Art Deco Style Bed

This was definitely one of the more challenging projects I’ve done. It was a commission. The client had seen an Art Deco bed (an original from the late 20’s) on a web site and wanted something similar. I took a few elements from the original and worked them into my design- sort of a basic DNA thing.
All the curved veneered elements were vacuum pressed over forms. The tops of the nightstands were shaped using 1/4” MDF patterns and a pattern cutting bit. The curved top of the headboard is solid maple. I found a bowed board at the lumberyard (imagine that!) and clamped it for several weeks on a form to make the bowing more pronounced. It’s a shallow bend, so lots of clamps and glue did the job. Wood’s pretty flexible, after all.
The nightstands and attatched backs are connected to the headboard with bed hardware. The footboard houses a TV lift. That was one of the trickiest parts of the whole thing. Getting the lift to fit right and have access to it with a removable cover took a while to figure out. Needless to say, when it all worked okay, I was much releived.
Installation took several hours because of all the parts involved. Fortunately. the bed itself fit inside the frame the way it was supposed to.
All in all, a very satisfying but nervewracking project. Lots of flop sweat going on.
You can see more photos of the bed on my website- alancarterstudio.com. Click on Portfolio, then Bedroom Furniture, then Custom Deco Bed.