The New Yankee Workshop

S02E06 Pencil-Post Bed

Norm takes a trip to the Shelbourne Museum in Burlington, Vermont, where he inspects a vintage pencil-post bed featuring a traditional rope support and a mattress stuffed with hay. Inspired by this design, he modifies it to fit a standard full-size mattress and box spring. Using poplar wood, Norm crafts his pencil-post bed with mortise and tenon joints for durability. The bedposts are intricately tapered along their inner sides and beveled at each corner, resulting in elegant eight-sided, asymmetrically tapered posts that enhance the bed's aesthetic appeal.