The plywood base that the mattress sits on is it rough or smooth? Do you have to paint the plywood?

The plywood was unfinished so we sanded and painted it to match the bed surround. You can also opt to stain or apply a clear coat of polyurethane or equivalent. Just choose a veneer plywood (birch, maple, oak, etc). A lot of these options are available at Home Depot.

Thank you for your quick response!