This project was built and designed by Mike from Oregon Makers.
The bunk bed features clever hidden joinery and a modular design that allows for easy transport and on-site assembly in a custom home.
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Lumber Preparation and Leg Construction
Mike begins by milling dimensional lumber through a planer to remove factory marks and create smooth surfaces. The leg construction uses an L-shaped design where two boards are joined to create stronger, more stable support posts.
The key to this approach is careful planning of the rip cuts. One board maintains its full width while the companion piece gets ripped to a narrower dimension, with the waste material matching the thickness of the original board. When assembled in an L configuration, both pieces align to the same overall height as a single board.
Hidden Joinery System
The entire bunk bed assembly relies on pocket screws and biscuit joints to create strong connections while keeping all fasteners completely hidden. Mike uses pocket holes strategically placed on interior surfaces where they won’t be visible in the finished piece.
Biscuit joints connect the bed frame components and guard rail elements. Mike demonstrates proper technique by maintaining the same reference face throughout the cutting process, ensuring accurate alignment between mating pieces.
Modular Design for Transport
The bunk bed breaks down into manageable components for transport to the installation site. This approach allows complex furniture pieces to be built in the shop with full access to tools and proper finishing facilities, then assembled on location.
Mike includes temporary slats during transport to prevent the bed frames from racking or becoming damaged during the move. The final assembly happens in the customer’s home where the cubby space was specifically designed to accommodate the bunk bed dimensions.
Finishing and Final Assembly
The painting process happens in the shop where proper ventilation and drying space can be arranged. Mike sets up multiple painting stations to allow components to dry while continuing work on other pieces.
On-site assembly involves installing the biscuits for the guard rail connections and positioning the final components including the top rail and back panel that conceals the fastening points. The mattress support slats complete the functional elements of the bed.
This approach to custom furniture demonstrates how thoughtful design and planning can create professional results that fit perfectly into architectural spaces. The hidden joinery system provides strength while maintaining clean visual lines throughout the piece.
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Matt’s Take
These are my personal thoughts and tips based on my own experience in the shop. This section is not written, reviewed, or endorsed by the original creator of this project.
The modular approach Mike uses here is brilliant for any custom furniture project. Breaking down complex pieces into transportable components opens up so many possibilities — you can build in your shop where you have proper dust collection, good lighting, and all your tools within reach, then assemble on-site. I’ve found that temporary bracing during transport is absolutely critical. Those temporary slats Mike mentions aren’t just protecting against damage — they’re preventing the frame from going out of square during the move, which could create major headaches during final assembly.
That L-shaped leg construction is a clever way to get maximum strength from standard lumber. When you’re working with dimensional lumber, those factory edges and surfaces rarely give you the clean look you want for furniture. Running everything through the planer not only removes those stamped grade marks but also ensures all your pieces are consistently dimensioned. The key insight here is planning your rip cuts to minimize waste while maintaining the structural integrity you need.
The hidden joinery system really makes this piece shine. Pocket screws get a bad rap sometimes, but when they’re placed strategically on interior surfaces like this, they provide excellent holding power while keeping the exterior faces clean. Just remember to always drill your pocket holes before assembly — trying to get that bulky jig into tight spaces after glue-up is a recipe for frustration. The biscuit joints add that extra registration and strength that really elevates the whole build.