The Murphy Bed, Twentieth Centure Innovative Space Saving Bed

If you’re a large family you may at times find it difficult to conserve space, particularly if you’re partial to visits or if you are an accommodation provider you may at times which your facilities could house five people instead of four!   The problem is that if you are short for space you may only ever consider fold out beds or mattresses to solve the problem of extra people, but there are other, more interesting ways to achieve more sleeping space, without breaking the bank.

A good practical solution for space saving is the Murphy Bed, which is basically what is known as a wall bed that unfolds and then folds up in seconds.

The bed itself was designed by one William Murphy near the beginning of the Twentieth Century as a solution for small apartments but since then has continued to offer innovative sleeping solutions for people.

Basically a Murphy Bed allows you to sleep at night, but during the day when you might be entertaining, it can simply be folded up in to the wall – giving you plenty of room to run about.

While it may not be the first choice for a lot of people, it’s surprising just how useful it is.  If you have a teenager who likes to invite friends around then this is a great way to allow that while not being a permanent visible fixture in a bedroom.

Some designs incorporate the standard fittings of any bed such as headboards and bed posts to give the aesthetic look of a normal bed that just so happens to be able to neatly fold away. If your concern is that it might seem like a tacky space saving solution, don’t! You can find your ideal match that comes equipped with whatever features you are after such as headboards.

Equally if you’re a hotelier or run a B & B, the Murphy Bed is also a wonderful way of offering extra space to guests while they holiday, especially if you’re used to getting groups in.  Very often for example,  a lot of places cater for a group of four (two adults and two children) or two couples perhaps, but when there’s a fifth or even a sixth it can be a hassle trying to accommodate everyone.

That’s why the Murphy Bed also has some commercial value.  It saves you having to struggle during high season and means that if you do get a party of people looking for somewhere to stay it’ll be an easy way to say yes, increase your room rate and therefore your business turnover.

During the Eighties Murphy Beds were very popular because when properties were at a premium it mean that you could basically fit people in to smaller spaces and thus was a way for younger buyers to get their own ‘pad’ without having to pay the high prices.

These days they’re still a winning option for a lot of people although they have changed considerably over the years with higher quality of designs and variations and even bespoke co-ordinated units to house them that will match the room they are in perfectly. As mentioned, some designs include headboards or bed posts to make the bed appear more normal in a room.

There are even options with a Murphy Bed that allows full co-ordination in to wall units and even extra options like fold-out bed-side tables.

They can be purchased in a single or double bed format too, offering any buyer that is looking for space saving sleeping arrangements every chance to accommodate a buy house or hotel!