As the first big step in converting our guest bedroom into a place where @CO and I can work on projects, we designed and built a queen-sized Murphy bed! The project started with a full mockup of the room in HomeByMe. We were able to layout the whole room and get a feel for how everything would fit.
Then we jumped into xDesign to build a detailed model of the bed. We based our design off of plans that came with the Create-A-Bed hardware kit that we bought. It comes with all of the brackets, fasteners, and gas pistons you need to build your own bed.
The project was fairly straightforward, but it did take a fair amount of time to build it all. The first step was to cut down the full sheets of maple veneer plywood into many smaller, mostly rectangular, pieces.
Then we drilled holes for the various brackets in the kit. There are brackets for the gas pistons, brackets for the pivot points, and brackets for the front legs ...all of which have to be precisely located so the whole unit will operate correctly.
Applying edge banding came next. This fun step of ironing on a strip of solid wood hides the plywood layers and tricks the eye into thinking the board is one solid piece.
Building the mattress platform was the most involved step. We built L-shaped beams that are used in constructing the sub-frame, and then attached the head, foot, and side rails before gluing and screwing the whole sub-assembly onto the two plywood panels that make up the show face of the bed when its stowed away.
To wrap up the platform, we screw on a layer of 1/4" plywood and attach the elastic banding that will hold the mattress in place.
The cabinet itself is erected by connecting the the two side walls with a headboard, and a header assembly.
After locating the studs in the wall, the whole unit is stood up and anchored in place with 3" screws.
To break up the huge surface on the front of the murphy bed, and to add a bit of functionality, we built a simple frame out of solid maple and mounted a magnetic chalkboard.
This is just the first step in a series of projects that will transform this guest room into a multi-functional space. We'll post again as we complete other projects.
For now, check out the full video to see how the whole project came together:
Feel free to download the murphy bed model in native xDesign (3DXML) as well as STEP formats: