Murphy bed FAQ

Murphy bed plan

2007-05-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

Q: I would like to put a Murphy bed in my room so I have been looking at Murphy bed hardware kits and from what I can tell looking around the net this one seems to be the best....
A: Several years ago I built a Murphy bed using the wallbed kit. The kit has two pistons and two sets of sturdy metal plates with the hinge and piston mounts on them.
Rather than build the murphy bed as per normal plans since the room had an alcove in which the bed would just fit and could be covered, I simply made the bed. For the base, I used the metal rails from the hollywood frame I was replacing and screwed the support that normally goes under the mattress to it. Only a small amount of wood was used -- 12 in by 12 in plates to connect the metal plates in the kit to the metal rails and a headboard (normal height) with 12 inch sides coming forward to support the other metal plate and the mount for the air piston.
Althought the plans seem to give some distances for the distance from the hinge to the piston mount, it may take a bit of playing with as it obviously depends on the weight of the mattress and support. I fine tuned it with a couple of two pound weights at the end of the murphy bed.
My murphy bed is used only on an intermitant basis. I am most happy with it.

What Is Murphy Bed?

2007-05-03T05:01:00.000-07:00

Q: What Is Murphy Bed?
A: Murphy bed (AKA Folding bed) The original Murphy Bed was invented by William L Murphy (this term is now used for any folding bed which can be stored in a cupboard). Murphy actually got his first patent for a folding bed in 1900, and in the same year he set up the "Murphy Door Bed Company". But the bed that most people think of when they think of a Murphy Bed is the "pivot bed", with he invented in 1918, and which pivoted into the doorway of a bedroom cupbiard. Murphy went on to invent further space-saving furniture.
Most murphy beds pull out of the wall vertically. Several of the older apartments I have lived in had murphy beds. I liked them. One apartment had a drawer bed. There was a built in china cabinet or hutch type thing, that you pulled the bed out of, like a drawer. When the bed was put away, it fit under the raised floor of the walk in closet.

Murphy Bed Hardware?

2007-05-03T04:25:00.000-07:00

Q:I am planning to build a murphy bed and has some questions: what is the cheap, easiest, hardware to use for example?
A: I needed a Murphy bed but the only hardware I could find was for a bed that would protrude 22 inches from the wall in the closed position. Much too big for the room. So I had a foam mattress made 6" X 60" x 80". I made a 2" thick torsion box, 61 x 81 and hung it at the lower end of the cabinet with a continuous hinge, steel brass plated 11" from the floor. So the top of the bed is 11 +2+ 6"= 19 " above the floor. Then I built shelves on each side of the cabinet for books and other decorative things. My wife displays weavings on the face of the torsion box so the wall doesn't look like a Murphy bed.
I also have made 2 pieces of 3/4 " x 11" plywood that store behind the bed in the cabinet and fit together like an egg crate these I put under the bed 3/4 of the way toward the foot of the bed to hold it up level with the hinge. One is 4ft long and the other is 2ft long.
The bed has been in place since 1998 and works just fine. I spent 6 weeks in there recovering from knee surgery. The thing is very comfortable. And looks a lot better than those 24" deep Murphy beds.