What is a Murphy bed?

A Murphy bed, also known as a wall bed, folding bed or hide-a-bed, is a functional furniture piece that can transform any room into a bedroom instantly. These beds utilize vertical space to store and display a bed without the obvious intrusion into valuable room space. They are the perfect addition to any room that doubles as the guest bedroom, or for smaller bedrooms that have limited floor space. Murphy beds are lowered from their vertical position when in use, and can be lifted back into the vertical position in one quick movement, creating the ease of utilizing one room for multiple purposes.  more

A Murphy bed is a space-saving bedding device that allows homeowners and apartment dwellers the opportunity to put more room to use. Essentially, a Murphy bed can be lifted up from the foot of the bed, using the Murphy spring mechanism, and folded back into a closet-like storage area. With the bed now seemingly gone from the area, more room is available to the user for other purposes--such as eating or entertaining. During the 1920's and 1930's, many Americans had Murphy beds in their homes and apartments. Most Murphy beds were housed inside double-door closets, which, when opened, allowed the bed to be lowered to the floor when needed. Developer William Murphy first patented the product in the early 1900s and then opened the Murphy Wall Bed Company. Since changed to the The Murphy Bed Company, this business has experienced highs and lows over the years, depending on the demands of the consumer and the economy. However, the Murphy bed has once again become extremely popular with many ...  more