Modern Murphy Beds

How to design a your own custom modern style Murphy bed. A guide to styles, colors, handles and more.

Murphy beds have recently become a very popular way to save space and add function to any room in the house. A Murphy bed is definitely not a new thing, they have been around for over a hundred years, but historically they have been fairly unattractive. Exposed steel frames with squeaky springs and hinges may save some space but it just simply isn’t worth the eye sore. Thankfully over the more recent years style has become a driving factor in making the Murphy bed a perfect solution for your space. So many of us love a modern motif in our home and we finally have Murphy bed options that will blend perfectly with the feel of our homes.

What exactly is “Modern” style?

There are so many different style options, terminologies, and subgroups when it comes to style. So, what is meant by “Modern style”? The main idea behind a Modern motif is “Clean”. Modern furniture features clean lines, simple designs, monochromatic colors, and natural materials. A modern room will have plenty of natural light, minimal clutter, open space, neutral wall colors and textures.Clean lines and simple designs.

Clean Lines and Simple Designs

Modern furniture is unadorned and favors the simple idea of function over decoration. Historically modern furniture has avoided curved lines, and stuck strictly with straight lines, but in recent years clean curved lines have become popular in modern spaces to accent the monolithic nature of modern furniture. To put it simply, modern furniture avoids anything trim or decoration that isn’t important to the function of the furniture

Natural materials and monochromatic colors

Woods, metals, stones, and leathers are all very popular in modern design. Rather than dressing up furniture with trims and hardware, the natural elements bring all of the character needed for the aesthetic. Material choice is critical. The colors are once again, simple, clean and more natural.

Natural light

Whenever possible modern rooms will bring in as much natural light as possible. This means large windows, glass, and unobstructed views are all used to give the room a natural feel.

Open space and minimal clutter

The concept of minimalism is at the heart of modern design. There is no need for excess decorations, shelves, cabinets, or really anything that takes up space. In a modern area open space is the goal. 

What is a Modern styled Murphy Bed?

With the understanding of what Modern style is, it becomes apparent why Murphy beds are such a great choice. A good wall bed focuses on function, creating space, and using natural materials. With that said, by no means are all Murphy beds modern in design. There are plenty out there with trims,  and adornments that won’t go well in a modern room. There are also simple, inexpensive, melamine Murphy beds which advertise as modern, but in reality, scream cheap.

A modern style Murphy bed will generally have a flat face panel, clean and simple hardware, and no crown molding or base molding. Adjacent cabinets will be the same height and depth as the bed. This is a departure from the break-front design that is popular in more traditional motifs. The cabinets are generally all closed with doors and drawers rather than leaving open shelves for decorations. The doors and drawer fronts are all flat panel with simple hardware, or no hardware at all. 

You want to avoid the laminates or faux woods, instead choose real woods or painted cabinets. This adds to the natural feel and keeps it from looking cheap. It also ensures that the quality will be good, and it will be durable enough to last for years. Real wood, and painted finishes are great for real life because they are easy to repair and touch up. Laminates are much more difficult to repair and are generally less durable.

Wilding Wallbeds’ Modern Style Murphy Bed Options 

At Wilding Wallbeds we have styles to match any motif, including modern. The two most popular modern options we offer are the Scape Murphy bed and the Edge wall bed. Both styles have clean lines, flat faces, minimal trim, and optional side cabinets that can be made the same height and depth as the bed. The Scape uses our spring lift mechanism, and the Edge uses our piston lift mechanism. The Monaco is a great modern style that is available in our Sofa Murphy bed. We have Scape style options for our Bookcase beds, and our Murphy Desk bed. This means that regardless of the mechanism you prefer, your available space, and the function you want, we have a modern style Murphy bed for you. 

Which woods and colors are modern?

The most popular woods used on the Scape and the edge right now are Mahogany, ¼ Sawn Oak, and Alder (not Knotty Alder). Mahogany wood have a vertical grain with fairly straight lines, dark and light veins, and a warm overall tone. ¼ Sawn Oak is a cut of oak wood which give the wood straight tight vertical grain, with minimal variation, and features beautiful flecking. Alder wood is a nice clean wood. It has a closed-cell grain, and takes stain very well. If you are wanting a painted look, you will want to go with the paint grade material rather than the oak because it creates a much smoother finish, which goes great with modern style.

There are many colors that work well in a modern motif, but here are the most popular.

Which are the best handle options?

When it comes to the handle choice, we have several great modern options. 

Each of these feature clean lines, and have great colors that keep with the modern feel. These handles all add to the overall beauty of the product without drawing too much attention or design.

To Sum it all up

A Murphy bed is a great way to free up space in your home and add function without taking away from the overall modern motif in your space. Wilding Wallbeds has a great selection of Murphy beds, woods, colors, hardware and cabinets designed to go in a modern style room. These are made out of the highest quality materials giving you a simple clean modern look without feeling cheap. Our sales staff is up to date on current trends and styles and can help guide you into choosing the right options for your specific style and space.

Shop Featured Products

Start designing your modern style Murphy bed with one of the examples we used above.

The Scape Murphy Bed

VIEW THE SCAPE STYLE

The Edge Murphy Bed

VIEW THE EDGE STYLE