DIY Murphy Bed Ideas For Small Spaces
Updated on July 1, 2021
When it comes to our guest bedrooms, we’ve simply decided that it’s time they got a makeover! They’ve been the same for many years now and we just can’t help feeling that they could be much more stylish and a little better organized. In fact, space efficiency was one of the main motivating factors behind our desire to completely overhaul those rooms, which is why the idea to put murphy beds in each one popped into our heads! Of course, murphy beds are pretty easy to find in stores, but that doesn’t mean that we won’t try to make them ourselves first, as with everything.
Just in case you love the idea of trying to learn how to make your very own DIY murphy bed just as much as we do, if not more, here are 15 of the very best ideas, designs, and tutorials that we’ve come across so far in our search for information and a little bit of guidance!
1. Simple DIY wooden murphy bed
Are you always a big fan of making the simplest version of something you can find and just making sure that it’s made very well, rather than trying to do something fancy before you’re ready and doing a poor job? Then here’s a murphy bed tutorial that’s great for budding handycrafters who are still feeling cautious. Get the nice, clear details for making one of your own on DIY Network!
2. Rustic wooden murphy bed
If you’re going to go to all of the time and effort it takes to make yourself a DIY murphy bed, would you rather create something that still has a bit of decorative style when it’s folded away, so it doesn’t detract from the rest of the room? Well, if rustic chic is what your house needs, then we think you’ll really appreciate the way Ana White created this rustic wooden murphy bed that’s entirely encased in grey stained reclaimed wood when it’s folded.
3. IKEA cabinet hack murphy bed
If there’s one thing we do love as home crafters who are occasionally in more of a hurry than building something entirely from scratch calls for, it’s a creative IKEA hack! We’re sure you can imagine, then, just how pleased we were to discover this lovely murphy bed tutorial from Renos and Old Houses that folds up into a set of IKEA cabinets that have been linked together and strategically altered to house the bed, open properly, and enable it fold up and down.
4. Sofa bed and murphy bed combo
This particular design works a little bit differently then the average murphy bed, but the space efficiency element is much the same! Instead of extending up into the back frame, the bed folds out of the couch like a sofa bed but then the couch slides back perfectly into place in the custom murphy bed style wall space frame, making lots of room for it. Avalon Awoken guides you through the step by step process in more detail.
5. Kids’ sized chalkboard murphy bed
Are your kids the kind of social little buddies who always have friends sleeping over but there isn’t actually room for an extra bed in their bedroom all the time? In that case, we think you’ll really appreciate the way IKEA Hackers outlines the simple steps for making this awesome kids’ sized murphy bed that closes sideways behind a chalkboard that’s great for drawing and homework.
6. Fully flush murphy bed
Unlike some murphy beds, this particular design outlined step by careful, detailed step on Junk in Their Trunk sits flush with the baseboards thanks to the way they also teach you how to build a bookshelf on either side of its main frame. This means that instead of jutting out from the wall and extending past where the rest of the furniture in the room sits, the frame is tucked away for true space efficiency.
7. DIY rotating murphy bed
Are you feeling quite intent on making a murphy bed but you’re also not sure that you can afford to give up the wall space that this would normally take, since the room you’ve got in mind could also really benefit from some floating shelves? Well, you can build shelves on the underside of a classic murphy bed, but it means clearing them off every time you pull it down and having to find somewhere else to put those things. That’s why we thought this rotating murphy bed where only the mattress and basic bed frame pulls down was such an awesome idea! Get the full instructions for making one in your own house on Tomorrow Sleep.
8. DIY folding desk bed
Maybe you often have extended family come and stay with you because you live in the most urban area of anyone and you like to have them visit when they come to the city? We have many cousins who are studying or travel for work, so they’re always in need of a place to do a little bit of laptop work when they come. That’s why we thought this very simple folding desk bed concept from Justin Built was such a good idea, especially if it’s not always being used and is therefore easy to clear when it needs to be folded so the bed can come down.
9. Murphy bed IKEA hack with sliding doors
Are you actually still thinking about how incredibly smart you through the IKEA hack style murphy bed was, but the room you have in mind is quite small and you’re just not certain that you have the room for those swinging doors to stay open all night if people also want to be able to move around? In that case, we feel like you might get along a little better with the way Instructables worked with a similar cabinet hacking concept, only this time they used one with sliding doors as a base!
10. Single murphy bed
Perhaps the spare bedroom you’ve got to work with is actually small enough that a double bed won’t fit at all, even if it’s a murphy bed that will only be pulled down sometimes? In that case, we have a feeling this single sized murphy bed outlined step by step on Ana White might be a little more up your alley! The frame on this project is very simple but nice and solid.
11. DIY murphy bed dresser
Are you actually still scrolling through our list thinking about how much you like the idea of making a murphy bed that can be not just concealed but also disguised as something else when it’s folded up, but you’d prefer something besides just a cabinet or a wooden box? Then we’d definitely encourage you to take a look at how Remodelaholic made this fantastic dresser turned murphy bed instead!
12. Side folding murphy bunk beds
Maybe we’ve caught your attention with the concept of giving your kids an extra place for their friends to sleep, but space efficiency is definitely still a top priority because your bedrooms are small? In that case, we think both you and your little ones will get a real kick out of the way DIY Network created these simple bunk beds that fold sideways, disappearing together as one unit!
13. Strong pine murphy bed with side shelves
Are you actually still scrolling through our list thinking about how much you enjoyed the basic concept of building a murphy bed that features useful shelf storage on either side, just to really make the space that it’ll take up a little more efficient, but you’re looking to use it as an opportunity to build a lovely, strong new piece of wooden furniture? In that case, we think you’ll find these clearly outlined and explained murphy bed and dual shelf blueprints from Wood Archivist very useful indeed.
14. Vintage filing murphy bed
Just in case your main concern is figuring out what you’re like to put on the underside of the murphy bed most, just to make sure your room still looks decorative and nice when it’s folded up, here’s a suggestion from ClyneKP that’s great for an office or study, or any home with a slightly vintage style! They show you how to create the illusion of filing system drawers like one might have seen in libraries of auld.
15. Easy doggy murphy bed from a side table
The humans in your house aren’t the only ones who can benefit from having a murphy bed at home! We’re positively in love with the way Room For Tuesday shows you how to make a little doggie sized murphy bed from a faux side table, where the drawer and front cupboard pull down to reveal a perfectly pet sized mattress inside.
Do you know another avid home crafter who has long been talking about making their very own DIY murphy bed but who you know could use a little bit of guidance along the way? Share this post with them to give all kinds of options and information!