I wanted to sleep inside a library.
So I built one.
It started as a ridiculous idea: a bookshelf bed with its own hidden reading nook, and my brain simply would not let it go. I wanted this. No. I NEEDED this.
So I spent months researching every feasible, safe way to make this bed become my reality. I have dogs. Kids. A partner. This couldn’t just look incredible—I needed it to be sturdy, functional, and structurally solid enough for real life.
And there was one tiny complication: I had never built anything like this before. This was the first major project I had ever tackled, and somehow I decided that a king-sized bed sitting on top of a small library was an appropriate place to begin.
In retrospect? Unhinged.
But the result was worth every single moment of research, frustration, second-guessing, and work. And maybe more importantly, it taught me something: I could actually build the things I imagined. The bookshelf bed is an act of love, labor, and magickal execution.
The Build
First, I did the math. Possibly the most tragic sentence I’ve ever uttered.
I knew the dimensions of a king mattress. I knew the dimensions of the shelves. Everything between those two facts became a blueprint full of trial and error—adding shelves, subtracting shelves, rearranging them, measuring again, and slowly figuring out the combination that would turn the picture in my head into something I could actually build.
Then came lumber. Remember: first project. I walked into Lowe’s with measurements, notes, and what I’m sure was the unmistakable confidence of a woman who had absolutely no idea what she was asking for but NEEDED this bookshelf bed.
After a healthy amount of side-eye from an employee who seemed fairly convinced I had lost my mind, I walked out with the materials for the platform that would hold the mattress and the reinforcements I needed for the shelving underneath.
Then came the power tools. And, unexpectedly, I loved them. I am apparently a Ryobi girl. It must be the green. There is something deeply satisfying about taking a ridiculous idea, picking up a power saw, and realizing you’re actually capable of making it exist.
A power saw makes me feel like a modern goddess, and honestly- I am. Here. For. It.
Piece by piece, shelf by shelf, cut by cut, the ridiculous idea stopped looking quite so ridiculous. It started looking like a *gasp* bookshelf bed.
It started looking like the place I’d imagined all along.
You asked for the blueprints.
I’ve made the King size so far! They are available here.
I’m turning everything I learned building this bookshelf bed into detailed plans designed to take some of the trial, error, MATH, and Lowe’s side-eye out of building your own.
The rest of the Cozy Library Bed Collection is coming soon.
dream → obsession → research → holy shit I’m actually building this → finished bookshelf bed → “wait, can I make one?”
Bookshelf Bed with no books
Bookshelf Bed final
The cozy reading nook
Q&A
How do you get on the bookshelf bed?
I use a set of folding steps until I can figure out something cuter and more permanent! The height is around 4′ and I am 5′ even. I’m not hopping up there without steps.
How sturdy is it?
Let me put it in a way that the person reading this might understand. I have had this bed for four years, I have a partner, I read a lot of smut. Make of that what you will. But no, seriously, I’ve had both of us and three dogs on the bed at one time and there was zero movement.
Is there really a reading nook underneath?
YES! And I cannot explain how happy this makes me. I am a true introvert. At this point, I hide from the kids anytime I need to breathe.
What kind of shelves did you use?
They are NOT IKEA! These ones are a bit sturdier with a larger weight limit. The brand is Better Homes & Gardens from Walmart and you can purchase them in several sizes, AND have them delivered. Pro tip: the boxes are heavy af!
How do I build it?
I’m glad you asked! I am working on blueprints for each size bookshelf bed right now. They’re planned for release by the beginning of September at the latest.
If you want to be the first to know when they’re ready, join the coven. I’ll keep you updated.
Be the first to get the blueprints.
Join the coven and I’ll let you know when they’re ready.
How tall is the bookshelf bed / how tall are your ceilings?
The bed is 4′ tall. My ceilings are 9′. I can stand on the bed and barely touch the ceiling.
How do you not fall off?
I am not a violent sleeper. I’ve made it this far into adulthood without launching myself out of bed in the middle of the night, so the height doesn’t personally bother me. However, I recognize that some of you apparently fight demons in your sleep. There is room in the frame design to accommodate a side rail if needed.
What size mattress is this?
The one I built is a king – I’ve got three dogs who tend to hog the bed any chance they get. I am working on plans for each size bed though, no worries.
Do you use a box spring?
No! The custom slat frame I built keeps the mattress both comfy and sturdy. There is no need for a box spring.
How long did it take to build?
Once the initial research was finished and all materials were purchased, the actual build was completed in around 4 hours.
The bed was only the beginning.
What started with one wildly ambitious bookshelf bed has slowly turned into an entire home built one chapter at a time.
