Unlike clunky futons, Murphy beds are out of the way until needed.
A Murphy bed is a bit like a bed in a box. It folds away against the wall when you don't need it, but can be easily lowered when extra sleeping arrangements are required. While Murphy beds were once quite common, it is now rare to find them in homes or apartments. Build your own and you have many options for customizing it. You can decorate the outside of your bed frame if you wish, or even build the bed in an unused closet so that it's completely hidden. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Attach a 6-1/2-foot-long, 1-by-12 board to both ends of a 3-1/2-foot-long, 1-by-12 board with the edges of the longer boards on the outside to form a giant "U" shape. Glue all of the edges together first, and then hold them together with reverse clamps as you drill screws along each seam. Let the glue dry and remove the clamps.
2. Lay one 3-1/2-foot-long, 1-by-4 board flat and butt the interior long edge up against the bottom of your wooden U to check the size. Lift the board and apply wood glue to the two short edges and the long interior edge and secure it back into place. Drill screws into this board through the sides and bottoms of your U to permanently affix it.
3. Lay another 3-1/2-foot-long, 1-by-4 board parallel to the first inside the U, but near the open end. Align the short edges with the bottom edges of the side boards and the outside long edge with the edges of the side boards with all of the corners lined up. Glue and screw this board in place just as you did the first.
4. Measure from the outside edge of one side board to the outside edge of the other. Cut one 1-by-2 board to this length. Glue and screw this board across the frame sides at the top, aligned in the same manner as and parallel to the board from Step 3.
5. Trim two 1-by-2 boards so that they are as long as the remaining edge length of the side pieces. Glue and screw these boards along the top side edges. Cut two 1-by-2 pieces that are each 1 foot long and glue and screw them along the top of the broad of each side board so that they form 90-degree angles with the board from Step 4.
6. Measure from one top corner to the other top corner along the top of your wooden frame. Cut a 1-by-2 board to this length and glue and screw it in place over the board from Step 4 so that the ends also cover the tops of the boards perpendicular to this piece. Turn the wooden frame on end with the open side facing up.
7. Cut a 1-by-2 board to 3 2/3 feet long. Glue and screw it along the outside edge of the rear board at the top with a 1-inch overhang at each end. Lay another 1-by-2 board across the opening in this end with the edges aligned and one long edge butted against the strip you just installed; glue and screw this board in place.
8. Measure the interior dimensions of your frame and cut a plywood sheet to fit. Place the plywood in the bottom of the frame and glue and screw it in place. Let the frame rest and allow all of the glue time to dry.
9. Cover the screw hole with wood putty and let it dry. Sand the whole frame, then wipe it down thoroughly with a tack cloth. Paint or stain the frame as you wish and let it dry.
10. Locate two studs in your wall as far apart as the width of your frame using a stud finder. Remove any trip molding between these studs. Attach the eyes of heavy-duty hook-and-eye closures to the wall, one for each stud; keep these perfectly parallel to each other.
11. Place the frame against the wall with the solid side facing outward. Mark the sides where the installed eyes align. Lower the frame and attach the corresponding hooks at these marks.
12. Attach the top edge of the bed frame to the wall using a piano hinge trimmed to fit with a hacksaw. Fold the bed frame up and slip the hooks into the eyes to secure it. Lower the bed when you need it and add a mattress or an air mattress to the inside of the frame.
Tags: 1-by-2 board, this board, board from, board from Step, from Step, Glue screw
