How To Build A Bed Frame

Buying a new bed frame can be an exciting purchase and can really revolutionise your sleep. Not only can you look forward to years of comfort but you can also use the space under your bed for a handy stowaway spot or take full advantage of an Ottoman bed frame. But before you can dive straight into your new-bed life, you’ll need to assemble it.

Building your new bed, whether it’s an Ottoman or a frame only, shouldn’t be a daunting task. By following our step-by-step guide, we can help you easily assemble your stunning new DUSK bed frame.

How To Prepare For Building Your Bed Frame

Preparation is key and by ensuring you’re well-equipped, you can make sure the building process will run as smoothly as possible. It’s also important to plan where you’re going to build your bed frame and what tools you’ll need to get the job done.

Read the instructions

This may seem like obvious advice but do read the instructions all the way through before you get started so you know what to expect next. By understanding the step-by-step process from the get-go and what tools will be required later on in the build, you’ll find it far easier to construct your bed frame.

Lay out each piece

Once you know what each step entails, you should get every piece of the frame out of the packaging and lay it out on the floor. This will give you a good idea of what goes where and how it will fit together. This will also mean that you can get any extra tools should you need them. Alan keys and spanners are included with our DUSK bed frames, if the bolts used require them. However, you may decide that additional tools may help and now is your time to get them.

Gather your tools

Now you’ve read the instructions, you’ll know which screws and bolts your bed frame includes. This will allow you to gather (or buy) the correct tools to help you build your bed quickly and easily.

Choose your space

The dimensions of your bed frame will be outlined on the product page of our website, so you can measure the space in your bedroom perfectly before your new frame. Of course, you’ll need a little extra room in addition to the space the bed will fill to actually build the frame, so make sure you plan ahead before you start piecing your gorgeous new bed together. Once you’ve decided where you’re going to build your bed frame, you may need to move some other furniture out of the way to make sure you have enough room.

How To Build An Ottoman Bed Frame

Building an ottoman bed frame is likely easier than you would think and, by following our clear instructions, you’ll be able to have your brand new bed assembled ready for bed time. The first step is to lay all the pieces out on the floor, so you can make sure that you've got everything you need and visually see how it fits together.

Fitting your headboard & footboard

The headboard and footboard will arrive as you see them on the image above. Both will be fully intact and won’t require you to fit multiple panels together. The only thing you’ll need to do is fit the angle irons to both the headboard and footboard - these will attach the headboard and footboard to the rest of the frame, securing it in place.

Building the frame itself

To build the frame, firstly you have to attach all the sides to form the perimeter. This can then be attached to the headboard to form the bulk of the frame.

Next, you’ll need to attach the side rails and lifting mechanism, which is what will allow the frame to be raised, revealing the underbed storage.

Now, you’ll need to construct the metal frame. The frame will form the central support for the mattress as it’s lifted. In your manual, it will look like this:

Once you’ve constructed this frame, it will need to be attached to the lifting mechanism, which you previously installed. The lifting mechanism, as you can see from the image below, consists of rails at either side of the frame, which allows for movement when the base is lifted.

Once the support rails at either side have been inserted, you’ll need to begin building the support for the mattress. As you can see, this frame fits on the rails, creating the liftable section of the ottoman bed, so you can access the storage beneath.

Now that the headboard is attached to the frame and the lifting mechanism is installed, all that’s left to do is insert the slats and complete the frame.

As you can see in the first image, each component is clearly numbered and when you come to build your bed frame, the construction manual will outline how each of these pieces fit together and how the individual screws and fittings will be used during the build. All of the bolts and fittings needed to fit each piece together will be included with your frame and detailed in your user manual. Here’s an example from one of our ottoman bed frame user manuals.

How To Build A Frame Only Bed

The build of a frame only bed is very similar to that of an Ottoman. However, there is no lifting mechanism which needs to be installed, making it a much simpler building process. Following the same starting process, lay everything out on the floor so you can see each piece you have and where it will fit on the frame.

Begin with the headboard & footboard

When constructing the headboard and footboard, the first step is to attach the legs to the bottom of each.

Next, attach the headboard and footboard to the side rails to form the outer section of the frame. This will be done using the bolts included with your bed frame. Below is an example from one of our frame only bed user manuals.

Building your frame

Now, you’ll be able to add the central support rail, which will connect to the headboard at one end and to the footboard at the other. This will act as the centerpoint of the frame.

Finally, you can add the slats into place and fit the slat caps, which holds them snug. You won’t need any screws or bolts for this step as the tension of the slats will secure their position and complete the build of the bed frame.

Building A Bed Frame FAQs

We know you're excited to settle down for the ultimate night's sleep on your brand new bed, but you've got to build it first! To make sure you have everything you need before you get started, take a look at our frequently asked questions

How many people will it take to assemble my bed?

When assembling a bed, two pairs of hands can be better than one. Whilst you may be able to manage to build a bed frame by yourself, it may take a little longer. Our instruction manuals will detail how many people will likely be needed for the task, though we recommend two people to make sure you can complete the build safely.

Where should I build my bed frame?

Although it may be tempting to build your bed frame in a downstairs area where there’s more room, manoeuvring it into a bedroom can be tricky. If your bedroom or guest room is simply too small to build your bed frame in, it may be more beneficial to build parts of the bed in a larger room and transfer them across to bring together at the end of your assembly, rather than trying to transport a fully-built bed from one room to another.

Are bed frames easy to assemble?

DUSK bed frames are designed to be easy to assemble. Although they may take a little bit of time, due to the number of components involved, if you follow the instructions carefully it should be an easy task.

Have you got any top tips for building a bed frame? Let us know over on Facebook and Instagram, or take a look at our blog for more advice and inspiration.