Small Space, Big Idea: Murphy Beds

Contractor and carpenter Adam Steffler-Minty of Sable Building and Design has always liked Murphy beds, so it was the perfect choice when he was looking for ways to maximize space in a room that served as both a home office and guest bedroom in his home.

He was looking for something that would fit with the character of the home, while also adding some storage space to the room. He mentioned these needs to Doug Allen of Ulu Cabinetry, who he called on to design the installation.

Doug gave the piece a built-in look, using the entire wall to add bookshelves and cabinet storage to the room, designing the cabinets around the Murphy bed, which comes as a hardware kit.

Adam did all the work himself, taking the opportunity to also reconfigure the room’s existing closet by adding a foot of space to it and relocating the door to the other side. The cabinetry was premade and delivered, so Adam didn’t have to make that part, but he did have to install it, which proved challenging, given the old and less-than-square nature of the house. Everything ended up fitting together nearly perfectly, a testament to Adam’s skill. It’s a job he doesn’t recommend for the hobbyist do-it-yourselfer, partly because of the many adjustments and tweaks needed to make the new, perfectly square cabinets fit into the existing house, and partly because of the precision needed to make the murphy bed unit fit properly into its closed position.