Are you looking for a bed to accommodate occasional guests? Perhaps you have little room in your home and need a bed that can save space when not being used. If so, you should think about turning to a Murphy bed.
A Murphy bed is a bed that folds up into a wall or shelf. It swings up from the floor and folds so as to make the wall or the shelf look entirely flat.
How does a Murphy bed work exactly? We’re going to get into the details below.
Types of Murphy Beds
We’ve covered the question of “What is a Murphy bed?” Now, let’s discuss the different types of Murphy beds.
Wall-Enclosed Murphy Beds
If you want to save as much space as possible, then you should consider a wall-enclosed Murphy bed. These beds fold into walls, ensuring that they take up no space whatsoever when not in use.
These types of beds require special installation. However, they can be highly beneficial and, when installed correctly, will blend in with their respective walls almost entirely.
Looking for a wall-enclosed Murphy bed or something similar? Take a look at the Wilding Wallbeds website.
Cabinet Murphy Beds
Cabinet Murphy beds serve as both cabinetry and bedding. This is generally facilitated by placing the Murphy bed in the middle of the piece of furniture and placing cabinets on each side of the bed.
In this case, the Murphy bed is covered by a folding door which needs to be opened prior to the bed being folded down.
Note, however, that there are also cabinet-style Murphy beds that are small and compact. These present themselves more like clothes dressers when not in use, but allow beds to fold out of them nonetheless.
Cabinet Murphy beds are beneficial in that they offer up a nice aesthetic when the bed is not being used. Not to mention, they provide a decent amount of storage space.
Shelf Murphy Beds
Shelf Murphy beds work in the same way that cabinet Murphy beds do. The only difference is that their sides contain shelving as opposed to cabinetry. Again, these provide a nice aesthetic while also allowing for some storage.
Desk Murphy Beds
Another model to consider is the desk Murphy bed. This looks and acts like a desk when not in use. It provides some shelving, some cabinetry, and a sitting workspace.
The bed folds out from the middle of the unit, covering the workspace. In some cases, the bed can fold out without disturbing anything on top of the desk.
Library Murphy Beds
You know how old-fashioned horror movies would always show a secret door in the house’s library? Now, think of that, but with a Murphy bed instead of a secret door. That’s a library Murphy bed and it can help to facilitate a library/guest room hybrid.
When folded up, library Murphy beds are almost impossible to notice. They blend in seamlessly with the actual shelving that surrounds them, allowing for max aesthetics as needed.
How Does a Murphy Bed Work?
As was noted above, Murphy beds work by folding out of walls. They’re pulled from the ceiling on down to the ground, swinging from a fulcrum near the floor.
Now, you might think that this sounds dangerous. After all, what if you’re not big or strong enough to hold the bed as it’s on its way down? Could it potentially crush a small child or animal?
The answer is “no”. You see, Murphy beds are equipped with springs and piston pumps. The springs are located near the fulcrum of each bed. The piston pumps are located toward the top of the foldout frame.
Each of these entities supports the bed as it’s being folded out, allowing it to come down slowly and easily. They also support the bed as it’s being folded back up, allowing it to be folded with minimum strength or effort from the user.
When folded up, Murphy beds are secured by locking mechanisms. These prevent them from folding down accidentally, thus eliminating any risk of tragedy.
As such, Murphy beds can be used by just about anyone. In fact, even some children are able to fold out and push in a Murphy bed. Murphy bed mechanics allow for safe and convenient use at all times.
How to Fold Out a Murphy Bed
Folding out a Murphy bed is a fairly straightforward process. You stand in front of the bed, reach up for the handle at the top of the bed, and then pull the bed toward you. This will cause the bed to pull out.
As it’s lowering (aided by the springs and pistons), you should back up slowly, keeping your hand on the handle. Do this until the bed hits the floor, turning your hips and feet so as to keep your body in a well-postured position.
When you’re done with the bed, you can simply grab it at its end and push it up. This will trigger the springs and pistons, which will then help you to snap the bed back into place. Push until you hear a clicking sound, at which point the bed will be locked in place.
Installing a Murphy Bed Could Be a Wonderful Decision
Now that you have an answer to “How does a Murphy bed work?”, you might be ready to purchase one. If so, your best bet is to look online.
Type “Murphy bed installation” into Google and await the search results. Browse through different websites until you’ve found something in your area and then make the call. You’ll have your brand new Murphy bed set up in no time.
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