A Murphy bed also called a wall bed or foldaway bed is named after an American inventor who created the first of these beds in 1910. (The inventor’s name was Preston L. Murphy, so you can see why the beds are called Murphy beds!) A Murphy bed allows you to hide your bed and save room when it’s not in use; when you want to sleep at night or doze off during the day, you can easily reveal the bed from its hiding place!
Hardware
You will need two pieces of wood, one for the long side of the bed and one for the short side. You will also want some plywood, or if you are feeling especially creative, try building your Murphy Bed out of pallets. Next, measure the space where your Murphy Bed will go and cut your two pieces of wood accordingly.
Use nails or screws to attach them on three sides (the short side should be open) so that it looks like a rectangle with an open end facing up. Measure out where you want your mattress so that it is in front of the opening and then use nails or screws to attach it on three sides so that it looks like a rectangle with an open end facing down.
Wood
You will need some wood for the frame. For this, it’s best to use something sturdy like pine or oak. It should be cut into two pieces that are each 4 ft by 3 ft. You’ll also need four pieces of 1×2 boards (1×2 means the width is 1 inch and the length is 2 inches). Cut those into lengths that are six inches shorter than your two frame pieces.
These will serve as supports for your mattress. You’ll also want some hinges so the bed can fold up when not in use and can be stored against the wall when not in use. Make sure they fit snugly on the back of the frame so they don’t stick out too far and get caught on things while stored.
Plywood
-1 sheet of 3/4 plywood (for the headboard)
-2 sheets of 1/2 plywood (for the mattress support boards)
-1 sheet of 1/4 plywood (for the side supports)
-1 sheet of 3/8 plywood (for the back panel)
Mortise Hinges
Murphy beds, also known as wall beds, are beds that can fold up and be stored against the wall during the day. This allows more space in your room and helps declutter. However, there is one key piece of hardware that is needed for this project: mortise hinges.
Bolts And Nuts
Your first step is going to be measuring the space in your room. Measure the height of your mattress and cut four boards that are the same length as your mattress. This will allow for the rails and slats on your Murphy Bed, so measure accordingly. Once you have these four boards cut, screw them together with two bolts and nuts on each corner.
Now that this frame is assembled, measure from one end of the frame to the other end of the frame and find out how wide it is. The more width that there is, the more stable your Murphy Bed will be because there will be more surface area touching the floorboards. So take this into account when cutting boards for construction purposes.
