Add Extra Space To A Small Room By Customizing Your Own Murphy Bed
By RON BAKER
Murphy beds that need assembly in your home can cost $3,000 to $10,000, while DIY Murphy bed hardware kits cost $200 to $300 and require materials worth only a few hundred dollars.
Kits are available for horizontal and vertical bed storage. Sometimes, these kits are very simple to use, but in some cases, they require skills and tools that you may not possess.
A kit includes a raising and lowering mechanism that uses springs or a strut, hardware for attaching the parts, a swing-out leg mechanism, a manual, and a list of materials needed.
Details vary by kit, but in general, you'll be building a bed frame and some form of cabinet before attaching everything together using the supplied hardware.
Holes and hardware on both sides must be perfectly mirrored. When the hardware is attached, it must be perfectly square; otherwise, the bed can rack unevenly or not work.