The Bed That Brett Built

This post has been a LONG time coming! Over a year ago (we're talking Fall of 2012) we decided that we wanted to put the girls in a bunk bed. So I began the search for a bed that would fit our needs. My criteria was it had to be white, have a small footprint (no L-shapes), and it had to have drawers in the bottom. This seemed completely reasonable to me. But of course, I couldn't find anything except for this gorgeous bed from Pottery Barn, which had a $2000 price tag. Uh, no. So I decided that Brett could build a bed just as gorgeous as the PB version, for a fraction of the price! He loves it when I volunteer him for projects! So I found free plans online for a classic bunk bed, that I knew Brett could simply tweak to include the 3 integrated drawers that were my heart's desire.

Of course Brett was beyond thrilled to play handy man! He whipped out his graph paper and pencil, sketched out a plan, and off we skipped to Lowe's to buy lumber. We actually worked together building the main portion of the bed (if you call me holding boards for cutting and assembling "helping") and Brett finished the rest on his own. We had it built in just a couple of Saturdays. But then it was time to finish it. All the sanding and painting suddenly felt really overwhelming! Both of our perfectionist natures delayed moving forward as we were a little too intimidated to proceed. And then everything came to a screeching halt when Brett got his calling. He got a little busy.

So the poor, unfinished bunk bed was moved to the side of the garage and began gathering dust. For a year. Until one day in December when something just lit a fire under that man! He did a lot of research, he bought the supplies, and he went to work! Brett took time off of work during Christmas vacation, he spent every Saturday working out in the cold garage, and he got it done. The bunk bed is DONE people! And it is gorgeous.

Brett and The Bed

I would guess he easily put in 50 hours building and finishing it.

If time is money, I don't want to know how much the bed actually cost us.

And yes, that is his Popeye shirt.

We moved Dicie and Mia from their bedroom next to ours to the room across the hall. It had a corner more suited for a bunk bed. Beckham (the nursery) was relocated to the girls old room.

Avery was also moved into the room with the girls! That's her on the toddler bed my Dad built and all of my 9 siblings and I slept on! Avery had been sharing a room with Dallin and Jameson and it was not ideal. Now all the girls are in one room together! And can I just say I have been shocked at how much bigger the girls' room feels compared to their old one?! They have a ton more floor space and actually more drawers. I never thought this room was much bigger than the other, but the configuration just works perfectly as we have it now. It almost feels spacious! We are planning to get rid of the awful fuchsia bedspreads and add some fun decor to spruce it up soon.

The girls have been thrilled about their new space. I have been an absolute Nazi about keeping it clean. And I think Brett would have heart failure if anything happened to that bed! Overall though, it has been a welcome close to a long chapter in our little family narrative!

Moral of the story: Buy the dumb Pottery Barn bed and have done with it. ;)