hi there
i don't have one now, but when living in a one bedroom apt we had a homemade murphy bed that we put up and took down almost every day. the frame was 2x4s and the mattress and sheets were held on with bungee cords when it was up. the bed occupied the original 1920s murphy bed closet that was already in the apt (sans bed) when we moved in. we loved it!! kren

i loved mine, too, and it was a real murphy bed in the living room of my first apartment...1974!!! why not...if the mattress is comfy, and it saves space - bravo!!!

I saw this murphy bed on HGTV, has a bookcase on the front panel. Although Murphy beds save space, the area it takes up when down has to be left unused. Always thought it would be a pain to move furniture, etc. if in the way when opening it up. The bookcase idea, even with a drop down desk, would allow more options to a room.

Here is a link that might be useful: bookcase murphy bed

In the 70's , in my first apartment, I slept on a sofa with a bed built in for three years. Every night I had to open the sofa and pull out the bed and every morning I folded it back up. It worked out well. I loved that little apartment!

In a house I once owned, I had a real Murphy bed in what was supposed to be my study -- just in case I had visitors. What ended up happening is that my brother fell ill and we brought him to our home for his final months. It just worked out that having him in the master bedroom was easier because of proximity to a larger bathroom plus I could get a wheelchair around in there, so he ended up in there, and my husband and I ended up on the Murphy bed. I was a bit concerned about this at first, but the darned thing was so comfortable that we slept well and really didn't miss our regular bed.

And Oh! The key to successful placement of a Murphy bed is to NOT put furniture immediately where the bed will be when pulled down. I had bookcases built into the walls on either side, a sofa up against the wall on one side -- still plenty of room to walk between the sofa and the bed once it was down -- and it was open on the other side until you got to the door of the room. So as soon as I made the bed in the morning, Poof! The bed disappeared and I had a study again. And I understand they have improved them since then.
MacThayer

Those look like great beds. Send pictures when you get yours set up. Chris

I love mine! Mine is from a company here in Atlanta. I just have tall bookcases on either side and a curtain rod between the bookcases with curtains covering the bed when it is closed.

Karen, how did it work out?

I'd love to put one in. We have a lovely home but it's a two story. We live on the top floor with my husbands shop (he's a general contractor), my "art studio" and the laundry room on the bottom floor. I love our home, my husband buiilt it around 30 year ago. It's so well built and we have done a lot of work to it. The problem is it's a one big bedroom and 1 big bathroom. We have grandchildren that are getting older. I think one could sleep on the Murphy bed and one could sleep on the huge sofa. There is no room to build another bedroom.