The Murphy Bed

The adage “Necessity is the mother of invention” holds absolutely true with the Murphy bed.

The original "Murphy Door Bed"

In the early 20^th century, William Murphy lived with his wife in a small, one room apartment in San Francisco, and their bed took up most of the floor space. Wanting to entertain guests, but not wanting the bed to be the main attraction, he invented what is now simply known as “The Murphy Bed,” a bed that pivoted on the doorjamb of a dressing closet, and then lowered into a sleeping position. In 1916 he was granted a patent and The Murphy Wall Bed Company began production. The rest (forgive the pun), as they say, is history. The company is still in business and is one of the oldest furniture manufacturers in America.

Murphy beds are an immediate go-to solution for decorating small apartments, guest bedrooms, college dorms, or any room where floor space is at a premium and there’s a need for multiple functions within the area.

The Murphy Bed concept is no longer limited to having a bed fold out of a closet. Bookcases that incorporate a fold down bed are becoming increasingly popular, as well as wall units that convert from a dining or work table to a practical, if not luxurious, sleeping space.

The deign of the Murphy Bed has come a long way since its inception.

A Google search for “murphy bed” will show you thousands of sites for how to incorporate this clever idea into a design solution. The Murphy Bed Company is the original resource to find this solution. California Closets is another maker of  “wall bed” solutions, while Flying Beds leans to a more modern approach with clever shelving solutions in their designs. If you want to build your own wall bed solution, you can buy just the mechanism and be limited only by your own imagination. 

The Murphy Bed is truly a Resource We Love, and one we couldn’t do without!

This article is for informational purposes only and in no way endorses specific manufacturers of the products shown herein.

Photos courtesy of The Murphy Bed, California Closets, and Flying Beds.­