You may have heard of wall beds, or Murphy beds that allow for more space in bedroom or family room. Historians tell us that the inventor of wall beds, William Lawrence Murphy, created a bed he could stow in his closet so that he would have more living space available for courting a lovely young opera singer. Murphy married his lady and patented this bed design in 1911. His name has become synonymous with beds you can easily tuck into a wall. While wall beds aren’t new, they are becoming more popular in the U.S. as a functional alternative to a traditional bed.
Whether you’re a professional living in a small apartment in a large city or an empty-nester redesigning a bedroom in your suburban home, Murphy beds offer a number of noteworthy benefits.
More Space
Murphy’s creation from more than 100 years ago addresses a need still relevant today — more floor space. A Murphy bed or wall bed allows you to make better use of the vertical space on your wall and frees up as much as 35 square feet of floor space compared to a regular bed.
Safe Ease of Use
Hollywood relied on Murphy beds to get laughs for years, with comedians like Abbott and Costello or Laverne and Shirley struggling with wall beds that wouldn’t stay put. Today’s designs are engineered with safety locks to hold the wall bed in place on the floor and in the wall. Pistons or springs provide easy lifting so you can be confident even while alone that you can safely lift and release your bed.
Comfortable Sleep
Design improvements in wall beds also allow you to use wide range of mattresses, from innerspring to memory foam. Mattress sizes can vary too, from twin to king and everything in between. Murphy bed mattresses are thinner than traditional box springs, but there are a range of options available to you that deliver a good night’s sleep.
Multi-functional Styles
A Murphy bed can be simply styled as a bed cabinet or can include shelving, drawer space, tables, or desk space. Consider how you plan to use the room and choose the wall bed style with the functionality you need. If you have a small apartment or home, then a wall bed with a fold out table can provide an eating space. If you’re transforming your college student’s bedroom into an office, a wall bed with a desk will give you a place to work and your student a place to sleep during holidays or visits.
Designs to Fit your Décor
Just as the structure of a Murphy bed can deliver various functions, the aesthetic designs of wall beds can vary. From deep cherry or mahogany wood in traditional styles to lighter woods with contemporary lines, wall bed options are available to fit your color scheme and furniture style preference. The latest option is a Murphy bed cabinet which does not require overhead space and can be seen in our store today.
If you’re looking for a Murphy bed for your Portland apartment or home, visit Broadway Furniture and explore your options. Come talk to us about your space and find the wall bed that’s right for you.
