Sofa Bed with Storage

This post is sponsored by Rockler Woodworking and Hardware.

We found some really nice already finished plywood locally, so we couldn't resist to try it out for this project. This is also really nice because we are on a bit of a time crunch, so not having to apply finish is a major time saver.

To make things a bit easier we broke down full sheets of plywood with a track saw and then moved up to the table saw to make the final widths. To make sure we didn’t cut through the floor, we just added scraps to lift the wood off the ground. We usually have a foam sheet, but not today.

Next, we wanted to add some visual interest, so we chamfered the edges facing inwards to the couch. This will also give a nice edge to rest an elbow on as well.

While the pieces weren’t assembled just yet, we went ahead and pre drilled for all the screws. After a final sanding, it was time for assembly. We first are going to put together the sides and the back. Then, we will attach the front with screws coming from the outside of the side pieces.

Next, is attaching the lift system from Rockler. This is going to allow us to lift the couch up and store stuff underneath. Honestly, this is my dream. So with just 3 bolts to attach the bottom of the lift to the side and then we will attach the top to the bottom to the another sheet. Before we get to that, we need to add a few stopper pieces to keep the bed from caving inwards.

Now we can attach the bottom on the couch to the lift. It makes it a whole lot easier to install by flipping the entire thing on its back. We were originally going to make this a queen sized bed, but decided not to. The pistons we have are for the weight of a queen bed and are to strong for this twin mattress. So we had to do without them. Make sure you order the right ones for your size mattress if you decide to make a bed like this. To make accessing the storage space easier, we just screwed in a looped piece of nylon for a handle.

After flipping the entire apartment upside down, we got the couch in a place we like and all that’s left is adding some pillows and a side table from one of our previous videos. This storage space is going is seriously a dream for me. Now we can put all of our most used hiking and camping gear under here and not in hard to get to bins. The whole piston thing actually worked out and the bed will stay up without them, so that’s a major plus. 

Dylan has a pretty small apartment, so having this build be either a bed or a sofa is a great way to save on space! #tinyhouseliving Lol!