Cindy & Bryan's Wood Shop
Murphy Bed
One bedroom houses the gym equipment, but we wanted to have an extra bed just in case we had guests. We decided a Murphy Bed would be the best solution to our problem. Unfortunately, a pre-built bed costs thousands of dollars so we made one ourselves.
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There were two options for the bed ... buy the metal parts for the bed frame or build them out of wood. We wanted to go simple and sturdy so we chose the metal approach. We purchased the metal frame along with the springs. The kit cost a couple hundred dollars, but we used plywood for the cabinet which kept costs reasonable and for much less than what we could have paid.
The Murphy Bed parts came with a cut list which made life much easier. We brought the list to Home Depot and had them cut all of the plywood to size to save ourselves the burden of cutting full sheets.
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We lined the parts up on the floor and screwed the pieces together. This allowed us to take everything apart if need be.
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After assembly, we painted the piece with milk paint and then protected it with a few coats of poly.
The cabinet is attached to the studs with three corner braces. It comes with a warning sticker as well, just in case. It seemed like a light connection considering the size and weight of the cabinet, but it worked out well. After it was attached to the wall we moved on to adding some visual interest.
To make it look like an armoire, we made frames out of door moulding and also made faux drawer fronts to break it up a bit. That is all attached with small brad nails. We then added handles which are both decorative and are used to open the bed.
This project was much easier than anticipated thanks to the pre-cut boards and the pre-made frame. I think we built the cabinet in a couple hours with time in between coats of paint.
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If we did it again we would have used different plywood. We chose the wood because it was cabinet grade, but it wasn't sanded well and wasn't made to be painted so the grain raised from the moisture. Not a bad look by any means, it just wasn't what we wanted. Still, it is functional and comfortable, especially with the memory foam mattress.
We added 1x2 strips to the top of the cabinet so we could install crown moulding. Crown is usually a challenge, but we had experience installing it in the living room. Plus, a good miter saw takes a lot of guess work out of the process.
The bed is closed a majority of the time, but we wanted to have it look like a bedroom when it is opened. We looked for some cheap art, but nothing really caught our eye, so Cindy decided to paint her own. We also attached decorations to the headboard using museum putty which holds everything secure. Now when we have a guest they can have a nice decorative bedroom.
