Murphy Bed Mechanism

A Murphy bed is designed in such a way that it can be folded into a cabinet or a closet when not in use. William Lawrence Murphy (1876-1959) invented the mechanism. Mr. Murphy lived in a one-room apartment in San Francisco, where a standard bed occupied most of the floor space.

He wanted to entertain his girlfriend, but knew that she would refuse to enter his multi-functional room. In order to solve this problem, he experimented with the idea of a folding bed and invented the folding bed. It was patented in 1916.

A Murphy bed is also called a wall bed or a fold-up bed. It is generally used in mobile homes, apartments, and hotels for saving the space. Its mechanism allows it to be used as a comfortable bed at night, and as an attractive furniture during the day. If you need an extra bed for your guests but don't have enough space, then Murphy bed is the best option.

It works in the simplest of ways: a box (containing a bed and mattress) is fitted in a cabinet, which is attached to the wall. The box has legs that rotate in or out, depending upon the position of the bed. It is provided with springs to store it upright and to be able to fold easily.

The bed can be surrounded with a cabinet of your choice. When folded, it occupies a small space (less than 2 feet) that leaves the rest of the room free for other uses.

This kind of bed is usually made up of wood; however, the frame of the bed can also be made of steel or aluminum. Since its invention, the material and design have changed tremendously. You can opt for a single mattress or a king-sized mattress.

These beds come in two types, namely, panel beds and bi-fold beds. The main design includes a bed and cabinet. The traditional Murphy bed is a panel type, where there is only one door that opens the cabinet directly.

In case of bi-fold type, the doors open by pulling on the sides, and then the bed is lowered. The panel type bed has more advantages as you can access the side cabinets when the bed is still open.

The accompanying cabinets that hold the bed can be used as open shelves or storage cupboards. Depending upon your needs, you can have additional features such as a table, sofa, and drawer box along with the bed.

Different Murphy bed kits and plans are available based on their sizes and price range. The kits consist of hardware required to support the mattress and to fix the bed to the wall. These kits come with a step-by-step instruction booklet and an assembly video.

You can easily build your own bed by following the instructions provided. Building your own bed will allow you to choose a color and design that will match the rest of your bedroom furniture.