Lounge in comfort: Make a stylish daybed from a sauna bench
Build a stylish daybed for your terrace from a sauna bench. Hang it from the terrace ceiling using sturdy rope, then top it with a mattress.
Terrace daybed: materials
- A ready-made sauna bench, about 60 x 170 cm (you can opt for a recycled one or get a new element at a hardware store)
- Strong rope
- Two swing hooks to attach to the ceiling, plus a drill for installation
- Two sturdy metal rings
- Wooden strips, 2 x 2 cm thick
- A measuring tape, a saw, a hammer, and four nails
- A piece of foam mattress and fabric to cover it
- Thread, a needle, and a sewing machine.
Terrace daybed: instructions
1. Measure the length and width of the sauna bench, as well as the width of the recess underneath it. Cut two pieces from the wooden strip that are half a centimeter shorter than this recess.
2. Measure the distance between the ceiling hooks: subtract the width of the strips from the total length of the bench. Mark the hook locations on the terrace roof.
3. Measure the lengths of the two ropes you will use for hanging. Subtract your desired seating height (e.g., 42 cm) from the distance between the roof and the floor. Multiply that by two, then add the length of the recess beneath the bench and 50 cm for the knot. Make sure the rope can slide through the gaps in the boards.
4. Thread the hanging rings onto the midpoint of each rope and secure them with a clove hitch. Next, feed the rope ends through the outermost gaps in the bench boards and knot them tightly underneath with tight sailor’s knots. Leave at least 15 centimeters of rope at the ends so the knot stays secure.
5. Nail the wooden strips to the outer edges of the bench recess (two nails each) so the knots remain inside and do not slip out through the gaps.
How to sew a cover for your terrace daybed
- Determine the size of the foam mattress: subtract 15 cm from the total length of the bench and 5 cm from its width. Cut the foam from an old mattress with a utility knife, or purchase a suitable piece from a store that sells foam by the meter.
- Cut a piece of fabric to fit: add 30 cm to the mattress length to determine the fabric length. Double the mattress width and thickness, add those together, then add 2 cm for seam allowances to find out the fabric width.
- Machine-sew the long edges with right sides facing, using a 1 cm seam allowance. Turn the tube right side out, press the seam, and slide in the mattress so there is about 15 cm of fabric at each end. Fold each end with a generous hem and hand-sew it closed.
Hanging the terrace daybed
- Install the swing hooks on the terrace roof at the spots you marked, and slip the hanging rings of the ropes onto them. Check that the daybed hangs evenly. Tighten or adjust the knots under the bench as needed.
- Tuck the rope ends under the rope loops so they don’t dangle. Then place the mattress on top.
Tips!
- If you’d like the mattress surface to resist moisture and be easy to wipe clean, use oilcloth for the cover.
- You can hang the daybed from a sturdy tree branch or the strong roof beams of a pergola instead of dangling it under a canopy.
- If you don’t want a hanging bed, attach large caster wheels or legs to the bench for a more traditional daybed.
