Murphy beds (wall beds) offer a compelling space-saving solution for tiny houses, allowing bedrooms to transform into living or work areas during the day. While lofts remain the most common sleeping solution in tiny houses on wheels, Murphy beds provide an alternative for those who prefer main-floor sleeping.
Contemporary Murphy Bed Design
Design Details
- Type: Murphy bed (wall bed)
- Mechanism: Fold-down from wall-mounted cabinet
- Sizes Available: Twin, full, queen
- Style: Contemporary cabinet design
- Best For: Tiny houses without lofts, accessible sleeping solutions, multi-use rooms
Why Consider Murphy Beds for Tiny Houses
- Main-Floor Sleeping: Eliminates climbing to lofts, improving accessibility
- Dual-Purpose Rooms: Bedrooms become offices or living rooms during the day
- Full-Size Mattresses: Accommodates standard mattresses unlike some built-in solutions
- Clean Aesthetic: Bed disappears completely when stored
Considerations for Tiny House Installation
- Wall Strength: Murphy beds require secure wall attachment—important in tiny houses on wheels
- Weight: Cabinet and mechanism add significant weight to consider in THOW builds
- Clearance: Floor area must remain clear for bed deployment
- Cost: Murphy beds typically cost more than loft sleeping solutions
- Ceiling Height: Lower ceilings in some tiny houses make lofts impractical, favoring Murphy beds
Lessons for Tiny House Furniture Selection
- Multi-Function Furniture Maximizes Space: Pieces that transform serve tiny houses better than single-purpose items
- Accessibility Matters: Not everyone can climb loft ladders—alternative sleeping solutions expand who can live tiny
- Investment Pieces Pay Off: Higher-quality convertible furniture lasts longer and works more reliably
- Measure Before Buying: Confirm clearances for both stored and deployed configurations
- Consider Weight in Mobile Builds: Every pound matters in towable tiny houses
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Alex
Alex Pino is the founder of Tiny House Talk, a leading resource on tiny homes and simple living since 2009. He helps readers discover unique homes, connect with builders, and explore alternative living.
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For those who work with power tools and still have the issued number of fingers, here’s a source of hardware for doing your own. Probably other sources for a little less after a more aggressive search. http://www.rockler.com/search_results.cfm?filter=murphy+bed+hardware&submit.x=21&submit.y=10
Thank you, David. I have been looking into a Murphy bed as a viable sleeping option and wondered if it was possible to “build-it-yourself.” Voila! It can be. Thanks for the info.
The solution, as Davidrc points out is Rockler. They have plans and a package system ($200.) plus the wood for the cabinet and bedding. Still, you would probably be hard pressed to spend less than $1000. due to the high cost of bedding. Admittedly, it is really nice having a real bed AND space when you need it.
you can buy a kit w/ all the hardware (but not the wood) for about $280…just google murphy bed hardware & you will get to the site…sorry I don’t have the url saved on this computer :0(
I think a nicely crafted murphy bed w/ some additional storage on the side (like a small closet for hanging clothes) would really make alot of sense in a tiny/small house esp. for those of us who don’t or can’t deal w/ a sleeping loft in the middle of the night!
Thanks David for providing that link. (sorry for the late thank you, lol)
Good point John. $1000 is still a good chunk of change but at my local Murphy store these beds start out at at least around $3,000! Many are $5k+… Crazy!
Valuable info. Fortunate me I found your site by accident, and I am shocked why this accident didn’t happened in advance! I bookmarked it.
I’ve built three of these type of beds. I build them entirely from wood, and have always used just the top mattress. Both mattress and box springs would make the unit very thick. Even the stores usually use just one mattress. Anyway, I build mine for small change. I haven’t used any kind of hardware to make the bed easy to raise and lower. A normal,physically able person can handle them very easily. I’ve not checked out how much weight you have to lift, but, it is very minimal. I will try to post some pictures some day. If you build a bed that folds down sideways, with the long side running parallel with the wall, the weight will be greatly reduced. No need for hardware, unless you have a physical limitation.
They are basically a frame, in a frame, with hinges, and something to hold them up. I put shelves on all of mine, then, the shelves act as legs to hold the bed up. A very easy project for a slightly experienced woodworker.
I meant the shelves act as legs to hold the bed up off of the floor when it is in the down position.