How to Build a Murphy Bed
To build a Murphy bed, buy a hardware kit first (springs or gas pistons sized for your mattress), build the plywood cabinet and the bed frame to the dimensions in the kit's drawings, bolt the cabinet to the wall studs, then attach the mechanism and adjust its tension until the bed stays balanced. The kit is not optional: it is what makes a 100 lb bed lift with one hand and stay where you leave it. Plan for a long weekend and two people.
What you need
- A Murphy bed hardware kit for your mattress size and mount (vertical or horizontal), with its drawings
- 3/4 in hardwood plywood for the cabinet and bed frame, and 1/2–3/4 in plywood for the mattress deck
- Wood glue, confirmat or cabinet screws, lag screws or anchors for the wall
- A circular or track saw, a drill, clamps, a level and a helper
Step by step
- Choose the kit for your mattress (twin, full, queen or king) and its thickness, usually up to 10–12 in. Check the room: see Murphy bed dimensions.
- Cut the parts from the kit drawings: cabinet sides, top, bottom or base, back rail, and the bed frame (face panel, side rails, end rails, deck). Lay out the sheets with the cut list optimizer.
- Build the cabinet square, with the sides parallel: the pivots on each side must line up exactly.
- Build the bed frame and fit the mattress deck and the legs that fold out at the foot.
- Anchor the cabinet to the wall studs with the fixings the kit specifies, level and plumb.
- Mount the mechanism on the cabinet sides and the bed frame, then hang the bed.
- Add the mattress and balance it: adjust the spring tension or piston size until the bed lifts easily and stays both up and down. Fit the mattress straps.
- Finish the face: the outside of the bed frame is the front of the closed cabinet, so it gets a door-style panel, moulding or veneer.
Without a kit?
Plans that use only a piano hinge and folding legs exist for small, light beds, but a full-size bed with a mattress weighs well over 100 lb: without a balanced mechanism it is heavy to lift and can fall open. Gas struts can work for a light twin bed if they are sized to the weight. For anything larger, the kit is the safe, simple way.
Cabinets around the bed
Most wall beds are flanked by tall cabinets or shelves 12–18 in wide, built as plain plywood boxes as deep as the bed cabinet. They hide the cabinet sides and add the storage a guest room or home office needs:
Frequently asked questions
Can you build a Murphy bed without a kit?
It is possible with heavy gas struts or a counterweight, but not recommended. The kit's springs are matched to the weight of the bed and mattress so it stays put when open or closed; a home-made mechanism that is out of balance can fall open or slam shut.
What plywood do you need for a Murphy bed?
3/4 in (18 mm) hardwood plywood for the cabinet and the bed frame, about three to four 4 × 8 sheets for a queen, plus a sheet of 1/2 or 3/4 in for the mattress deck. Use the cut list from your hardware kit's drawings.
Does a Murphy bed have to be attached to the wall?
Yes. Every kit requires the cabinet to be screwed or bolted into the wall studs, because the open bed pulls the cabinet forward. An unanchored Murphy bed can tip over.
How much does it cost to build a Murphy bed yourself?
The hardware kit and the plywood are the main costs. Building it yourself usually costs a fraction of a ready-made wall bed of the same size, and you choose the finish and the side cabinets.