Most slatted beds are fairly simple to assemble and all you have to do is attach 4 feet, connect the four sides, before installing the slats.

Occasionally, you come across items that are more difficult to assemble. This particular bed is a “bed in box” ie the entire bed comes in one box.

Usually they come in two or three boxes, because the sides are long and thin compared to the headboard and footboard. The slats for the base you lie on can be packed separately or with either.

So to get the whole bed in one box the simple solution is to cut the side pieces in half. As a result during assembly you then have the additional task of building the sides. So these beds always take a bit longer to build.

Using one box has great advantages for the supplier. It is easier to store in warehouses and load into trucks for delivery, two significant costs in the furniture supply chain. This saving should and is reflected in the price of the bed.

This particular bed in a box from Dreams surprised me with the relatively large amount of hardware to build it. Therefore if you buy this bed be prepared to spend double the usual time.

Assembly Tips

- The method of assembly described in the instructions is difficult on your own.

- I have been building beds for 18 years and it is relatively easy to do, if you do as follows:-

1)

Loosely fit no more than 2 bolts to each side of the head board and foot board.

2) Start by connecting one side to the head board tightly. This should simply slot in. Add any third and fourth bolts now and secure. The head board should now be leaning forward a little, but stable.

3) Connect the opposite side to the head board, again tightly.

4) Now lift one side and hook it into the footboard. The other side will lift and sag a little but this is usually not a problem, if left for a short time.

5) Then lift and fit the other side straight away, so you don’t leave it dangling too long!

6) Now add any remaining bolts and tighten them all up.

7) Finally add the slatted bed base.

Ottoman (Gas Lift Beds) Tip

Build the slatted base after you have built and installed the frame on the gas strutts. Most instructions I have seen instruct you to build the frame and add all the slats first, then lift the (sometimes very heavy) construction into place and secure it. This task can require 2-3 people. If you build the frame on the hinges/struts, one person can easily do this on their own and with far less chance of causing damage when lifting the bulky frame.

As I say this bed has much more to do when building it, as you have to assemble the sides first. There are two areas if difficulty you will have when building this bed on your own.

A)

Each side has a foot, to provide extra support for the join underneath it. In order to complete steps 2 and 3 above easily, I would recommend leaving the feet off the side rails until you have connected all four sides (ie steps 2 - 6 above), then add these feet before proceeding to add the slats.

B)

The other is the bolts connecting the sides to the head board and foot board. They have both tension and flat washers to ensure they hold firmly. However if you try to hook the sides over these you will find it difficult. I would recommend you initially insert the first two without washers, then when add the third and fourth with the washers, before removing the initial two bolts and re inserting them with the washers. Finally tighten them. This will take a lot less time.