Finally completed a bed for my 3 year old daughter. This was my first project in 20 years, so it’s taken me about 9 months of relearning techniques, practicing, finding the right tools, and just finding time really.
Originally was just M&T and half lap joins, but when setting up I decided it was a little too wiggly so I put 38mm and 17mm angle brackets to reinforce it.
Mostly construction lumber from local hardware shop. A few pieces “feature pieces”, Blackbutt and Macrocarpa. Finished with walrus furniture oil. The slats were cut down from someone selling off pieces of their bed on marketplace. (?)
Maybe try a darker stain? You said you used construction wood and well... It shows. And when in contrast with the nicer boards you used, it makes the "feature" wood look like rotten planks found on the side of the road. A darker stain on the construction wood might help it blend more.
Absolutely I knew the aesthetics wouldn’t be good, Those “nicer” boards were just someone’s offcuts I got, so you’re not far off with that assessment. I’ve never used a stain before, so don’t have anything on hand. For finishing, I just have walrus oil (free sample from the hardware shop) and shellac available, but If I had some money I would have gone uniform timber all over.
You can ebonize wood by applying Iron Acetate. Take steel wool and dissolves it in vinegar for a few days. (use a mason jar or whatnot) then apply to the wood with a rag. It "burn" the wood to a much darker color. I like to let rust form and use the rust as part of the stain. It gives it a deep red color.
Transtint dye works better on softwood like pine. Traditional stains tend to blotch pretty badly unless you use a seal coat like shellac underneath. Prestain conditioners help some by saturating the pores, but still don't work great in my experience