REPURPOSED: MATTRESS TOPPER TURNED DAYBED
The Lineare Instagram account featured this incredible daybed from El Fenn in Morrocco, which was in the most sumptuous velvet. I decided to challenge myself, taking inspiration from this piece of furniture, with the help of my upholsterer and carpenter (also my sometimes painter) and build using things I had a surplus of at home.
El Fenn, Morocco, the daybed that inspired me to go on this project. From the Lineaire Instagram page.
Our daybed at home, decorated with old pillows from Landmark Makati.
SHOPPING LIST
Note: All prices are approximate prices.
▢ FOAM BASE, BOLSTER & PILLOWS
▢ FABRIC
▢ WOOD BOARDS (For the base of the daybed)
▢ STIKWELL
▢ NAILS & SCREWS
▢ HAMMER, SAW, DRILL
▢ WOOD LEGS
▢ SOLIGNUM
▢ BLACK SEMI GLOSS PAINT
▢ PAINTBRUSHES AND ROLLER BRUSH
FOAM BASE, BOLSTER & PILLOWS
FABRIC
WOOD
STIKWELL
NAILS & SCREWS
WOOD LEGS
DO-IT-WITH-HELP DAYBED
STEPS
1 FOAM BASE & THROWS
Get a foam base, mattress or mattress topper. Rummage around your home for materials you can re-use to create this look. In my case, I had a few throw pillows, an old mattress topper from Mandaue Foam, which I would use as the sofa’s seat foam. I had spare grey velvet and hand carved ottoman legs for the wooden base. The only thing new I would have made was the round bolster and the wood base for the daybed.
Throughout the article, I will mention rough estimates for prices in the hope that this is useful as a comparative guide in case you were considering buying a daybed or having one made.
In Mandaue Foam I arranged a mattressand some pillows to form a daybed: Mattress 6x36x75 PHP 3,900 (Topper optional,1x36x75 PHP1,850 if you want something to soften the quite firm mattress)
Bolsters round pillows are PHP 200 each, approx 8 inch diameter and 32.5 in length, you will need 2 pcs. Square pillows from the Mandaue Bargain bin price range PHP 100-350 you will need about 3 large ones and 3 small ones, coming to a total of approx PHP 1,600
They are not the exact measurements of what I am having made. The total cost to this set up (without the topper) is approximately PHP 5,500.00.
2 FABRIC
Choose a fabric. Telas de Mercato is a fabric outlet on Pioneer that sells incredible fabric. Almost all their fabric is PHP595.00 on average per yard. Cost is at your discretion and can range from PHP50.00 a yard in Divisoria to PHP10,000.00 a yard at luxury suppliers. Lets assume the total spend for fabric is PHP 1,500 as I was told we will need 10 yards for the Mandaue Foam set up. Since my mattress topper is smaller than this, I used 7 yards.
3 UPHOLSTERY
Upholster the foam base. We re-costed the labor for the daybed mattress, and since I was providing the foam (the round bolster pillow is made by upholsterer), PHP3,500 from one supplier and PHP2,500 from another.
In the Mandaue foam example, where we have provided a bolster pillow, and an approximate upholsterer’s charge for mattress and bolster covers might be in the region of PHP2,000.00. For throw pillows, I suggest getting ready made covers in Mandaue Foam, for PHP1,000.00 you will have certainly found ones that go with your upholstery fabric choice.
4 WOODEN BASE
My carpenter made the wooden base of this daybed using wood left over from building a cabinet. How thick your wood base is, is dependent on how heavy duty you need the base to be. There is really no need to hire a furniture maker, because a carpenter can easily recreate this base. It is literally a box frame for the daybed to rest on.
To bind the wood base, he used Stickwel, nails, sanded the wood down by hand using sand paper, applied Solignum for 24 hours, and then painted it in spare black paint we had on hand. Prices of wood, Stikwel, nails and screws will depend on where they are purchased as well as how thick you would like your base to be. You might spend anywhere in the region of PHP1,500.00 to PHP3,000.00 for these materials depending on where they are purchased.
One thing I will admit to though, the wooden base my carpenter made needs to be fixed. He didn’t provide enough support for the day bed which was, as I mentioned, made in a memory foam type of material. So whenever adults sit on this day bed, they sink a little. The solution to this is simple- add plywood over the slats to prevent this. My children however, are the perfect weight and they often take naps in what to them, must feel like a cloud.
The total potential material cost to build your own daybed PHP 11,500.
In my case, I spent PHP 3,500 because alot of the items I needed, were already available as surplus from other projects I was doing at that time.
Labour costs not included.
The leg pegs were spares I found in one of our ware houses in Bataan.
Disclaimer: Always speak to an engineer to ensure you are meeting health and safety standards.