We hid a full-size Murphy Bed in our IKEA closet

We wanted a full-sized Murphy bed, but budget-friendly in a closet that did not take up too much space.

There are many Murphy bed-kits in the market. They are quite expensive, so we chose to go for a cheaper version, which makes it slightly harder to pull up and down.

But you can use it for training instead of weights. 🙂

You’ll need:

2 PAX cabinets with doors
2 LURÖY slatted bed base
Bed Feet
Timber
Some hinges
Double mattress

How we hacked our full-size Murphy bed in a PAX closet

We used two PAX cabinets, one that is 1 m wide and one that is 50 cm wide. To accommodate a full-size Murphy bed, the cabinets must be spliced. If a single Murphy bed is on your wish list, you can get away with one cabinet of 1 m.

It is important to attach the cabinets to the wall. Use a stud sensor to locate the studs behind the wall for the best possible grip. I attached a beam to the cabinet top as both support and to attach to the wall.

Splice 2 PAX wardrobes to make the frame

When the cabinet is in place, you can start on the bed frame. Measure out and make a bed that fits the mattress you want. Creating the actual bed frame of structural timber is a very inexpensive way to make a bed.

The bed frame with hinges to attach it to the bottom

When the bed is finished, attach the slatted base of the bed with screws.

Attach the bed to the floor of the cabinet. We used door hinges that are quite powerful. Make sure the height of the bottom of the cabinet will be as high as the bed feet. I added some beams to the bottom of the cabinet to make it stiffer and to get it to be in the right position.

I attached some long screws to the cabinet so that the bed will not fall out. You can also attach a strap under the bed that holds in place the linens when you take the bed up and into the closet.

Murphy Bed in an IKEA PAX wardrobe - open position

This is how our full-size Murphy Bed pulls out:

~ Bjørn Aksel Storaker

See more at www.huskverna.com

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Shop for Murphy Bed Kits

If you can’t decide whether your spare room should serve as a home office or guest room, a Murphy bed might be the answer. It’s named after William Lawrence Murphy, who applied fora patent for a pull-down bed in the early 1900s. Take a look at more Murphy Bed kits and beds here.