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Murphy Bed
The Murphy Bed (*) - also known as a wallbed - was invented by William Murphy at
the beginning of the twentieth century. The story goes that his one-bed apartment was too
small for him to entertain his friends, so he invented a way of making more space by
hiding away the bed. Thus was born a classic piece of bedroom hardware.
William went on to found the Murphy Wall Bed Company and
produced wallbeds based on his inventions and patents.
What is a Murphy Bed?
Murphy Beds were invented for a simple, practical reason - to conserve space. The theory
is that the bed folds away during the day and is only unfolded when needed. This allows a
room to be used for one purpose during the day and then be transformed into a bedroom as
required, thus making best use of limited space.
Although we mainly think of Murphy Beds as wall beds, in 1918 William Murphy invented a
system that allowed the bed to be attached inside the door of a closet and folded down
from there. In 1925 the company changed its name to
reflect this, becoming the Murphy Door Bed Company, Inc. The word "Door" was dropped in
1990 and the company adopted the name Murphy Bed Co. Inc..
Can You Still Buy Murphy Beds?
Definitely! The peak market for wallbeds was back in the nineteen twenties, however the
company has continued in the bedroom furniture business ever since. As cities become ever more crowded, the
pressure on space increases. Although there has been great recent interest in alternative
space-saving beds such as futons or trundle beds, many people still buy
wallbeds.
There are two main styles of Murphy Bed: the original panel style where the whole
bed simply folds down from the wall in one go, and the Bi-Fold or Closet style where
doors are first opened and the bed folded out from within. A panel bed has the advantage
that with no doors to open, less space is used. Bi-Folds tend to have simpler and lighter
operating mechanisms. Consult your dealer or store for information about which is right for you.
The Murphy Bed of today bears little resemblance to the original design of a century ago
that appeared in so many slapstick comedies (and which still make me smile!).
Wallbeds on the market today include
high quality designs with a choice of finishes that can be incorporated as part of a
complete system of
coordinated wall units - sometimes you can't even tell that the bed is there. They usually
have a counterbalancing mechanism to allow for easy
raising and lowering. Some units even include extras such as fold-out night tables.
If you have the skills then you can buid your own diy wallbed from one of the kits or plans
available to buy.
If you take this route then be extremely careful regarding safety - if in doubt, take expert advice
on how to proceed.
And for something competely different, you can even buy Murphy beds for your pets!
"Murphy Bed" is a registered trademark of
Murphy Bed Co., Inc. This site is not associated with or endorsed by
the Murphy Bed Co., Inc.
Here Be Dreams Home - Bedroom - Beds -
Space Saving Beds -
Murphy
All original material Copyright © Trevor Mendham 2003-2008. See home page for contact
details.
This is not a medical site. Nothing on this site constitutes personal advice.
Please read the site terms of use.
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