Our DIY murphy bed is one of my favorite projects, so today I’m sharing 5 great DIY murphy bed ideas you can start building this weekend! Some of the plans use hardware kids, but some are cheaper options that don’t use any special hardware. Read on for more.
5 Plans to Start Building This Weekend!
Hi! Today I’m sharing a roundup of 5 DIY murphy bed plans you can get started on this weekend! I love our DIY murphy bed—it’s one of my favorite projects we’ve done. I generally really love projects that are tailored to small spaces, so murphy beds fit the bill.
Some of these murphy bed builds use a hardware kit like we used, while others take a cheaper approach using no special hardware. Whatever approach you want to take, these beds are work checking out! Enjoy.
1. Modern DIY Murphy Bed With Shelving Unit
Let’s kick this off with a refresher of our DIY murphy bed! I might be biased, but I think it turned out just gorgeous. We used a hardware kit Mike found on Amazon—the kit was somewhat expensive, but we felt it was worth it to know we were getting top-notch hardware.
The hardware kit also comes with detailed plans, but everything else is from scratch. You have to buy the lumber, do all of the cuts and assembly, and finish to your liking. We made some modifications to the plans to add a shelving unit and some trim.
We weren’t originally planning on doing the shelving unit, but we decided this was the best wall for the murphy bed. However, there was a bit heat/AC unit that prevented us from centering the murphy bed. So we decided to add the shelving unit, not add a back, and center the entire piece—bed and shelving unit—on the wall. Perfect!
There’s no doubt that this was a big project, but we’re so happy with the finished product. A few years later and it still works wonderfully—no issues with any of the hardware from the kit. What do you think? Isn’t it gorgeous?
2. DIY Murphy Bed From a Kit
Toni over at Girl Just DIY also used the same DIY murphy bed kit! So you can see how the plans look with a slightly different build. Toni didn’t have a heat/AC register to work around, so she was able to build the bed without an additional shelving unit.
Like us, Toni lives in a 2-bedroom house. So finding space for guests can be a challenge. Since she didn’t want to continue resorting to a blowup mattress, she decided it was time for a murphy bed. Toni wanted her murphy bed to look like an armoire when closed, and she did a great job! Check out the pics of this DIY murphy bed closed over on Toni’s blog.
3. DIY Murphy Bed for Cheap
If you’re looking for more budget-friendly DIY murphy bed ideas, you might want to check out Ruthie at Refashionably Late’s queen-sized DIY murphy bed! Ruthie and her husband are sharing the full plans for their murphy bed in a two-part series.
This room doubles as a home gym, so having a murphy bed helps to create a great space for guests (when someone isn’t working out). This bed doesn’t use a piston system kit, so Ruthie shares all about how they keep their DIY murphy bed securely closed when it isn’t in use.
4. Craft Room/Office Murphy Bed
A non-white murphy bed! This black murphy bed from Salvaged Living is a horizontal-style bed, too, meaning it doesn’t come out as far into the middle of the room when it’s open. This could be a great option for you depending on your room’s layout.
Kim added shelving units and even a fold-out desk for additional storage and space for crafting when the bed is closed. I like the idea of adding a desk that you can use when the bed is closed.
5. Modern Farmhouse DIY Murphy Bed
This pretty modern farmhouse DIY Murphy bed from Addicted to DIY also uses a hardware kit. But it’s a different option from the hardware kit we used—this one is from Rockler. It looks very similar to what we used, so I have no doubt it’s also a great option!
Katie made several additions and modifications to her DIY murphy bed, including shelving on each side, drawers that double as nightstands, and a gorgeously long desk she attached to the unit. Fabulous job!!
Pin this roundup of DIY murphy bed ideas!
