A Murphy bed, also known as a wall bed, can add extra space to your home by transforming into a couch or table when you’re not using it as a bed. As convenient and space-saving as they are, however, they’re not going to work in every space you might want them to. The size and shape of your room will determine what kind of murphy bed you can use or if one will work at all.
A Preface on Murphy Bed Terminology
The Murphy bed is an iconic furniture piece that has been popularized in Europe and Asia. A Murphy bed consists of two pieces: the headboard, which usually doubles as a desk, and the footboard. These two pieces pivot or fold down from their upright position against the wall to reveal an extra mattress that folds out flat onto the floor (hence its name).
The Murphy bed creates more space in small apartments by folding into itself rather than taking up valuable floor space.
The key question when considering whether your ceiling is tall enough for a Murphy bed is how tall you want your headboard to be when it’s folded down against the wall.
What are some other names for Murphy Beds?
A Murphy bed is also known as an in-wall bed because of its ability to be folded up and hidden inside the wall. You might also see it called a wall bed, folding wall bed or wall mounted fold down bed.
A Murphy bed can be put in just about any room with 8 foot ceilings, though your options will increase if you have 10 foot ceilings. If you want the Murphy Bed to hang over the edge of the wall by around 4 inches, then you’ll need at least 12 foot ceilings.
And if you want that extra 4 inches but don’t have the height, then you can add some wood blocks under the legs of the Murphy Bed so that it hangs over by 6 inches instead.
Where Did The Idea For A Murphy Bed Come From?
The idea for the Murphy bed was born out of the housing needs of World War II soldiers. It was designed to allow soldiers stationed in military barracks or tents to turn their beds up against the wall during the day and return them to normal at night.
The classic-style Murphy bed is comprised of three sections: an upper, middle, and lower section.
The lower section typically includes storage space and drawers.
Murphy beds are typically mounted on wheels so they can be pushed up against a wall when not in use.
Is A Murphy Bed Right For You?
Murphy beds are a great way to make the most of your space and make it seem larger. That’s because they fold up and can be put against the wall or the back of the room. If you’re interested in getting one, you’ll want to measure your ceilings first.
The general rule is that your ceiling needs to be at least 8 feet tall if it’s going on top of a desk or dresser, and 10 feet if it’s going against the wall.
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Some Tips Before Buying One
Do you have any tall windows in the room you want your Murphy bed in? If so, make sure there’s enough space for them to open up. Is there anything hanging on the wall that might interfere with the bed’s swing arm mechanism? These are just some things to think about before making a purchase.
Shopping For A Murphy Bed
A Murphy bed is an excellent space-saving option, especially if you live in a small apartment or house. However, not all homes have the right ceiling height to accommodate one. For example, in order to use this type of bed you need at least 7 feet of headroom (the distance from the floor up to the ceiling).
If your ceilings are higher than that, then this type of bed could be your best option.
Putting It All Together: Narrowing Down The Options
If you’re looking into buying a bed with the intent of transforming it into something else, that can be done. However, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. For example, do the ceilings in your home reach high enough to allow clearance for the bed frame once it’s been converted back? That is one thing you’ll want to consider before making this big purchase.
