When to Incorporate Custom Carpentry

When To

Customize Carpentry

How we built this custom bunk bed for $800 less than the average, ready made, retail purchase.

Ever wonder when is the right time to incorporate custom carpentry? And how do you pencil out the budget of an item, so you can compare it to the cost and convenience of the ready made particle board specials?

Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware will get you with the beautiful catalog's and up-itty influencer review's. But, is that $3,200 bunk bed made from faux wood worth it?

The answer is often, no.

Quality craftsmanship takes patience, and in the end you will likely get exactly what you want, for a little less than t

he big retail brands.

De-Bunk'd

We knew in the early design stages, that Scotty's room was going to have a bunk bed. With that in mind (and his request for a "boat bed"), Scot started whipping up some concepts.

Not everyone has the design gene. If you don't, sit down with your draftsman, designer or contractor, and talk about the options and ideas you may have room by room.

Once the framework is done,

add the creative...

Our carpenter started simple. We built the frame of the bed into the space to see how it felt, then added the T&G, paint, and porthole a few weeks after the initial structure was complete.

The paint job was key.

At first glance it looks like the drywall and beams were part of the original structure. Instead, we had our painter paint the drywall around the frame to create the illusion of connected walls.

Not All Portholes Are Created Equal

If you search portholes online, you will see endless variety's in various price ranges. They are not all created equal.

After researching different brands and websites, we knew the portholes we wanted, had to have

A) thick enough glass that a child's foot wouldn't kick through it, and B) we wanted to be able to actually open the portholes. Many online versions are basic simulations and don't open or have double pane glass.

Lastly the install....

The porthole was the last step in completing this gem! Instead of trying to edge the paint around the porthole, we cut the hole and installed it after the T&G was fully painted for a clean edge to edge installation.

Total Cost: $2,436

Materials: $600

Labor: $1651

Portholes: $185

Pottery Barn Bunk Bed: $2,999-$3,200

Kimberley Nicol

Marketing Manager
[email protected]

Leave a Message

Thank you for your message. We will be in touch with you shortly.

Leave a Message

Thank you for your message. We will be in touch with you shortly.

When To Incorporate Custom Carpentry

Work With Us