Here's a solution that worked for us. We lengthened the rails so that the longer queen mattress would fit between the head and foot boards. Then we just laid 2 x 4 crosspieces across the top of the rails to hold the mattress. By opting not to mess with the width of the bed, we didn't have to worry about the connecting system. Granted the mattress is a bit wider than the head and foot boards, but it's not really very noticeable. It does raise the height of the mattresses by quite a bit, but I like a high bed, so this wasn't a drawback to me.

Try the home decorating forum. fir is not hardwood and will not wear well with heavy traffic. In a bedroom it would be easier I think. Are you bed ridden? A king sized bed is pretty large for such a small space. If you don't have any other furniture it could work I think, if you can get the box springs and mattresses through the doorway.

Thank you! My husband isn’t a huge fan of the glass but I think a dark railing will just add some “clutter” to the exterior. We are definitely trying to modernize it while keeping a contemporary feel. Thank you for your suggestions!

We found a custom iron worker to build our steel railing. Google ornamental iron gates, etc. It ended up being a little over 2k. Many folks wouldn't even come bid as the job was too small. We thought about diy, but in the end I am so glad we paid.