Reclaimed Bleacher Platform Bed

Bleachers!  You know the ones you sat on back in the day at your high school pep rallies or basketball games.  Perhaps the ones you didn't want to sit on if you played basketball or volleyball.  Ask my dad, I HATED to get benched during v-ball games.  Grrr.

One day C and I were shopping at World Market for something.  They had a dresser or something displayed on a simple platform box.  C lightly kicked it with his foot and said, "I could make ya a box like that to put the bed on."  I looked down and then at him to make sure he was serious and quickly nodded Heck Yes!

That's what sparked the project.  C was just at a second use store and got pine to make this awesome bench I never posted.  There were bleacher boards there that he thought might work.  Field trip!

We determined the approximate size we needed and headed to the store.  They carry tons of random stuff.  There were old movie theater seats, doors, gym flooring (yep the super high-gloss stuff with the paint stripes still on it), sinks, drawer pulls, and of course bleacher boards.  I was like a kid in a candy store! There were probably a dozen or so boards.  We needed eight.

These bleachers are from Tacoma Middle School, I believe.  

The boards mostly fit in the car.  We made it home and Z-man pitched in to help unload!

Rather than use the tough chemical stripper C opted to use stripping grit sand paper and his belt sander.  It worked well and sometimes Z helped.  Not sure if it ultimately took longer or shorter.  Guess I'll never know...

Once stripped we decided to use a dark brown stain called Jacobean.  It looked like chocolate!

 
C used lumber from Home Depot to make the box for under the bleachers and stained it the same color.  We decided to let the bleachers hang 1 inch over the box.

Halloween weekend everything was stained, polyurethaned, and dry.  C assembled the box in the garage then his dad helped move it into the bedroom.

Z and C finished bolting all the bleacher boards to the frame "on site."  It was quite cool!

Sadly, I was coming down with a cold so as soon as the bed was together I was ready to give it a test nap. zzzz.  It was heaven!

I'm sure you believe me when I tell you it is quite firm and supportive.  Perfect for our Temperpedic. Love.  The bed frame turned out beautiful and I've slept so well all week!  Thanks C!

Down the road we are thinking about adding a headboard.  Emily sent us a picture of a door turned into a headboard... Then I saw a headboard made from barn wood.  Wheels are turning...   There is some wood left and C is thinking about night stands next.  Ooh somewhere to put my glasses and a book?  Sounds like a plan.