I Built a Bed That Is Also a Playhouse and a Slide and a Dresser and a Bookshelf

My five-year-old daughter saw my wife browsing Pinterest, and long story short, I ended up building this bed/playhouse/slide/dresser/bookcase for her room:

I planned it out in SketchUp. It’s an original design inspired by a number of beds online, and the slide is based on The Wood Whisperer’s bunk bed slide. (My SketchUp file is available here.) If you’d like to build your own, I made a 40-page set of plans and you can get the PDF on Etsy.

The stairs have built-in drawers, so they double as a dresser.

The bottom three drawers don’t run the full depth of the stairs, so there’s space at the back for books and baskets.

There’s another bookshelf built into the space underneath the slide. One side is accessible from inside the playhouse…

…and the other side is accessible from under the slide.

The slide is made of melamine, the structural portion of the bed is poplar, and most everything else is MDF.  The cedar shingles were left over from my Infinity Wishing Well project.

From start to finish (although not including the time to design it), this project took 107 hours over two months — well worth it, considering my daughter will spend at least 3,000 hours using it every year.


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44 responses to “I Built a Bed That Is Also a Playhouse and a Slide and a Dresser and a Bookshelf”

  1.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    That’s amazing, Chris.

  2. Karli Avatar
    Karli

    I love this!!! I tried opening up your plans, and it wouldn’t allow me to.

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      Hi Karli, the link is working for me now; try copying and pasting this URL:

      https://www.chrisfinke.com/files/downloads/Bunk%20Bed%20With%20Slide.skp

  3. Mary Rudy Avatar
    Mary Rudy

    love this! Trying to see if my hubbie can build one by Christmas. :P I can’t open file either. Can you send link as PDF?

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      Hi Mary, I emailed you the SketchUp file directly. Hopefully that works!

  4. Asif Avatar
    Asif

    Perfect.
    Be looking for something like this for ages.
    Been looking to buy one but can’t seem to find the right one in the UK.
    What you have done is perfect, can you send me link and I’ll see if I can get someone to make as the link above doesn’t work.

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      What happens when you click on this link?

      https://www.chrisfinke.com/files/downloads/Bunk%20Bed%20With%20Slide.skp

      You should get a file to download that you can open with SketchUp.

    2. Jaelyn Beiler Avatar
      Jaelyn Beiler

      I would love to build this for my son!!! The plans won’t open though

  5. Sheila Avatar
    Sheila

    I can’t open it either. Could you email me it Sheilabreslin0603@gmail.com

  6. Carley Avatar
    Carley

    This is perfect!! I as well can’t get the links above to open if you could email me as well I’d appreciate that!

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      I’ve emailed it to you; let me know if you have any problems opening it.

  7. George Sowell Avatar
    George Sowell

    Cam someone email the plans to me

  8. Katja Avatar
    Katja

    Ich finde das Haus super. Können sie es mir bitte auch per Mail schicken?

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      Yes, I’ll email it to you now.

  9. Jo Avatar
    Jo

    I own a in home daycare and have been looking for ways to go up to help with 6 feet social distancing. This is the perfect addition to our large playroom with some extra bracing and support. Will you mind emailing me your plans I’m struggling with opening the other. Thanks so much we appreciate you so much.

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      Yes, I emailed it to you just now.

  10. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    I can’t seem to open the files? This is the most amazing bed I’ve seen 😍. Could you email me the plans, my 3 daughters would love this!

    mmr8356@gmail.com

  11. Jodi Avatar
    Jodi

    I would also love if you could send the files to my email! jemoda3@gmail.com

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      I’ve emailed you the SketchUp file just now.

  12. Nabaasa Avatar
    Nabaasa

    Hello Christopher!

    I have designed my own loft bed for my twins and wondered if you wouldn’t mind sharing how you made the slide. This is the only thing I am struggling to figure out even after reading and watching videos.

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      I followed the Wood Whisperer slide plans pretty closely (https://thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/bunk-bed-with-slide/). The slide is basically just a piece of melamine held between the two sides inside a groove:

      And the top of the slides is resting on the two sets of legs that are on either side of the bookshelf.

      The legs are half-lapped into the slide rails.

      It was definitely the trickiest part, both because of the angles and the weight of the finished slide.

  13.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    I would love the file for this design.

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      Sorry my email is smith_aj10@yahoo.com.
      Thanks!

      1. Christopher Finke Avatar

        I e-mailed it to you.

  14. Nicole B Avatar
    Nicole B

    Trying to compare costs with deciding to either buy a new loft bed (with stairs & slide) or doing a DIY, how much did you spend on materials? (Keeping in mind I have no tools)

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      If you don’t already have the tools and/or woodworking experience, I think buying one will be your best bet. I think I spent at least $300 on the lumber (although that will be location dependent), and you can get something similar on Wayfair for $600 (like https://www.wayfair.com/Harriet-Bee–Stairway-Twin-Over-Twin-Bunk-Bed-With-Two-Drawers-And-Slide-X117702761-L1074-K~W006691650.html ).

      Or, if you’re in the southern Oregon area, we could make a deal for the one I built, since my daughter has decided she’s now too old for something so fun :)

      1. Christopher Finke Avatar

        Update: I found a copy of the receipt from when I bought the poplar, and it would cost about $425 today. Plus a sheet of melamine for the slide, two sheets of MDF for the stairs, and wood and hardware for the drawers would bring the price to at least $600.

  15. Pedro Avatar
    Pedro

    Hello Chris.
    Can you send an email with the plans please?
    My email is Pedrom_marques@hotmail.com

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      Sure, I’ve sent them to you.

  16.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Hey there! Is there any chance I could get the pdf as well? Desperately needing stairs plans like that! Thanks so much! Brieanncraven@ gmail.com

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      Sure, I’ve emailed it to you.

  17. Gregg Stoel Avatar
    Gregg Stoel

    Would love a set of plans I can open. Thanks

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      Sure, I’ve emailed them to you.

  18. Danielle Alva Avatar
    Danielle Alva

    I would love the plans the links doesn’t work for me!

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      I’ve emailed them to you.

  19. Oguzhan Avatar
    Oguzhan

    Hello! Very good design ! Is it possible to get plans for my little monster! Thank you very much!

    oguzhanbozdogan@gmail.com

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      Sure, I’ve emailed them to you.

  20. Christina Cardenas Avatar
    Christina Cardenas

    Happy New Year. My lil grandson said THIS is the bed he wants. Would you be so kind as to email the plans, please? Especially interested in knowing the slide height and length. Thank you. Caidan.ice@gmail.com

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      Sure, I’ve emailed them to you.

  21.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    I would love the plan as well kobeethepoodle@gmail.com. Really appreciate it!

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      I’ve emailed them to you.

  22. Dana Avatar
    Dana

    I love this! I have been looking everywhere for something like this and an idea of how to build it (a SHM of 2 little girls with a very very tight budget). I know it’s been while since you’ve posted this, but could you send me the plans please?

    1. Christopher Finke Avatar

      I’ve emailed the plans to you.

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