Murphy beds: Now you see them again in home design

The clients came to interior designer Laura Casey with a space dilemma: They did not want to give up the guest room in their suburban home, yet they needed a place for their child to play.

Casey came up with a solution often used in small urban apartments: a Murphy bed. It takes up less space than a sofa sleeper or futon and unlike many of those uses a standard mattress, so guests, including elderly grandparents, have a more comfortable stay.

"They did not want to compromise the quality of the mattress," said Casey, owner of Laura Casey Interiors in Charlotte, N.C.

The Murphy bed which tucks into cabinetry when not in use is enjoying new popularity as a stylish space-saver in many kinds of homes, not just studio apartments.

Laura Casey designed this Murphy bed for clients who wanted comfortable guest accommodations and a place for their child to play in the basement of their home in Charlotte, N.C. (Provided by Laura Casey Interiors)

"It's an interesting trend," said Chris Fahy, vice president of The Bedder Way Co. in Indianapolis, which makes Murphy beds and has seen sales rise in recent years. He says many customers are Baby Boomers, empty nesters, and other homeowners who want to turn a bedroom into a hobby room or exercise room, but still need a place for grown children, grandchildren or other guests to sleep.

Fahy's Murphy beds range in price from $1,300 to $3,100.

California Closets, which also makes custom wall beds, has seen the same upward trend, said Ginny Snook Scott, vice president for sales and marketing. Customers still buy Murphy beds for studio apartments and vacation homes, she said, but many others are looking to get more use out of an extra room.

The company designs vertical and horizontal Murphy beds, often incorporating them into cabinetry units for home offices or craft rooms. Prices range from $3,000 for a simple wall bed and desk to $20,000 for a custom project with extensive cabinetry.

Support pieces vary by manufacturer, but generally the mattress is encased in a frame that pulls out from a cabinet adhered to the wall. Today's improved mechanism for lowering and raising the bed makes the process an easy job for one person, Fahy said.

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Murphy beds: Now you see them again in home design