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My DIY Murphy bed is finally finished and is already a game changer in my small home.
This project took me a while, not because it was very difficult but the rain made it hard to complete and also destroyed some materials.
Originally, this room was a very disorganised play room that I gave up on.
A small video can be viewed here of the bed being put up.
DIY Murphy Bed
(When it was clean!!!)
This Murphy Bed is a queen size and cut list can be changed depending on your bed size.
For this project I did purchase formply as it was the only ply I could buy at the time AND I’m impatient! Formply was the perfect size to create the base and the frame that holds the bed to the wall.
I purchased 2 sheets of formply. This was enough to make the bed frame and the outer frame to hold the bed to the wall.
I cut 2 panels at 2040x 250mm (bed length) and 2 panels at 1530 x 200mm for bed frame top and bottom width. I have attached below a drawing for the bed frame design for the width.
The panels have a tapered design to allow the section where the mechanism sit, to be wider.
This taper also allows the mattress to sit high above the frame so you don’t hit your shins when jumping into bed. I made this mistake and had to correct it.
I drilled pocket holes on the inside of the 2 shorter panels on both ends. I added wood glue and attached with pocket hole screws.
The mattress covers the pocket holes from the inside so I’m not worried about covering them.
I then attached the pine supports on the inside of the frame with pocket holes. The bed slats will be attached to these supports. This is what the mattress will rest on.
* This photo was taken at a different stage of the build
Once the bed frame was made, I calculated how wide to make the wall frame. The mattress sits on average to 300mm. I made my wall frame to 410mm. This gave me some space (110mm) between the mattress and the wall in the up position .
I cut 2 panels at 410mm wide and 2010. This was the distance between my floor and wall. You will need to measure you ceiling height to have the perfect fit. I located my studs and attached a panel at the top and bottom of my wall frame. (Support in red)
I screwed through the panel and anchored the wall frame to the studs. The outer bed frame needs to be attached to the wall via studs or the bed will fall.
If you are not adding additional cupboards, as I have, I would recommend doubling the outer frame for extra strength.
Instead of purchasing the Murphy bed hardware, I opted for 7” boat swivels (x2) at $15.99 each. Murphy bed hardware can cost anywhere in between $300+ so I thought I’d try a cheaper option. The swivels sit between the bed frame and wall frame. You can also try to drill a hole and use a flange and fittings to rotate on the fitting.
Once the wall frame was secured, I sat the bed frame inside and propped it up with some timber to give me a bottom gap. This bottom gap will house the concealed bed head and close the gap in the up position.
I positioned the swivels into place and drilled holes. It was a little tricky to tighten the bolts in the small gap but long nose hair pliers did the trick to hold the nut into place.
One important note is before you drill your holes for the swivel, you need to set your bed frame back into the wall frame the thickness of the front face board So example, I used 12mm structural ply for the front face. I allowed this gap so when it was in place and front board is attached, it would all sit flush.
Once the swivels were attached, I screwed the front face on. This is the face that is in view in the up position. I purchased 2 by 2030 x 1200 mm structural ply and cut one panel from each I allowed an overhang of 18mm on each length. This is so when the bed is up, it covered the gap created by the swivel.
I drilled 2 holes at the top of the bed. This hole goes through the wall frame and bed frame. I used some long screws I had (unsure if the name) when the bed is up, the pins (or screws) will pin the bed in place and secure it. The pins are pulled out on both sides to drop the bed.
The wardrobe were made from MDF and other recycled materials.
I created a floating shelf which acts as the bed leg. This timber was found with a bunch of pallets so I cleaned it up and attached to the front panel of the bed .
I also cut some MDF to 450mm strips to create a shaker style look to the area.
The hidden bed head was made with Ply, lined with wadding and covered with some material I had. I nailed in some upholstery nails in. The height of the bed head must not exceed the with of the wall frame. This is so it slides at the bottom of the frame
I made some new toy storage cubes and used my ply off cuts to glue to the front face.
Im sure I’ve missed some steps but feel free to ask. This really was a rewarding build for me and happier it’s finished!
Hello @sandy_d
Thank you so much for sharing the details of your fantastic Murphy bed project. Using the boat swivel was ingenious and an excellent way to save money on the hinge mechanism. Excellent forward-thinking on the overhang to cover the hinges. My favourite part is using the plant shelf as the footer for the bottom of the bed. Looking from a distance it looks like it's floating with no legs underneath.
My only questions are, did you install a locking mechanism to keep the bed up to prevent it from accidentally opening? Did you use straps to keep the mattress in place when in the up position? Is it a queen-size mattress or a king-size one? Is it very heavy when opening the bed from its closed position?
This is one of the most impressive projects I've seen in the community. I'm sure our members who are looking for a better way to use the space in their room will find this project inspirational.
Again, thank you so much for sharing this wonderful project.
Eric
Awww thank you so much @EricL 😊
Firstly I used a long bolt that I saved from my kids old cot. Not sure the correct name but more like a carriage bolt.
When I put the bed into position, I drilled a hole slightly wider than the bolt. When the bed is lifted up, the pins are put in place on both ends. I placed them inside the top cupboard so they cannot be pulled out by little fingers!
I was going to use a bungee cord with a small handle on the inside of the frame to secure the mattress down, but I have lifted it up and down many times without it slipping so far but I will add this to keep it in place.
The mattress is a queen size. Without the mattress inserted, I can easily lift it in my own, however with the mattress I do need assistance. I was thinking to also invest in some sort of gas struts? Might help with lifting it in my own.
Let me know if you have any other questions, and thank you again for your kind words.
Sandy
Thank you so much @Remarka6le
I’ve drawn a quick sketch of the bed layout in the down position for you. The room is approximately 3.5 x3.5m.
It does give you 1 metre either side and about 1.3 metres. For me it’s a perfect space to move about.
You may also want to consider having the bed fall horizontally so the swivels are fixed on only the right side of the bed.
Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions 😊
Sandy
