What Is a Murphy Bed?

A Murphy bed is also called a wall bed. As the name implies, a wall bed is a bed that is stored up against the wall. If you are currently picturing a mattress and boxspring leaning against your wall, however, you’ve got the wrong idea: This type of bed looks like a high-end storage unit.

The way it works is that during the day and whenever you aren’t using it as a bed, the unit simply stands in the room. They usually have shelves, drawers, and cabinets that you can use for whatever you’d like to store in the room. Your storage designer will talk to you about the different options available.

When you have an overnight visitor or someone will be using the bed, the true magic happens! You simply pull down the middle section, and the bed unfolds from the wall. Snap it into place, put clean linens on the mattress (which is the size of any regular bed), and you have a comfortable place for your guest to spend the night. No more pulling out the sleeper sofa or inflating an air mattress, which will be a relief to not only you but your guests as well.

• Give your guests somewhere to put their items. If you don’t have a separate guest room, you probably don’t have a separate guest closet. If you can clear out some space, however, that will allow them to put their clothing away rather than keeping it in a suitcase. Impeccable Closets offers the Top 4 Tips on Organizing Small Closets (such as a closet in your office or in the den) so you will have some room to offer your visitors.

• Save toiletries from hotel stays or stock up on small-sized products. Your visitors might not have brought along shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen, lotion, and other essentials. Help them avoid awkward situations by placing a basket of these small items in the bathroom that they will be using. Or you might store it in one of the shelves or drawers of the wall bed itself.

• Give them some privacy . If you are setting up your Murphy bed in the dining room or another public area, try to provide some privacy with the use of privacy screens (like these ) or by hanging a sheet in the doorway. Plan on serving breakfast in the kitchen instead of in the dining room if your guests might want to sleep in a bit. If you are putting them in your home office , bring your laptop and any supplies you will need in the morning out of the room so you don’t have to disturb them early. A bed set up in the playroom can provide privacy if you keep some toys in a different area to keep your children entertained for a while in the morning.

• Look for upscale linens. If you keep special linens set aside for guests, that can make the bed feel more cozy. Don’t feel as though you have to spend a lot of money, though: You can find soft vintage sheets at thrift shops or you can often purchase new sheets on sale during the month of August, when college students are moving into their dorms. Even a new comforter can jazz up older sheets and make the space seem more inviting.