What Is a Murphy Bed and How Does It Work?
A Murphy bed is a wall bed. During the day and when you are not using the bed, it looks like any other wall-mounted storage unit with cabinets or drawers. By night (when you have visitors), however, you pull down the bed part, which unfolds from the unit. You make it up with fresh linens, add a pretty comforter and some pillows, and you instantly have a comfortable place for your visitors to sleep.
The next morning, simply remove the linens and pillows, fold the unit back up to the wall, and you have your space back. It is quick to set up and take down, so you won’t have to worry about going to great lengths to prepare for last-minute guests.
Why Is a Murphy Bed Better Than Other Temporary Sleep Arrangements?
If you’ve ever slept on a pull-out sofa, you know that they are simply not comfortable. There’s a bar that always seems to lodge itself right in the most sensitive part of your back, and you wake up the next morning stiff and sore. While a sofa bed is okay to use in a pinch, it isn’t somewhere that you would want to put your friend or relative for more than one night. And, let’s be honest, you will feel a bit guilty about offering a sleeper sofa to your parents or an older family member for even one night.
An air mattress is okay for when your college student has a friend home for Thanksgiving or if your high school-aged child has a friend sleep over, but most adults are uncomfortable on these. They also have the tendency to deflate overnight, so your guest might go to sleep in relative comfort and wake up flat on the floor. No fun for anyone.
A Murphy bed comes with a thick mattress that rivals the comfort level of any standard bed. Although it is a temporary bed, it doesn’t feel like it. It won’t deflate and it won’t be poking your family members in the back. It’s also quick and easy to set up, which is not necessarily the case with the other options you might have available.
What If I Don’t Have Frequent Overnight Visitors?
Many people think that they are not a good candidate for a wall bed because they don’t frequently host overnight company. If you shell out money one week per year to pay for your parents or grown children to stay at a nearby hotel, however, a Murphy bed will pay for itself rather quickly!
Not only that, but when you have a place to have someone sleep over, chances are good that you’ll begin to see the opportunity arise. Maybe your teenagers have avoided inviting a friend to spend the night because they knew there wasn’t a comfortable place for them to sleep anyway. Or perhaps you’ll hear of a friend in need of a bed for a few days while they have their bedroom remodeled and you’ll volunteer to host them. The possibilities are endless.
