When I was designing a guest house and hotel using shipping containers, I looked into a lot of different types of beds to use in the living room / bedroom.
Murphy Beds are a great bedding solution for tiny houses and small shipping container homes because they can be stowed away against a wall to give more space in the living room when not sleeping and they are a lot more comfortable than sleeper sofas, futons, or cots.
The entire room becomes converted from a living room to a bedroom when the Murphy Bed is pulled down from the wall.
Murphy Beds Have the Same Mattress as Other Stationary Beds
Unlike sleeper sofas, futons, or cots, the mattress that is used on Murphy Beds is the same type that is on conventional stationary beds. This makes the comfort of the Murphy Bed so much better than those other types of beds.
I have had sleeper sofas in my homes so my guests can have a place to sleep when all the other bedrooms are taken. And, I always hear complaints of how thin the mattress is and how the metal bar supports are uncomfortable to sleep on.
Since Murphy Beds use thicker mattresses, they give a lot more support and comfort when sleeping on them.
Murphy Beds Don’t Require a Box Spring
The Murphy Beds don’t need a box spring. The mattress is placed upon wooden slats that are curved upwards. This helps the mattress from sagging when slept upon.
Futons are like thick sleeping bags that you sleep on top of. They won’t do well on the frame of a Murphy Bed because they would slip through the slats.
Murphy Beds are Easy to Set Up
There are two pistons attached to the Murphy Beds that are calibrated to the weight of the mattress. This makes it easy to pull the bed down from the wall. Even though the Murphy Bed weighs around 500 pounds, the pistons keep the bed from dangerously dropping down like a heavy stone.
When the mattress is pulled down from the wall, the cabinet remains attached to the wall.
The legs under the mattress frame will need to be extended to support the bed on the floor.
You can keep the sheets on the mattress when stowing the bed up against the wall. The pillows will need to be stored somewhere else though.
Murphy Bed Cabinets Can Be Plain or Have Furniture Attached to Them
A Plain Cabinet with a Murphy Bed Gives More Freedom When Selecting Living Room Furniture
The guest house and hotel designed with shipping containers have a Murphy Beds with a plain cabinet.
You can see the plain Murphy Bed in the guest house design by clicking here.
You can see the plain Murphy Bed in the hotel designed with shipping containers by clicking here.
When the bed is stored up against the wall in the plain cabinet, folding chairs can be placed in front of the cabinet so the living room will have a place to sit.
Here is the link to see the cost of the plain Murphy Bed cabinet.
Built-in Sofa on a Murphy Bed
If you don’t want to have to move the folding chairs out of the way every night when you go to bed, then the Murphy Bed with a built in sofa would be a perfect solution.
Here is a link to price a Murphy Bed with a built-in sofa.
Built-in Furniture on the Murphy Bed Can Include a Desk
If you want to convert a home office into a place to hang your head and take a snooze, then the Murphy Bed with a desk attached to it could be a good solution.
Here is the link to the Murphy Bed with a built-in desk.
You might want to check out my design of a home office using a shipping container at this link.
Built-in Shelves on the Side of the Murphy Bed Cabinet
Having shelves on the side of the Murphy Bed cabinet will require more space. So, you will need to plan ahead when designing your living room and any other adjacent space (like the kitchen) to make room for the shelving unit.
Here is the link to this Murphy Bed with Built-in Shelves. Click here.
The shelving unit can be on only one side or both sides of the Murphy Bed cabinet.
I like the look of having the shelving on the side of the Murphy Bed cabinet because it helps make the cabinet not look so plain. The shelves make the entire assembly look like a wall unit.
