Why I Built an Alcove Bed for My Son’s Treehouse Bedroom
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As someone who grew up in an era of ratty old magazine posters as decor, building an alcove bed for my son’s treehouse bedroom was maybe as much for me as it was him.
I just put the finishing touches on this adorable little room and I feel like the vision of part-storybook, part-treehouse, part-summer camp really came together, but the bed nook is really the anchor of it all, so let’s talk about it.
Alcove Bed in My Son's Treehouse Bedroom
What is an alcove bed?
If you’ve never seen these before, an alcove bed (or bed nook, or built-in bed), is exactly how it sounds: a bed that’s part of a more custom surround in a room.
It’s cozy, it’s functional, it gives extra storage, and to be honest it’s just pretty cool.
Why did we add an alcove bed in this room?
Our son’s bedroom actually used to be our kitchen, and we just finished a massive room swap renovation project. Given its former life, the room was a bit rough and had a lot of holes from cabinets, a bulkhead from above the old oven that couldn’t move, and the hardwood flooring was mismatched in places.
After noodling on it for a while, it hit me: an alcove bed could solve all three at once! It would give some extra storage space in drawers underneath, it would cover most of the rough flooring, and dropping the ceiling inside the bed nook would mean you can’t see the bulkhead anymore.
How do you build an alcove bed?
We’ve done a lot of built-ins before, so the concept isn’t really new to us, but I kind of just took it one section at a time. I built the base out of 2x4s, being careful to add enough support but also keep space for the drawers I wanted in the bottom.
My wall was a bit wider than the mattress, so I used that extra space to bump out and make a built-in bookcase using live edge wood (actually maybe my favourite part!).
From there, I built up to the ceiling kind of figuring it out as I went, built the drawers, then added the plywood for the mattress to go on. I covered everything in drywall and trim, painted and wallpapered, and it’s the perfect space for a kid as cool as ours.
Extra notes on the alcove bed build
A few alcove bed build tips:
- One important thing is that I drilled quite a few 1-inch holes in the plywood base for air flow so the mattress doesn’t get moldy, and I plan to just flip the mattress up for a bit while cleaning and washing sheets as well.
- Make sure to build your bed base with a bit of space at the side of the mattress and the end because it’ll be much easier to actually make the bed that way! I tacked on about 5cm at both the end and the wall side and it’s good so far.
- If you’re adding a headboard like I did, make sure to account for the thickness of that in your bed base dimensions, too.
- Obviously a total extra, but having our electricians wire a sconce inside the bed nook was one of my favorite decisions – it feels so fancy and is so practical for reading books together!
What kind of paint did you use?
This part is really important! You need to prime over raw plywood and bare drywall before painting for a good finish, so I used STIX primer from Benjamin Moore over all of that, and their Eco Spec line on the existing walls for extra protection and to rid the last feeling of kitchen in the room. Eww.
Then, for the colour, I used Smoke from Benjamin Moore, using Scuff-X on the closet and alcove bed, and Eco Spec on the rest of the walls.
What wallpaper is that?
Umm, the wallpaper of my dreams, obviously. But seriously, when I was envisioning a bold treehouse style wallpaper I couldn’t have even imagined something better than this one.
When it arrived, I audibly gasped at how good the details were and as many people pointed out on Instagram, it’s very Where the Wild Things Are vibes.
It’s called the Charles mural from Sandberg.
Is an alcove bed worth it?
Well this build is brand new having just finished it this week, but so far emphatic YES. Our son keeps saying how cool his new room is (though that may just be because he’s been on a mattress on the floor of our room for a few weeks), and it feels pretty cool to be able to give him the kind of room I would’ve loved as a kid myself.
More practically, I also love having the extra storage underneath for board games and his dress-ups, and the shelves are the perfect place to give it some added personality. Honestly think this is probably my favorite room makeover we’ve ever done.
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