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How to convert ottoman bed lid to fold and become headboard?

Hi , I've recently bought a single fold out bed ottoman. I am planning on upholstering it and in the process want to convert the single top to a folding half top to make it have a headboard when the bed is out.

Basically I need to remove the fabric and foam , cut the wood top in half and add a few hinges before adding cut foam back on and upholstering. (See drawings).

Does anyone have any suggestions to how heavy duty the hinges , is 100mm overkill? (or how many needed) as it could be sat on while closed.

Would I need to add a sliver of wood under the hinge screws to secure it more?

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MitchellMc

Hi @Nellstar,

This sounds like a wonderful project. Some before and after images would be fantastic.

How thick is the top currently on the unit? 100mm is likely a little overkill, and you could drop that down to 75m or even 50mm if you add three or four hinges. I'd also recommend you consider a continuous piano hinge, which is what would generally be used in this type of application. Typically, the upholstering would be done first, and then the hinges added afterwards. That's unless you are very proficient at upholstering and can do so around the hinges.

If the lid is at least 19mm thick and made from solid timber, I wouldn't think any additional timber is needed to secure the hinges. The two sections of the top will be supported on both their ends and one side by the base. Once you have the hinges in the middle, that should give you a fairly solid top that you can sit upon.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Nellstar

Thanks ! Should the hinges be under the lid or on top? What would be more secure, noting the added weight when someone sits on it?

MitchellMc

You must place the hinges on the underside of the lid for it to fold as you've drawn @Nellstar.

If you can provide details on what the top is made from and its thickness, our members and I would be better placed to advise whether the top would be suitable for sitting on. As mentioned, the two lid sections are well supported on all sides, bar the middle where the hinge will join them. If the lid has a reasonable thickness, then I would think it would support someone's weight even without the hinges in the middle. If the lid is not self-supporting without the hinges in the middle, I would question whether adding them would solve the issue.

Mitchell

Nellstar

The wood of the lid is 2cm thick and the screws that were in the existing hinges were 1.5cm long.

EricL

Hello @Nellstar

Thank you so much for posting those photos. Would it be possible for you to post a photo of the whole ottoman with the lid open and the bed folded out? This will allow our members to see if the lid sits on the sides of the ottoman or is supported from within. Once our members see the whole picture, they'll be able to give you a comprehensive recommendation.

I agree with my colleague @MitchellMc's recommendation on using a piano hinge. This will give you overall support throughout the join. Let me just compliment you on your excellent diagram and on how you plan on modifying the ottoman. Your objectives are very clear on your plan. We just need to see the fine details to make sure that it will be safe both in its folded and unfolded position.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing the photos of the ottoman.

Eric

Nellstar

Thankyou Erik,

Here are the photos of the lid, it does sit on the top of the bottom frame. I have removed all the lids fabric and am ready to cut the lid(see photo). I expect that by adding in the hinges to the centre, the front edge of the lid will push out over the lip a bit , but I am happy to deal with that minor issue.

The inside of the lid seems to have been built a little to low and the lining rubs on the top of the bed mechanism when closed. I can't see a simple way to fix this other than adding a small wood boarder around the inside edge to lift it up off the base frame. Im not sure if this is worth the effort.

EricL

Hello @Nellstar

Thank you for posting the photos of your ottoman. It looks very nice and once you add the folding headboard function. It'll add an extra feature to your pullout bed. Looking at the photo, I only worry about the gas struts holding the lid. In its folded position it'll hit the struts preventing you from folding it fully. Will you be taking them out so that you can fold the lid neatly or will you be just leaving it as is and have the fold on an angle?

I recommend when attaching the piano hinge to have it short by 25mm from the edge of the hinge so that it won't be in the way when you close the lid. About adding a wood border around the edge, if the hinge hits the bed mechanism you won't have a choice but to add the border. I suggest giving it a test before you screw the lid back on.

Let me tag our experienced members @JoeAzza and @tom_builds for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Nellstar

From what I can see on commercial ones they still have the gas struts but just bolt them a little lower down and the lid just sits on them. I don't mind the lid only folding on a little angle as its just there to fill the gap at the head of the bed, the small angle shouldn't take up any of the length of the bed..

Brad

I would cut the top so that it folds into place just above the struts.

You may want to put some padding between the struts then to fill the gap if we have made a new problem to fix.

MitchellMc

I've been having a look at those angles @Nellstar. My only concern is that the panel might contact the bed frame. If it does, could you remove the struts? Are they needed as the top is very heavy? If you could remove them, the panel attached to the bottom could be lent slightly back to clear the bed frame. Obviously, the bottom ottoman would need to be spaced somewhat out from the wall.

Here's some rendering I've created to have a look at the issue.

Mitchell

Nellstar

Yes I can definately unscrew the gas struts from the base of the ottoman and move them to give more angle to the lid, this could also solve some of the issue of the lid sitting on the struts when open ...thanks for the tip!

tom_builds

Hi @Nellstar,

Love the project you're tackling. Having had a look through the comments I would also go with removing the gas struts to enable the folding mechanism to function without connecting with the bed, or having to rest on the struts themselves.

@MitchellMc's drawings are an excellent resource, the only thing I can add is I would consider adding a fastener to secure the headboard in the folded position to stop it from unfolding of its own volition.

Best of luck,

Tom

Nellstar

UPDATE: FINISHED!

I did come across the issue stated by @MitchellMc with the folded headboard hitting the bed frame, but since it doesn't impact the length of the bed much im going to add moving the bottom of the gas struts to a later project when I reupholster the bottom half.

I have found with the reduced weight of the lid (now its cut in half) makes the gas struts harder to push down (but not impossible), but will also add this fix to a later project(adding lid handle or securing hinged halves together).

EricL

Hello @Nellstar

Wow! What an amazing upgrade to your ottoman. It looks so professionally done, your upholstery skills are top-notch. If I had not seen it in its single configuration, I would have assumed that it always came with a split-folding lid. This is now a much comfier ottoman/pull-out bed as you now have a headboard. Will you be covering the bottom part in the same coloured fabric? Now that you've finished your project, was there anything you would have done differently in hindsight? What would be your number one tip for those members thinking of replicating your efforts?

Thank you so much for sharing your ottoman upgrade, we look forward to seeing your next project.

Eric

Nellstar

@EricL ...yes I will be upholstering the base in the same fabric to match. I am pretty happy with the final product, if I had more patience I might have added button tufting to the top. I will probably need to shift the gas lifts so that the fold top doesn't sit on the bed frame but other than that I wouldn't change a thing.

Nellstar

Finished product with sanded legs and matching base!

MitchellMc

Fantastic work, @Nellstar. I absolutely love it!

Well done.

Mitchell

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