As a custom woodworker, the majority of my clients reach out to me to solve a problem that off-the-shelf options cannot fix. Such was the case for one of my previous client’s daughters. She had seen the quality of the work I had done for her mom and reached out to me with her dilemma – how to fit many functionalities into a tiny bedroom for her son.

There was a great deal of discussion between my client and me on the best way to fit a bed, desk and storage area into a small space. The room had many design elements that required custom details: one wall had the entry door, another wall had a closet door, and another wall had a window and the HVAC ducting. That left only one clear wall to house everything she needed. Together we created a general plan, but as I began to build the project the details were solidified. Creative problem-solving and truly custom design were central to the success of this project.

Loft Bed

Since the footprint of the room was so small, we needed to house all the functionalities in one spot. A loft bed was the perfect solution. The base was sized for an extra-long single mattress to allow for her son to grow into the room. While I normally create most of the pieces in my shop rather than in my clients’ homes, this project required some on-site work. As is typical for older homes in the Butler Tarkington area of Indianapolis, the walls were not square. Since the bed was designed to hug the walls, I had to custom cut the support system on-site to ensure I was conforming to the actual conditions of the space. No store-bought bed would have been able to fit that bill.

Support and Storage

The bed needed an access point and my client wanted a dresser – one could not block the other. And, the loft had to be supported well into the boy’s teenage years. I decided to use the ladder and the dresser as support for the bed, one on each end. The ladder was crafted as a series of cubby holes with additional cubbies behind them. The custom-built dresser supports the other side of the bed and a desk with shelving above sits in the middle. There is no wasted space in this design!

The Details of a Custom Woodworker

The wall near the dresser had one of the only outlets in the room, so I designed the dresser so the drawers would not interfere with the cords.

The ladder area could not block the HVAC vent on that side of the room, so I designed the ladder/storage with legs to allow for good airflow.

This project not only challenged my engineering brain, but also highlighted for me why I am a custom woodworker. People like my clients need solutions when off-the-floor furniture would never work. I had a lot of fun working with my client to create the best arrangement for the space and her needs. If you have a problem that needs a custom solution, reach out to me. Send me an email or give me a call at (317) 679-5890.