 
Beds : Sizes Types |
Murphy BedThe 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.
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. |
