In order to maintain a low profile, drop-in poplar slats are used to support the mattress in lieu of a heavy boxspring.

As with all my pieces, each part of this bed is shaped, planed, scraped, sanded, polished, and finished by hand. This process, while extremely labor intensive, imparts a "feel" to the wood that simply cannot be matched by machine.

Detail of the Texas Ebony pegs used in the headboard. See how they are installed here

Detail of the Rail/Footboard joint, with one support slat removed for clarity. From left to right: the milled, brass locating pin used to secure each support slat; the hidden bed bolt, which bolts into a hidden nut integrated into the footboard; and a support slat, which simply drops down onto the locating pin.

This bed was originally commissioned by good friends of mine to complement a piece I had built for them earlier. It features concealed hardware, and pegged, floating, and socketed mortise-and-tenon joinery. (Which is to say, it is built to last a very, very long time.) The idea for this piece was to make something that was calm and quiet, something to come home to after a long and stressful day.

Dimensions: 84″ x 64″ (Queen Size) x 39″
Materials: Cherry with Texas Ebony Accents, Poplar
Finish: Tung Oil, Wax

With the last coat of finish dry and the last little peg installed, all that remains is to photograph the bed…

Here at Kellogg Photo Studios, we take pride in using only the latest and greatest in photographic innovations. For example, a large sheet of paper taped to the front door of the shop.

After shooting everything, the bed is taken apart, buffed with one last thin coat of wax, and carefully wrapped up for delivery.

All told, this project required a little over 150 hours to complete. (153 to be exact.) Now for a quick Shiner, and then it’s on to the next project…