17 Savvy Ways To Customize Your Murphy Bed
In terms of space-saving furniture, it's hard to beat a Murphy bed, especially when furnishing a studio apartment or multipurpose guest room. However, this unique piece of furniture isn't known for elevating a space's design. Thankfully, there are more than a few ways to customize your Murphy bed to boost its aesthetic appeal and help it fit your current lifestyle.
Customizing your Murphy bed doesn't have to be expensive; you may even be surprised just how simple it is to improve one's aesthetics and functionality. However, when thinking about how best to customize your Murphy bed, you need to know that a one-solution-fits-all mentality doesn't apply here. Remember, every space has unique needs; therefore, being objective about what you expect from your space will help you find the best upgrade for your bed. Here are a few examples of brilliant ideas for customizing a Murphy bed that will help you harness the power of this unique piece of furniture in your home.
1. Create an accent wall
What better way to improve the aesthetics of your room than by creating a colorful accent wall? Because most Murphy beds recede flush into the wall, this gives you the unique opportunity of getting creative with paint to give your room a bold, colorful touch.
2. A minimalist vibe
Murphy beds are known for their incredible versatility as well as functionality. This one fits right into the minimalist style with simple colors, unique art, and storage options that give this room a modern vibe.
3. Color coordinate
To make your new Murphy bed feel right at home even when it's retracted, you'll need to be quite deliberate with color choices. This room stands out because the Murphy bed's wooden frame matches other significant furniture pieces like the dining table and chairs.
4. Install a few hooks
Are you interested in making this space-saving design even more functional? Consider installing a few hanging hooks on the exterior of the bed. You never know when a convenient storage option like this will come in handy.
5. Install overhead lighting
For an avid reader, enough lighting around the bed is a must-have feature. Installing simple overhead lighting is an affordable way of getting enough light for your nighttime reading. It's also a great way to make a guest room feel more open and inviting.
6. Think about storage
Let's face it, finding storage options for all your things is always easier said than done. Fortunately, you can easily customize your Murphy bed to create more storage depending on your needs. Open shelves provide a great display stage for the prized decor pieces in this example.
7. Bed and desk
Don't have enough space for a home office and a guest room? Consider this unique Murphy bed design that doubles up as a computer desk. It's perfect for those who routinely use their home office but occasionally entertain overnight guests.
8. Color contrast
Introducing a little contrast can give your wall much-needed visual interest in a relatively dark room. The white Murphy bed contrasts nicely with the surrounding navy blue paint in this example. The bed stand also doubles up as an open shelf for displaying a few decorative pieces.
9. Personalize with art
What better way to make your space feel like home than to hang a few pieces of your favorite artwork? The wall space left when the bed is opened leaves a nice display area for the art pieces you love.
10. Throw down a rug
The primary purpose of a Murphy bed is to make a space multifunctional. Throwing down a fluffy rug will make the space feel warmer and more accommodating and add much-needed color and texture when the bed is folded away.
11. Install a bookshelf
An open-plan interior design leaves little room for error. So if you want your space to work extra hard, you need to find a way of accommodating everything. In this example, the inbuilt design features a Murphy bed and a bookshelf close to the home office, making the space more functional.
12. Include electrical outlets
For added convenience, consider installing electrical outlets that will allow you to charge your phone and other electronic devices from the comfort of your bed. This also adds a nice touch to guest rooms that sport a Murphy bed.
13. LED magic
Colored LED lights can give a room a lovely ambiance and make the space come to life immediately after dark. Consider installing LED strips under your Murphy bed to give your room a magical and dreamy appearance.
14. Think about a sitting area
One way to upgrade your Murphy bed is to include a comfortable seating area alongside it. Adding a minimalist sofa is one way of making the space more functional and introducing some style to that particular room.
15. Paint or stain
Choosing natural unfinished wood opens you up to a world of possibilities for customizing your Murphy bed. You can finish it with whatever paint or stain you want to add additional personality to the space.
16. Pick bedding color wisely
The bedding you choose for your Murphy bed will either make or break the aesthetic you wish to go for. One rule of thumb when selecting the right bedding is that it shouldn't blend with the overall theme. Instead, the colors should be bold enough to stand out and introduce some contrast to the space.
17. Two instead of one
Two is better than one, so they say. This is also true for your guestroom. Instead of having one large bed, consider installing two Murphy beds that fold up, leaving room for other activities when needed.