What Is A Murphy Bed?

Have you considered adding a Murphy Bed to your home or apartment to create a multi-functioning space? Even though Murphy Beds were invented more than 100 years ago, it seems that we are seeing more people move towards these multifunctional, space saving beds more than ever. But why has this bed made such a comeback in this day and age? To understand why more people are jumping on the Murphy Bed bandwagon, you first need to know what a Murphy Bed is.

Around the turn of the last century, William Murphy, the bed’s namesake, and inventor applied for a patent for this unconventional and innovative pivot design we now know as the Murphy Bed. Whether fiction or fact, the story goes that Mr. Murphy (a one-room apartment dweller at the time) was trying to woo a beautiful opera singer, but convention frowned upon a woman entering a man’s bedroom while the two were still “courting”. Well as the old anecdote goes, “love makes you do crazy things”, Murphy converted his one bedroom apartment into lounge, suitable for entertaining guests of the female persuasion by inventing the Murphy Bed, a bed hinged at one end to store the bed vertically against a wall, cabinet, or closet. This allowed for the user to quickly and safely store their bed out of sight when they weren’t using the bed. Many Murphy Beds now come equipped with lighting features, cabinets, and additional storage units.

Fast forward to the present day Murphy Bed. While the Murphy Bed or wall bed still remains “hinged at one end to store the bed”, many cutting-edge features have been added to meet the needs of Murphy Bed customers in this century. Murphy Beds come in all shapes and sizes, from bunk wall beds to bookcase wall beds, and even powered wall beds, Murphy bed are becoming the contemporary space saver for apartment dwellers, homeowners, and even sleep clinics everywhere.

If you want to own your very own Murphy Bed, there are some things to consider, the overall size of a Murphy Bed and the price. Murphy beds come in all sizes from Twin to King. Whatever your budget is, plan on spending a little extra money than you would on a regular bed. The investment is well worth it though since many Murphy Bed models come equipped with a lifetime warranty.

Murphy Beds For Your Home & Budget

Since Murphy Beds are the optimal piece of furniture for small spaces or dual functional areas, the size of the wall bed matters. Most Murphy Beds you’ll find today are anywhere from 79”-90” in height, 14”-16” in depth, and 80”-90” in projection. Width length can vary from 44”-82”, depending on the weather you purchase a King, Queen, Full, or Twin Murphy Bed.

Depending on what size, features, accessories, and other gadgets you want in your Murphy Bed, will determine the final price. Due to the variety of styles and manufactures of wall beds, prices may vary.

We’ve compiled a basic price list of what you can expect to pay for some of the more popular, quality Murphy Beds, in today’s market.

Basic Murphy Bed

- Owning a wall bed means making a small investment, no matter what kind of Murphy Bed you’re getting. However, the space-saving functionality and the fact that many wall beds are guaranteed to last a lifetime, make buying a Murphy Bed a smart choice. A basic Murphy Bed will cost anywhere from $1200- $3500, depending on size and materials used to design your Murphy Bed.

Power Wall Bed

- If you enjoy the finer things in life or just want to be able to expose a hidden Murphy Bed with just the push of a button than a Powered wall bed is a perfect option for the modern home or apartment dweller. You can be the proud owner of a Powered wall bed for $6,500 and up.

DIY Murphy Bed Kits

- Love a good DIY project? Now there are Murphy Bed DIY kits available from many quality Murphy Bed manufacturers that allow you to build your own Murphy Bed. DIY Murphy Bed kits start at around $700 for a twin size Murphy Bed and up to $1300 for a King.