress will be, i.e., Full=59x75;Queen=60x80;King=76x80. A standard sheet of plywood measures 48x96 (all measurements given in inches), so chances are, the supporting board on this bed comes in 2 pcs.
Example:
If it's a queen bed you want, you'd need 2 pcs cut 30"x80" in order to meet the decreed width. You'd then have 2 pcs 18"x80" and 1-pc 16"x48" left over, one of which would serve as the piece needed for the headboard, i.e., 1-18"x80" cut down to 60" to match the width of the bed.
The thing about a platform bed is, there's no boxspring, though one can be added and this will determine the height of your bed and the width of your support boards underneath, unless you want the bed stuck way up in the air, lol.
Example:
With a mattress only, your support boards will run about 18"-24" wide...low with a box spring, higher without one. You'll want to determine how high up the bed will need to be for YOU to consider it a comfortable height. I'm a long legged tall person and I hate feeling like I"m sitting on the floor with my knees shoved upward, lol. Follow what I'm saying? Once you've determined this, it's just a matter of cutting the support boards in equal widths (minus 1/2-3/4 inch) to match the height measurement. I wouldn't go with anything less than 1/2 inch plywood for the mattress support board but 3/4 inch would be advisable if more weight support is needed.
Now, the big question...How to put it all together? I suspect you're going to need quite a few screws and brackets to attach the under support boards to the center square box. There's are T-style brackets that would work well but you might prefer corner brackets, that is...if you're not one that's experienced in using a router or table saw to cut grooves.
In the old days, mattress support boards were covered in carpeting. The purpose of this is to protect the fingers for when the bed is being made, so as not to get a sliver or scraped up fingers. Today, a tapestry weeve type fabric might be used or even canvas. Both can be found on Ebay relatively cheap but you might also want to check places that carry a thin indoor/outdoor carpet on a roll, i.e., Lowes, HomeDepot, etc. Or, you can paint it. It's a matter of preference.
I'm going to venture to say this bed is probably made out of an overlayed particle board, such as so much furniture is these days and if so, it most likely wouldn't hold up for more than a few years. Good reason to make your own. As to what type of wood you might use, pine works well but then so does the more expensive oak. Just depends on how fancy you want to get and how much money you're willing to spend on this project.
If you don't have the kind of tools required to do this project, you might want to consider having the lumber store cut all the pieces for you, then all you have to do it go home and put it together with recommended brackets and screws.
Good Luck

 

Thanks for the input. I can give some more insight to the framing the original designers used by showing another picture without a mattress and a link to the website. Here is a pic without a mattress and apparently they do not use a mattress support of any kind other than the vertical boards.


Website: Beam Bed

On the website there is also a product catalog in PDF form with some more detailed pictures. I actually did find a Google SketchUp model of the bed which I can use to pull measurements or at least get things to scale when it comes to the actual construction.

 

Okay. It appears they used two circular pieces with slots cut in both from the outside in but not all the way through to accomodate the support boards (probably 1x12). Can't see what they used to keep the top piece stationary but I'd think you'd be able to attach the center top to the inside bottom with a few 1x2's to keep the top from dropping down. Looks to me like the mattress support's a piece of acrylic (plexiglass) maybe? Not sure but I don't see any reason why plywood wouldn't work just as well. For certain it would be cheaper. What I don't see is how they'd connect the headboard piece to it. That might be another advantage to using plywood.
The circle parts would certainly make it easier to put together I'd think.