Murphy Bed Instructions
Murphy beds make living in a small space much more enjoyable by making the same space do double duty. Best of all, they do it without crowding the little space you have with extra furniture. You can put a Murphy bed in your home without a lot of struggle.
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Concept
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The concept behind the Murphy bed is simple: Since you do not use your bed all day, why not store it when you are not using it? And since the most efficient way to store it would be by standing it on one end, that is exactly what a Murphy bed does. The result is a bedroom that fits in the space of a thin cabinet.
The secret to this miracle is a hydraulic lift, mounted either at the head of the bed or on one side, which makes it easy to tilt the bed onto one edge. Several companies make versions of this mechanism, so you are likely to find one that suits your needs.
Operation
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Using a Murphy bed is self-explanatory. While each manufacturer does things a little differently, the process is the same:
To lower the bed, you open the cabinet doors and release the catch holding the bed upright. (Some manufacturers do not build separate doors; they merely use panels that cover the bottom of the bed.) Then, all you need to do is let the bed tilt down to the floor, and your Murphy bed is ready for use.
To raise the bed, merely reverse the lowering process. The hydraulic lift makes the lifting process relatively effortless; you simply tilt the bed up and secure it in place. Now the area that the bed occupied is clear for other purposes.
Daily Use
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Using a Murphy bed will affect your daily routine in different ways. While you can fold up the bed and then use that space for other purposes during the day, you will need to move things out of the way when you lower the bed, and put them back when you raise it. That can get old after a few days... or weeks... or months. A Murphy bed works best when the space it will occupy is normally empty.
In some cases, a Murphy bed can be put to other uses as well. It can be used for extra seating (in much the same way as a day bed) or when you need some extra space to fold clothes, for example.
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