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torquillThis is where I sort of noodle to myself, because that's how I do design work.
I'm in the middle of making a new bedframe. It got stalled, so I'm still at the stage of reinforcing the 2x4 frame with angle iron; after that I get to start making the facing, which will turn it from an uncomfortable 2x4-on-edge thing to a frame with 8" wide ledges all around.
When I started it, I intended for it to be a replacement for my current mattress and frame. I decided that what I really want is something closer to a hammock or trampoline: a canvas sling, supported on both sides by stiff springs. When I did the initial assembly, it felt really good to lie in, and the springs could be adjusted to add lumbar support and such. It has advantages for heating and cooling, as the sling is really just two layers of canvas; I intended to make a box for the frame to enclose the underlying airspace, to make it easier to heat in winter. It's also really cheap, much cheaper to build and replace than a normal mattress. I could use normal flat sheets, with loops added for hooks on the frame. And it sort of rocks you to sleep like a waterbed, except with less persistent resonance.
There are disadvantages, however. It's hard to sit up in bed, or prop oneself up to read or ease a cough; I've almost finished a reclining window seat to fill some of that need. Most of the rest of the issues boil down to having company, human or animal. I could build little cat-beds on some or all of the corners, but what about if I want to bring a human partner home? The springs could be upgraded to handle 500 pounds or so (I think), but the stitching on the sling might not be enough, and the thought of trying to make love in a hammock...
Originally I planned to make the frame accommodate an inflatable mattress. But those aren't great either for sleeping or sex, though they're better than a hammock. If I had a guest bedroom, I could take partners there instead, and have the sling-bed in my usual bedroom. But we don't have room for another bed anywhere in the house.
I thought about stacking them. I discarded that idea because I couldn't enclose the bottom area, not with a mattress there. But... I realized this morning I don't have to. I already have curtains around the bed, which keep drafts and light out. If I trade a floor heater for my electric blanket under me in the sling... and then add a fan between the sling and the mattress beneath, which I already found I want after too many hot nights enclosed by curtains this summer...
I'll still need cat perches up above. With an 8' ceiling, though, I can make it possible to have full use of the mattress, without having to duck more than a little under the top rail (at about 5'2" on its lower edge). The sling doesn't sag too much when not in use, and even when it is, I think its displacement is about 18" downward; I don't plan to have anyone sleeping underneath while I'm on top, but it could be done comfortably. I'll make a compact stair at the head on both sides to climb up, part of the headboard I was already planning to build -- and I was also planning on revamping the lighting, so that will get wrapped into the new plans. If, heaven forbid, the sling fails, I'll drop onto a mattress instead of cabinetry. I can change the top sheets without too much hassle (I believe), and I can mount and unmount the sling from below when it needs cleaning. Best of all, I'll still have a regular mattress if I'm too sore, sick, or exhausted to climb into the sling.
It could work, I think. It may result in completely replacing the 2x4 frame I've already built... studs are cheap, at least, and I can recycle these in the shop bench project. I'll trade the bridle joints I have now for bolt-through overlaps on the four supports, and maybe a mortise and tenon for the board at the foot (that may take more tools than I currently have). If I run the supports all the way up, I may be able to replace the current mounts for the curtains, which are just screwed into sheetrock in the ceiling; I live in fear of accidentally hauling them down. I need to actually draw up the headboard, now, as it'll have to serve both levels. Also, the footboard should serve as a stool to get to the foot of the sling, for things like changing sheets.
I'm glad I got stalled on this long enough to chew it over for months, as I think this is a better solution overall. Lots of planning to do...
I'm in the middle of making a new bedframe. It got stalled, so I'm still at the stage of reinforcing the 2x4 frame with angle iron; after that I get to start making the facing, which will turn it from an uncomfortable 2x4-on-edge thing to a frame with 8" wide ledges all around.
When I started it, I intended for it to be a replacement for my current mattress and frame. I decided that what I really want is something closer to a hammock or trampoline: a canvas sling, supported on both sides by stiff springs. When I did the initial assembly, it felt really good to lie in, and the springs could be adjusted to add lumbar support and such. It has advantages for heating and cooling, as the sling is really just two layers of canvas; I intended to make a box for the frame to enclose the underlying airspace, to make it easier to heat in winter. It's also really cheap, much cheaper to build and replace than a normal mattress. I could use normal flat sheets, with loops added for hooks on the frame. And it sort of rocks you to sleep like a waterbed, except with less persistent resonance.
There are disadvantages, however. It's hard to sit up in bed, or prop oneself up to read or ease a cough; I've almost finished a reclining window seat to fill some of that need. Most of the rest of the issues boil down to having company, human or animal. I could build little cat-beds on some or all of the corners, but what about if I want to bring a human partner home? The springs could be upgraded to handle 500 pounds or so (I think), but the stitching on the sling might not be enough, and the thought of trying to make love in a hammock...
Originally I planned to make the frame accommodate an inflatable mattress. But those aren't great either for sleeping or sex, though they're better than a hammock. If I had a guest bedroom, I could take partners there instead, and have the sling-bed in my usual bedroom. But we don't have room for another bed anywhere in the house.
I thought about stacking them. I discarded that idea because I couldn't enclose the bottom area, not with a mattress there. But... I realized this morning I don't have to. I already have curtains around the bed, which keep drafts and light out. If I trade a floor heater for my electric blanket under me in the sling... and then add a fan between the sling and the mattress beneath, which I already found I want after too many hot nights enclosed by curtains this summer...
I'll still need cat perches up above. With an 8' ceiling, though, I can make it possible to have full use of the mattress, without having to duck more than a little under the top rail (at about 5'2" on its lower edge). The sling doesn't sag too much when not in use, and even when it is, I think its displacement is about 18" downward; I don't plan to have anyone sleeping underneath while I'm on top, but it could be done comfortably. I'll make a compact stair at the head on both sides to climb up, part of the headboard I was already planning to build -- and I was also planning on revamping the lighting, so that will get wrapped into the new plans. If, heaven forbid, the sling fails, I'll drop onto a mattress instead of cabinetry. I can change the top sheets without too much hassle (I believe), and I can mount and unmount the sling from below when it needs cleaning. Best of all, I'll still have a regular mattress if I'm too sore, sick, or exhausted to climb into the sling.
It could work, I think. It may result in completely replacing the 2x4 frame I've already built... studs are cheap, at least, and I can recycle these in the shop bench project. I'll trade the bridle joints I have now for bolt-through overlaps on the four supports, and maybe a mortise and tenon for the board at the foot (that may take more tools than I currently have). If I run the supports all the way up, I may be able to replace the current mounts for the curtains, which are just screwed into sheetrock in the ceiling; I live in fear of accidentally hauling them down. I need to actually draw up the headboard, now, as it'll have to serve both levels. Also, the footboard should serve as a stool to get to the foot of the sling, for things like changing sheets.
I'm glad I got stalled on this long enough to chew it over for months, as I think this is a better solution overall. Lots of planning to do...
