Everybody loves a Murphy bed.
These beds, which fold up and away into a wall or cabinet, are rather uncommon, so everyone gets a little excited when they actually encounter one.
Murphy beds have been in existence for over a hundred years. Their popularity has risen and fallen over that time, but they’ve never been more popular than they are now.
Many homeowners today realize how functional, comfortable, and space-saving Murphy beds are and are figuring out ways to install one or more of these great pieces in their homes.
If you’re thinking about adding a Murphy bed to your house or apartment, read on. You’ll learn all about these beds and the many benefits they offer.
What’s a Murphy Bed?
It’s possible that you’ve never seen a Murphy bed before. Most people are most familiar with them from seeing them in movies or cartoons. Once in a great while, you may come across a hotel room that has one. Or, if you live in an area with many small apartments, you may have friends who use a Murphy bed to maximize the use of their living space.
More and more people today are buying Murphy beds, though, and even people with large homes find them to be wonderful additions to their spaces.
The Murphy bed is named after its inventor, William Lawrence Murphy. He invented this type of bed so that he could fold it away during the day so he would have more space in his apartment. He applied for the first patents on his invention around 1900. Although similar beds existed before this and were available through the famous Sears & Roebuck & Co catalog, the bed was named for Murphy because of his designs that made opening and closing the bed manageable for anyone.
Murphy’s Murphy beds folded up into a wall; these beds are also called wall beds, fold-down beds, or pull-down beds. Today’s Murphy beds can be built into a wall or they can fold into a cabinet. Murphy bed cabinets may also include lighting, shelving, and more.
5 Reasons to Buy a Murphy Bed
People who buy Murphy beds never regret their purchase. In fact, some even decide to buy more of them for their home’s other bedrooms. There are a number of reasons that buying a murphy bed is a smart idea.
1. Space Saving
As mentioned above, the primary and biggest reason that so many people love Murphy beds is that they are a space-saving tool. When the bed is not in use, it can be folded up and away and out of sight. Anyone entering the room for the first time won’t realize that a bed was ever there; when you fold it down to show them, they’ll be in awe.
Folding a Murphy bed up and into a wall or cabinet will make walking around the room easier. You can use the extra space for other things during the day such as entertaining, studying or exercising, too.
2. A Bed for Guests
Most of us enjoy having guests stay with us in our homes when they are visiting from out of town. However, for many of us, this only happens several times per year. Furnishing a guest bedroom with a regular bed that is rarely used can feel like a waste of the room.
A Murphy bed will allow you to store the guest bed away between visits, thereby opening up the room and keeping it inviting and useful when no one is stopping by for a while.
3. Comfort
Some people think that murphy beds aren’t comfortable. They assume that because the bed is lifted into the wall that the mattress must be of lower quality.
These people are wrong.
Murphy beds are just as comfortable as regular beds. They feature high-quality coil mattresses that are just like the bed you sleep on now. You or your guests will get an excellent night’s sleep on a Murphy bed every night you sleep on one.
4. Easy to Use
Another misconception about Murphy beds is that they are difficult to open and close. That’s not the case at all; Murphy beds are designed so that they can be used by anyone. The interior springs make it easy and they are not heavy.
You can keep the sheets and blankets on a Murphy bed when you close it, too. You don’t need to worry about re-making the bed each time you want to sleep in it – just pull it down and it’s ready to go.
5. Extra Storage
Murphy beds of long ago folded up into the wall and did not offer any additional storage space. Today’s Murphy beds, however, are movable pieces of furniture that often include a number of additional features.
Many models include cabinets on both sides or above the bed that can be accessed even when the bed is closed. Others have storage space hidden behind the bed. You can also add custom cabinets around the room that match the Murphy bed cabinet for a cohesive, overall look.
You may think that Murphy bed cabinets will be unattractive or that they will not match the look over your home’s decor, but there is a cabinet design available for every design taste.
Murphy Beds Are Amazing
Murphy beds are amazing; it’s no wonder people have been enjoying them for over a hundred years. They’re growing in popularity and they are here to stay. Once you add a Murphy bed to your home, you’ll wonder why you didn’t invest in one sooner, and you’ll likely decide to add a few more if possible.
If you want to read more great posts about decorating homes in unique and impressive ways, check out the various blog sections on our site. Learn about homes in California, New Jersey, New York, and Florida, and get excited about all the new ideas you’ll discover.
