A Murphy Bed was an ingenious invention back when it was difficult for hard-working citizens to own a spacious home or apartment and when people had to make do with what was there. In all its practicality, a Murphy Bed was indeed a great solution to the floor space problem when you wanted to sleep in a comfortable bed but lived in a tight and cramped living space, and from then on, it has become a staple for living in small spaces. With the resurgence in the interest of living small, like in trailers, RVs, and even tiny houses, the Murphy Bed is almost a sure addition to the set-up as well as other furniture that follows the same principle as the bed itself. The mechanism that makes the bed so functional can be applied to any other furniture like a hidden table or desk or even a chair. It is without a doubt easier nowadays to get a Murphy Bed as it can be manufactured by anyone and is even a popular do-it-yourself project. If you are thinking of getting that hidden or secret bed for a small guest room or space in your home, then you should be armed with the right information regarding it. Read down below for more information regarding the Murphy Bed.
What is a Murphy Bed?
A Murphy Bed is a movable bed that can be hidden away in a cabinet case or on a wall implement. It can be lowered to the floor when it is going to be used and after which, it can also be neatly tucked into its cabinet or on the wall. Oftentimes, the case or cabinet that the bed goes into is also functional and has aesthetic qualities to hide the bed. Thus, if the bed is upright, no one would suspect that it is a bed until it gets lowered for use. It can be quite a conversation starter too! As such, a Murphy bed has also taken on other names like a hidden bed, a secret bed, a pull-out bed, or a wall-bed. Nevertheless, it still has to function well as a bed regardless of the mechanisms applied to it, and this are of course the concerns on the weight of the bed, the mattress and whether it can be lowered or pulled out by one person and whether there is an automatic button that you could push so the bed would lower on its own. The funny thing is that all of these contraptions have already been made, and it has not changed the bed at all, but it indeed impacted the cost, the structure, and the materials used to make the bed, the design had always remained the same. With the addition of hinges, hydraulics, and automatic lowering functions, the Murphy Bed became so expensive that the price tag would be enough to make people think twice about it. If you are to spend that amount of money on a disappearing bed, then you might just as get a high-end bed for your bedroom. Fortunately, other manufacturers have found a solution to make Murphy beds cost a lot less than the automatic ones, but without the special mechanisms, it also meant that lowering and putting the bed up on the wall cannot be done by one person alone, as it would be dangerous to do so. The weight of the bed, its frame, and the full-sized mattress would break anyone’s back, thus for safety purposes, it should always be done by at least two people.
How To Assemble a Murphy Bed?
You are now a bit more taken with the Murphy bed and think that it could probably work in your living space, so the next question is if you order a Murphy bed, will you be able to assemble and put it together accurately and safely? There are a few things you need to consider if you are approaching this as a do-it-yourself project, and the first one is do you have the right tools to work with? More often than not, you do have the basic tools and if there is anything that is not there, now is the time to get it before you order the bed. The second thing is do you have enough experience to work on the bed? Do you at least have someone to work with as obvious that this is not a project you could do alone? The third is do you have enough knowledge to follow the manual and put the bed together according to the detailed instructions and drawings? If you answer no to any of this question, then it is better left to the experts, it is much easier and safer to bring have an experienced worker do the assembly than take it upon yourself to do it. But, if you still decide to try it out, then do please enlist the help of someone you know who is also good at this type of project.
What Are The Costs of Getting a Murphy Bed?
A Murphy Bed without the fancy hinges and mechanisms can cost around eight hundred dollars, while the one with the automatic buttons would set you at around a thousand or more. So if the price point determines which kind of Murphy bed to get, then do get the cheaper one. Money saved could always go to another project and you would feel a lot better knowing you did not spend so much on a hidden bed. The other costs associated with the bed are of course the risk and danger it poses to the homeowners. The bed is hidden in a wall or cabinet and the chances of that breaking apart is very real, and this is why the safety of those around the bed should be ensured. The bed is also very heavy, and never attempt to lower the bed on your own, no matter how healthy or strong you are. The design of the bed needs at least four hands to safely navigate it from the wall to the floor and back again. With all of this information, if you decide to get the bed, then you should do it now.