
DIY Built In Bunk Beds
How to build DIY bunk beds to save space in a children's room. Created using cut wood and a Wagner FLEXiO 4000 paint sprayer.
Overview
These space saving bunk beds are the perfect solution to our shared bedroom dilemma. With our children getting older, it was time for our son and daughter to each have their own spaces. In this post, we’ll show you how we divided one large room by creating built in bunk beds.
It’s a little tricky to conceptualize this project. We had a large rectangle room, and divided it by creating custom bunk beds that divide the room in half. Now each kiddo has their own space, including a fun bunk.
This is kind of a massive project so we took time saving steps where we could. Even still, the kids had to sleep on the pull out couch for a couple of weeks!
One of the ways we saved a lot of time was by using the Wagner FLEXiO 4000. Believe it or not, this was the easiest part of the whole project.
Here's why we liked it.
Lightweight and easy to use
15-foot air hose meant we could move around the room freely
Super simple clean up which was easier than we expected
Ability to adjust settings to get exactly what we needed
I’m going to show you how we painted 8 walls, plus the interior of our beds four different colors in no time!
Build the bunk bed
After you remove everything from the room, gather all your materials.
Start by building the headboard and footboard walls, which are identical.
Attach the top/header and bottom/header on both the headboard and footboard.
Build the mattress platforms and attach them to the headboard and footboard walls.
Build and attach the ladder wall and attach it to the structure.
Next, build the top wall and attach it to the footboard and headboard walls.
Attach the plywood to the platforms and side walls.
Cut and measure the drywall. Then, tape and measure the seams.
When the mud is dry, sand to blend the seams. Be sure to remove all the dust.

Paint the bunk bed
Now your bunk bed structure is ready for painting! Find the full materials list, instructions and tips here.
Once the structure is built, and all the surfaces are wiped down and vacuumed, you’re ready to finish up the room with some beautiful paint.
Before starting, I would recommend taping and covering areas you do not want paint on. There is some overspray as you might imagine. We also used a drop cloth to protect the floor.

Set material flow on sprayer
Next, set the material flow, which controls the amount that will be sprayed. For latex paint, you want it to be about 9-11.
We used the iSpray Nozzle since we were painting walls, but you can also use the Detail Finish Nozzle if you’re doing smaller projects.
Then, change the air cap to match the direction you’re going to paint, either horizontal or vertical. I love how simple and intuitive it is to use this sprayer.
Finally, add the paint to the cup and tighten the nozzle assembly.

Practice spraying
For best results, thoroughly read through the instructions on how to assemble and use the Flexio 4000 Sprayer. Be sure to do a test spray and practice with the included spray poster.

Spray surface
Hold the sprayer about 6-8 inches from the surface.

Add some trim
Don’t you just love this color? Once all the painting was done and dry, we added some trim around the top and sides of the structure to make it look like it was built in.

Move the kids in
Then, we were finally able to move the kids into their new rooms!

Materials
Framing Nail Gun
Finish Nail Gun
10" Table Saw or Circular Saw with a Rip-Cut Guide
10" Miter/Chop Saw
Drill/Driver or Impact Driver
Paint Sprayers or Paint Rollers
Paint Brushes
5" Random Orbit Sander
Shop Vac (So much saw dust)
Taping Knife
Utility Knife
Sheetrock Saw
Sheetrock T Square
Safety Glasses
Dust Masks
Measuring Tape, Level & Speed Square
2" x 4" x 8'
2" x 6" x 8'
3/4" Finish/Sanded Plywood
1/4" Finish/Sanded Plywood
3/4" Sheet Rock, tape and Joint Compound
Trim Boards
Baseboard Molding
Wood Putty
Paintable Silicone Caulk
1-1/4″ Sheetrock Screws
3" Framing Nails
Finish Nails
Decking Screws 1 ½”
Sandpaper
Paint
Painters Tape (not just for painting)
Download project steps & shopping list
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